It’s Really Simple – I Promise

We have already talked about what it means to Be Human, but now it is time to talk about what it means to Be Helpful. Essentially, it means to “increase value” in digital marketing. For those of us doing more than business online, it means to try and make every interaction an opportunity to make someone’s life better.

I won’t spend a ton of time talking about this one because it is easy in concept.

Putting it into practice consistently, though, is a different matter entirely.

If you didn’t know this already – there are some people who put on a completely different persona when they interact online. They are mean, rude, critical, defensive, etc., etc.

However, if you have already read about what it means to Be Human in digital marketing, then you aren’t anything like that! That’s the good news.

The better news is that, once you make this mindset shift, being helpful will add a lot of value to your own life.

It turns out that adding value to someone else’s life ends up adding value to your own.

Increase Value in Digital Marketing by Being Intentional

So how do you intentionally increase value to those you interact with online?

As I said earlier, there are any number of ways you can do this. What you really should be asking is how YOU can add value online!

If you are a business owner or involved in marketing, then your job is to figure out how your product or service solves a problem for potential customers. 

But it has to be an actual problem!

Better yet, see how your product/service can solve MORE than one problem.

That’s it. Well, mostly. More on that later.

For the rest of us, though…

…Being helpful online can look like this:

• Don’t be a troll
• Don’t complain
• Don’t be negative and/or toxic

It really is that simple.

Feeling like commenting on someone’s post that you disagree with?

Pause.

Ask yourself some questions like these:

Does this need to be a public comment?

Is there a question I can ask instead of just adding my two cents?

After you’ve reflected, think about what will be the most helpful.

Because here’s the secret…

If You Don’t Increase Value, Then You Are Decreasing Value

Whether you are posting online and interacting online as an individual or a business you never want to be known for decreasing value from people and potential customers.

And if you aren’t adding value to someone’s life, then you are naturally leeching value out of their life.

Don’t be a leech.

You may be thinking, “Well, what if you are just neutral?” And, had you asked me that question before Summer 2021, then I probably would have said, “You have solved my helpful puzzle.”

Now, though, I want you to think about this: if you are connected to someone and never interact with them, never post, never like, never react, then what message are you delivering?

I would argue that you are saying two things: 1) you don’t value your own input and 2) you don’t value your connection as a person. 

Which, if you ask me, is pretty negative, no matter how you spin it.

So, yeah.

You can either decrease value in their life or increase value in digital marketing by being intentionally Human and Helpful.

What do you think?

Am I right? Am I wrong? I am always game to hear your thoughts and have a dialogue with you. But I think there is something to be said about being helpful in an intentional way that sets your business and personal interactions apart from so much of the competition out there. 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.