Why are you marketing? Do you want to sell something? Or are you in this for something deeper? Marketing is about helping people. It should help people find what they need, assuming what you sell is needed.

Your why matters because your intentions bleed into your strategy, tactics, and execution. If you are philosophically working toward your customers’ best interests, that will shape things differently than if you are just in it to make a buck.

We have all rolled our eyes at selfish marketing. Selfish marketing shows up as social media posts all about the company or person. Every post details their new hires, amazing products, earth-shattering services, client satisfaction, etc. Let me ask you this: do you get excited when you see a new post from that brand? Probably not. Do you avoid their posts? I do.

The other side is a company whose marketing focuses on giving. It’s not about their product or service; it’s about improving your life, your day, or this moment in time. This form of marketing creates content that helps people, delights them, or entertains them for a moment. 

If your marketing philosophy is about you, you are doomed to fail. But if your marketing philosophy is about elevating your customer, that’s where the magic happens.