Be Helpful | The power of reciprocity in marketing

I was conned by a sweet old lady.

In broad daylight. 

There I was, wandering down Tottenham Court Road on a sunny afternoon, when a tiny, elderly woman appeared out of nowhere and pushed a book into my hands.

I was in a rush. I did not have time to stop. But now I was holding this book.

I tried to hand it back with a polite, No, thank you.

But she was savvy. 

She held her hands up, shook her head and said, It’s a gift.

I felt bad. This seemingly harmless stranger had given me something for nothing. I felt indebted. I felt uncomfortable. I didn’t feel able to move on until I’d given her something back.

It’s human nature to feel this way. 

Unless you’re a sociopath, whenever someone gives you something, you’ll feel compelled to reciprocate, to settle the debt. We are social creatures after all, and doing right by the tribe is ingrained in us.

So, naturally, before I’d even had a chance to think about it, the words fell out of my mouth.

Well, at least let me give you something for it.

I was literally asking to pay for a book I didn’t want. 

She gestured to the table behind her bearing the logo for an organisation I’d never heard of. Some people like to give donations, she said.

I opened my purse to see some notes staring back at me. I asked her how much people normally donate.

She didn’t miss a beat. £20, she said.

I handed over a £20 note in support of an organisation I knew nothing about, and I walked away with a book I had no use for. 

I still have that book.

But why am I telling you this?

Because reciprocity is a real thing in marketing.  

Now, I’m not for a minute suggesting that you find a harmless-looking elderly woman and get her to stand on a street corner forcing your product into the hands of passers-by. 

And I’m definitely not suggesting you use the reciprocity principle to manipulate people (even if you can square it with your conscience, you’re not likely to get repeat customers).

But what I would suggest is that you have a think about where you can give away value in your content marketing. 

Do your blogs offer real insights? Are you giving people actionable points, as opposed to just telling them where they might be going wrong?

Are you including helpful tips in your social posts? The kind of value that builds trust and credibility?

What about your newsletter? Are you offering real insights there or just sharing company news? (Nobody cares about company news unless it means something for them, remember?) 

And people love it when you offer free resources on your website.

You never know when or where your seeds will start to sprout.

I signed up for a really useful newsletter about a year ago, and I find it so helpful that I send business their way every chance I get. I mean, I like them, they clearly know their stuff, but I also feel like I’m settling some cosmic debt every time I recommend them.

Like I said, it’s human nature, and it’s not a bad thing.

So, be helpful. Always.

Leesa x

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