With a name like ours, we would be remiss not to address a concept that is really the underlying principle of how we work and do business: H2H marketing.
What Is H2H Marketing?
H2H stands for human-to-human. At its core, H2H marketing is about building relationships. It's about connecting with people on a human level, not just seeing them as faceless consumers or customers. It's about understanding their needs and desires, and then creating content and experiences that speak to those things.
We believe that H2H marketing is the most effective way to connect with customers and create relationships that last. We focus on creating connections with people, not just transactions. And we believe that this approach leads to more loyal, engaged customers who are more likely to recommend your business to others.
Why Is This Important?
In a world where technology has made it easy to connect with anyone, anytime, anywhere, H2H marketing is more important than ever. It's the personal connection that sets you apart from your competition and builds trust and rapport with your customers.
Obviously, we believe this is an essential part of doing business. It's not about selling or pushing products; it's about creating connections and engaging in conversations. It's about being real and transparent, and building trust.
Our 5 Keys to Successful H2H Marketing
Here are a few of our learnings to help your business implement the H2H philosophy.
1. H2H marketing is about creating relationships, not transactions.
We’ve already hinted at this, but it’s worth repeating! The primary learning here is that your customer interactions should be designed to build rapport and trust, not just close a sale.
We do this by taking the time to get to know our customers with in-depth discovery meetings to understand their business and also to learn about our clients' team members and who they are as people. Whenever possible, we also love arranging in-person meetings to get everyone together!
2. H2H marketing is built on authenticity and transparency.
People can spot inauthenticity from a mile away, so it's important to be genuine in your interactions with them. Be honest about your products and services, and don't make promises you can't keep.
We've spent a lot of time learning about our individual team members (we even set up a Strengths Assessment as part of each new hire's onboarding to help each person work in a way that aligns with their abilities and work style).
When our team members know they are supported, they can show up as their authentic selves, which leads to more H2H interactions and deeper relationships with our clients.
Our team members’ #1 strength according to the CliftonStrengths Strengths Finder Assessment
3. H2H marketing is all about two-way communication.
It's not a one-way street! For H2H marketing to be effective, it needs to be a two-way conversation. This means engaging in active listening—where there's give and take in each interaction.
We make a point of soliciting feedback from our clients regularly through client calls and in-person meetings. This feedback helps us learn what's working well and where we can improve, and it allows our clients to feel heard and valued!
4. H2H marketing requires patience and consistency.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are strong customer relationships.
We've found that H2H marketing is most effective when it's part of a long-term strategy, not just a one-time campaign or initiative. This means that H2H should be woven into the fabric of your company culture, and everyone from the top down should be committed to living and breathing this value.
Each month, we give our team an opportunity to shout out their colleagues for their hard work or simply for expressing our core values. (There also happens to be a bonus in-store for whoever is voted Employee of the Month as a result of these nominations)!
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Human's Core Values
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Each month, we're blown away by the stellar nominations our teams bring forward. We believe that this regular practice keeps our team connected and in tune with Human's values!
5. H2H marketing is an investment, not an expense.
Like any relationship, it requires time, effort, and resources to nurture and grow. But the payoff—loyal, engaged customers and employees—is well worth the investment.
We love the concept so much, we named our business to represent our commitment to marketing with a human-first mentality.
At the end of the day, H2H marketing is all about people. And at Human, we're all about people, too.
Are you ready to start implementing H2H marketing in your business? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us to chat about how we can help you get started.
