Journey Mappers: Navigating the Path to Human Marketing Success

Read time: about 9 minutes.

What is H2H marketing?

Human-to-human marketing (H2H) refers to connecting with clients on a personal level. It’s a cutting-edge marketing strategy that helps brands stand out from their competitors and meet the needs of their clients.

Marketers tend to become overly focused on selling their products or services and not on the people who buy them.

This creates a disconnect that affects your incoming revenue and brand reputation.

To fix this, prioritize your clients and create an experience that is meaningful to them.

It involves figuring out what they care about and making an effort to care about it as well. It involves showing human traits such as loyalty and honesty.

It’s acknowledging that you’re selling to real people and reflecting on how you speak and the things you choose to speak about.

Where did the term H2H marketing come from?

Bryan Kramer, a marketing expert, first invented the H2H marketing approach. He wrote about the topic in his book ‘There is no B2B or B2C: It’s human-to-human H2H published in January 2014.

Why is human-to-human digital marketing important?

B2B strategies often rely on user-generated content to create templates of marketing materials in advance, which makes it increasingly difficult for businesses to communicate on a human level.

The problem is that with these technological advances, clients want value and to feel valued – all of which can’t be satisfied using only automated experiences.

A human approach is the answer to this problem.

H2H DIGITAL MARKETING THE RIGHT WAY

‘Speak more human’

1. KISS: while kissing people may be an easy way to get people’s attention, the act of “Keep It Simple, Stupid” is sometimes very hard. Enough said.
2. Acronym less: ever been to a business meeting where they used acronyms so much that you spent most of the time trying to figure out what they meant instead of focusing on the actual message being conveyed? Acronyms have their place but not when they replace communicating information to someone who may not understand them.
3. Swap places: put simply, put yourself in the shoes of your audience, if you were them, what would you like to hear? To be heard, the message must resonate with them rather than with you.
4. Gut vs. fact: “Market to the heart, and sell to the head.” People love facts, and statistics are great proof points when you’re selling. But from my experience, my gut is the only indicator of leading innovation. Your gut will tell you if something’s too risky. Although I strongly encourage you to balance the two—your head and your heart—when in doubt, go with your gut. It’s never wrong.
5. G to P: whether you’re reading this as a brand or an individual, get to the point. We’re all busy. We care about plenty of things. Just talk less and listen more.

READ ALSO: humanization strategies.

Five ways to do H2H digital marketing right

As B2B communication strategies like using user-generated content to create marketing materials advance, it’s become more difficult for brands to speak on a human level in business.

The problem is that these technological advances mean your clients expect more from your brand. They want value and to feel valued – all of which can’t be satisfied using automated experiences.

A human approach is the solution to this challenge.

Let’s look at five H2H strategies to create valuable interactions and power your marketing efforts:

1.    Tell a story with content marketing

What you say and how you portray it to your buyers will significantly impact your brand.

In H2H digital marketing, we need to ask more questions before pressing the post button.

And it starts with language.

H2H language should be clear and conversational. You’re speaking to a real person; treating them like one instead of just another sales number will be appreciated by them.

That said, we still want to get buyers moving through the marketing funnel; H2H makes it a smoother journey.

Why so?

Because your clients are presented with information that is not only simple to understand (regardless of how complex your product or service is) but also makes them feel valued by your company.

Here are a few tips for applying a H2H approach to your marketing strategy:

Tell a story

Creating content that tells a story can trigger your client’s emotions and improve your sales long-term.

Storytelling creates an emotional connection with your clients. It’s an excellent way to communicate how your product or service may make someone’s life easier without being aggressive.

After all, people remember how you make them feel, not how great you believe your business is.

Include meaningful links

If you’re concerned that your client won’t have enough information through a story, you can always provide a link to a more detailed blog post or guide. Just make sure the external links are still valuable to your clients or visitors.

Make use of infographics and videos

Some of the industry terms cannot be easily understood by someone without digital marketing knowledge or experience. This is where infographics can help explain technical terms in a fun, digestible way. By utilizing tools like Venngage Infographic Maker or Canva, you can create visually appealing and informative graphics that simplify complex concepts and engage your audience.

