Youtility Book Summary - Youtility Book explained in key points

Youtility summary

Jay Baer

Why smart marketing is about help, not hype

4.4 (10 ratings)
16 mins

Brief summary

Youtility by Jay Baer is a marketing book that challenges businesses to focus on helping customers instead of just selling to them. It offers actionable tips and examples of companies that have succeeded by prioritizing usefulness over promotion.

Table of Contents

    Youtility
    Summary of 11 key ideas

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    Key idea 1 of 11

    When choosing products we increasingly seek personal advice on social media from friends, family and fellow shoppers.

    How do we decide what products to buy?

    Until recently internet search engines dominated our product choices. When you wanted something, you would probably just Google it. However, this practice is declining fast. In 2004 83 percent of customers used search engines to find a relevant company website; by 2011 this had dropped to only 61 percent.

    This is the result of social media making us more research savvy. Thanks to the rise of social media, we can access far more source – from Twitter to Facebook and beyond – to research our purchases. We now use more sources of information than ever before: the average number of sources used by customers when choosing products doubled from five in 2010 to ten just twelve months later.

    Why have we switched to social networks to sound out potential purchases? Because they provide us with recommendations from people whose suggestions we trust. Whenever we want something we can directly appeal to our friends and family through tweets or status updates. Whatever product or service we require we need only ask, “does anyone know…?” and there's a flurry of replies from those who know us best, packed with opinions and recommendations. This feedback is personalized and therefore more directed than a search engine.

    We can even appeal for advice from a wider audience beyond our friends and family: our fellow shoppers. On networks like Angie’s List we can ask for consumers' personal recommendations and experiences of companies or contractors. As these answers come from first-hand experiences we value them more highly than we would the results of a mere internet search.

    When choosing products we increasingly seek personal advice on social media from friends, family and fellow shoppers.

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    What is Youtility about?

    Youtility (2013) goes against the grain of accepted marketing methods by declaring that information, not promotion, is the way to win customers. Counterintuitive and refreshing methods are presented, repositioning the relationship between businesses and consumers. The book outlines examples from a wide spectrum of companies, big and small, driving home the message that by helping people and being useful instead of chasing sales, companies can prosper in the long-term.

    Youtility Review

    Youtility (2013) is a book that explores the power of being helpful to a brand's customers, and why it's crucial in today's business landscape. Here's why you should give it a read:

    • Packed with practical strategies and examples, it shows how providing value to customers can generate long-term loyalty and success.
    • By emphasizing the concept of being useful over being promotional, it challenges conventional marketing practices and offers a fresh perspective.
    • With its engaging storytelling and insightful case studies, the book manages to make a topic like marketing interesting and definitely (not boring).

    Best quote from Youtility

    Sell more by selling less.

    —Jay Baer
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    Who should read Youtility?

    • Anyone wanting to start or grow their own business
    • Anyone interested in how social media is changing our personal and business relationships
    • Anyone looking for a fresh perspective in marketing

    About the Author

    Jay Baer is a digital marketing consultant, blogger, podcaster, speaker and founder of five companies. He has consulted for 29 companies in the Fortune 500 and his Convince & Convert blog is ranked world's number one by the Content Marketing Institute. His extensive experience with web companies led him to co-write books that help companies stand out from competitors through social media intelligence and responsiveness.

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    Youtility FAQs 

    What is the main message of Youtility?

    Youtility emphasizes the importance of providing useful information to customers, which leads to increased brand loyalty and business success.

    How long does it take to read Youtility?

    The reading time for Youtility varies. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is Youtility a good book? Is it worth reading?

    Youtility is worth reading because it offers practical insights on how to provide valuable content to customers, fostering long-term relationships.

    Who is the author of Youtility?

    Jay Baer is the author of Youtility.

    What to read after Youtility?

    If you're wondering what to read next after Youtility, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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