Stop Begging for ROI. Start Giving Value.

We can all agree that great marketing is supposed to drive some kind of ROI.

But here’s the thing - ROI rarely comes in a straight line. Just like most good things in life, it’s messy, layered, and not always immediate.

Yet, too many brands approach marketing with a tunnel vision mindset: What can we get out of this?

More leads. More conversions. More followers.

And while goals are important, they’re only half the story.

Very few brands stop to ask: What are we giving in return?

You can’t expect the market to love your brand if you’re not offering anything worth loving.

And no, your product alone doesn’t cut it. That’s the bare minimum.

Let’s go back to the roots of marketing.

At its core, marketing is about building a relationship between your offering and the market.

Making sure it’s desirable. That people can find it, understand it, value it. That it fits into their world in a meaningful way.

Now imagine that relationship as an actual romantic one.

You've passed the Tinder stage. You’ve been found. Maybe even liked. Now you want to date.

But here’s the twist:

Imagine being with someone who only takes. You plan all the dates, pay for the dinners, clean the house, show up with gifts... and they just sit there, expecting more, offering nothing in return.

Sounds exhausting, right?

That's exactly how most brands behave. Constantly asking. Rarely giving.

So what should you give?

Educate. Inspire. Entertain.

That’s the trio. The golden rule of modern marketing. If you’re not doing at least one of these consistently, don’t expect people to stick around.

Educate

People are naturally curious. They want to get better at something. Save time. Make smarter choices. Avoid mistakes.

That’s where educational content comes in - it empowers. It builds authority without shouting about how great you are.

A brilliant example? Semrush.

They’ve built a powerhouse brand by simply teaching people how to navigate SEO and other areas of marketing. No fluff, no hard sells - just ridiculously useful content.

So when people are ready to invest in a tool, guess who they trust?

Ask yourself:

What do we know that our audience wants to learn?Then give them that knowledge. Freely. Consistently.

Inspire

Not everyone’s looking for a lesson. Sometimes, they just want to feel something.

Hope. Motivation. Ambition. That little spark that reminds them what they’re capable of.

Look at Nike. They rarely talk about shoes. Instead, they talk about mindset. Grit. Perseverance.

Their campaigns move people. They tap into emotion before they tap into wallets.

Even in B2B, inspiration works. Share your vision. Celebrate your team. Tell stories that reflect your values. Show your audience what’s possible.

Ask:

What do we believe in? And how can we reflect that belief back to our audience in a way that moves them?

Entertain

Let’s be honest - most people aren’t sitting around waiting for your next piece of content.

So when you do show up, make it count. Make it enjoyable.

Brands like Duolingo and Ryanair have mastered this.

Duolingo turned language learning, a topic that could’ve been dry and instructional, into meme-worthy social media content. Ryanair just hop on every trend and have fun with their audience.

The Result? Mass engagement and a community that actually wants to interact.

Entertainment doesn’t mean you have to be a comedian. It just means showing a little personality. Being relatable. Tapping into culture.

Sometimes, a well-timed reel or TikTok can do more than what a 10-slide pitch deck ever could.

Ask:

What makes our brand human? What would we want to see if we were scrolling?

The Bottom Line

The market doesn’t owe you attention. Or loyalty. Or sales.

You have to earn all of it.

And you earn it by showing up with value. By giving before you ask. By being helpful, inspiring, or just plain fun to be around.

So if your marketing isn’t landing, stop pushing harder.

Start giving more. Educate. Inspire. Entertain.

Do that well, and the ROI you’re chasing, will come around.