Be mindful

Stay informed about current events and trends that your clients are interested in and actively show your support. This showcases your brand’s value system and allows clients to see that there are real people making decisions behind the scenes.

Honesty is the best policy

No one wants to invest in a company that has a lot of negative feedback or fake positive reviews. They are easy to recognize and may jeopardize your organization’s reputation even more.

Your prospects are looking for authenticity, so be honest! first with yourself and then with your clients! Use case studies and real client experiences to demonstrate how you solved similar challenges.

Take a step back from selling

You do not always need to push for a sale. Sharing content that speaks to your clients, provides value, or makes their day will go a long way toward increasing brand loyalty and brand reputation.

2.    Get personal with your campaign marketing

Human-to-human campaign marketing should be result-driven, not for you, but for your client!

Before you plan your next digital marketing campaign, consider the following questions:

• Who are your clients, and what are their needs and challenges? How can you add value and meet their needs? What is your buyer journey, and does it align with the points above?

Then, act on your findings by creating an emotional campaign that can solve any challenges your clients are experiencing while also adding value to their company in other ways.

This will take some time and thought, but in the end, you’ll have convinced your clients that your product or service is a great investment not just a fake need.

You will receive results that are well worth the effort.

Many marketers make the mistake of assuming that their clients only contact them for information, which is not the case. Make your responses approachable by focusing on your brand values while being friendly, and easygoing.

3.    Build trust with performance marketing

H2H performance marketing boils down to creating a trustworthy business that can be easily discovered and communicated with.

With this in mind, you should consider several things regarding your H2H digital marketing methods. These include:

• Developing an honesty-first mindset: don’t promote what you can’t deliver.
• Use humor to catch the client’s attention.
• (CTA – Call to Action) communicate the action you want your prospect to take.
• Always consider your client’s journey and their experience while engaging with your ads or websites. It’s about quality over quantity. More isn’t always better. Be mindful of the right balance.

4.    Offer support with product marketing

For a long time, buyers have had to navigate the pressures of choosing products with little or no help from the product marketing side.

They’ve had to investigate, research, and contact other companies before making a purchase. With H2H digital marketing, sellers communicate the benefits of their products to the client – and it makes a huge difference. This should be in a natural and flowing way.

But how can product marketers do this effectively?

When you understand the challenges and needs of your clients, you can position your product or service as the ideal solution.

These insights can also create more visibility, allowing you to be there for your clients when they need you at every stage of the buyer journey.

Remember to keep your messaging casual, especially if you are using a bot for chat exchanges. With today’s technology, bots don’t have to do obvious automation. Give them a name, a photo, and a lively personality, and you’re doing human-to-human digital marketing correctly. Technology is just here to help us but will never replace human interactions and it’s imperative to remember about this.  

5.    Make deeper connections

To build deeper connections in human-to-human digital marketing, you must go beyond surface-level interactions, engage your clients on a personal level, and fully understand who your audience is.

Incorporate feedback into your approach to show that you value their thoughts. Use personalization in your communications to address clients by name and tailor content to their preferences. Gather your client feedback regularly to make sure your product or service responds to their needs and challenges in the best possible way. Create products or services that solve their issues and their real needs rather than assuming what are their needs from only your perspective or experience.

Share genuine stories that resonate with your target audience, helping them to engage emotionally with your business. Making an effort to understand and truly connect with your clients can create loyalty and trust, resulting in more meaningful and long-lasting partnerships for both parties.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve gained insights into H2H marketing, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Take time to consider your current approaches and ask yourself whether you are connecting with your audience on a personal level. If not, it is never too late to tap into the power of human-to-human marketing and we encourage you to do so for the benefit of all Internet users.

Commit to implementing the ‘Speak More Human’ mindset into your communication as well as into your team members, focus on recognizing your audience’s needs, and create compelling stories that provoke emotions. Let the human touch guide your decisions and your online business.
Accept the journey of deeper connections, and watch as your brand transforms into a beacon of authenticity in the vast digital space.

Explore more about the transformative impact of H2H digital marketing in our related articles:

• How H2H digital marketing coaching can transform your business.
• Yin & yang: striking the balance between H2H marketing and SEO.