“If you can’t keep your word, then don’t open your mouth.”

Wait…

Is that not how the saying goes?…

Well, I think we should change it because I have a lot more times where I will go to say that I will or can do something and I don’t end up doing that thing.

My guess?

You do the same thing.

And…

I get it. I really do.

But…

Can we all agree that it sucks to have someone say they will do something and then just…

Not?

What Does This Have to Do With the “Be Kind” Conversation?

If you are involved in digital marketing (or just interacting online), then the most common way you can be kind on the internet is to actually do what you say you are going to do, mean what you say, and don’t say anything you will regret later.

Honestly, it’s pretty simple.

I’m not going to belabor these points more than necessary. To be kind is to actually do the thing you say you will do:

• Did you say you would get back to them? Do it.
• Have you promised a certain response at a certain time? Do it.
• Remember when you said you would reach out? Do it!

If you do any of these things, you are going to be way ahead of the competition. Do you have any idea how often businesses forget to follow up or follow through? It’s wild.

I can’t even count the number of times a business has completely ghosted me when I have reached out. And why? All they did was create a reason for me to be negative towards their brand or business…for what? Maybe a minute or two of their life was saved?

This is the law of diminishing returns, my friends. If you do what you say you are going to do, then people will notice. Even if it isn’t the most positive experience, people will appreciate you keeping your word.

To be kind is to mean what you say.

I could go on for hours about how people act completely differently online than in person.

We have all seen it.

We have all done it.

People don’t want to hear nice things with no action behind it. Don’t tell them what they want to hear unless you mean it.

What people want is to know they are seen, listened to, and heard. 

So listen, reflect back to them what you understand they are saying, and hear them when they fill you in on what you may be missing.

Along the way, make sure you mean every single word you are saying.

We all have enough junk to deal with in our professional and personal life. We could use a little more honesty. It really is the kindest thing you can offer.

Lastly, to be kind means to hold your tongue and don’t say something you might regret later.

Any meanies out here reading this? STOP IT.

But really…

It isn’t helpful and it is dehumanizing. Be constructive, yes. Offer helpful criticism, yes. But always, always, always be kind and don’t say something you might regret.

Quick story to demonstrate this point: I had to call a bank for one of my loans. There was a weird glitch in the system and I explained it to the customer service rep so they were aware of the issue.

The response, “This sounds like a case of user error. Make sure to do __ next time.”

Regardless of whether it was user error (it wasn’t, I dialed a number and it rang for over a minute with no sign of a voicemail or menu – I was just trying to let them know something weird might be happening with their phone system), you don’t tell a customer it was their fault and label it as “user error.”

Unnecessary, unhelpful, and a little bit rude.

The Future of What it Means to Be Kind on the Interwebs

Well, there is my hot take on what it means to be kind in digital marketing. I think it could literally change the world.

I wish I was kidding, but I genuinely think more kindness online would change the face of our planet. Plain and simple.

So, what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Want to punch me in my smug face? All fair points (and, also, please don’t). 

If this has piqued your interest and you want to take a stab at human-centered digital marketing yourself, then reach out. Otherwise, check out more stuff on the DSM Blog. And, oh yeah, I have a small store with some digital goods and products you can snag (like access to DSM’s Brain). It’d be super rad if you checked that out, too.

Either way, make sure to be kind out there! It’s a tough enough world as it is, so make it just that much more enjoyable for yourself and others.