3 min read

B2B Marketing: The Human Touch

Posted by ProsperoHub on January 30, 2020

In this increasingly competitive world, we are always searching for that 'spark' to make our brand stand out and leave that lasting impression on our customers. Advancements in technology, however, have forced B2B marketers to be even more innovative and continually create new and exciting methods of communication, perhaps neglecting the importance of the messaging tone of voice.

Primarily thought of as being important in the B2C sector, the idea of the "human touch" to marketing is growing in importance in the B2B sector. The concept of humanisation offers you the chance to cut through the noise of the competition and get your customers excited about who you are and what you do.

The World of B2B Marketing is Changing

There is no doubt that B2B marketing has been shifting for a while now. With a whole range of advanced technologies like HubSpot and marketing techniques available that allow businesses to market with little to no direct human interaction with a potential customer, the need to stand out above the crowd is growing. With this growth in technology, comes with it a growth in the expectations from B2B buyers

It is time to approach lead generation in a different way. 

Of course, we understand that the future is digital, advanced technology, and artificial intelligence. However, there is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that a more human approach is needed to survive in a B2B world nowadays. While it is important to remember your target prospects are companies, people do business with people that they like and trust, and it is extremely difficult to trust a company. But when your target audience are reminded that it is people working behind the scenes of business, they may be more likely to get to know you better.

Put The Human Touch Into Your Marketing

If your company comes across as dull, corporate, or "faceless", it might be time to add the human touch to your B2B Marketing. It is important to remember that while you are in the B2B sector, you are still selling to people. Many tactics that are used around B2C communication can in fact be applied in a B2B context. 

Below we have our easy top tips into how you can humanise your brand:

#1 Put yourself in your buyer's shoes

When you put yourself into the shoes of your B2B buyer audience when creating engaging and interactive content, you begin to understand the challenges of the individual in the position of power who will be purchasing what you sell. From this you can build your campaign around those insights and present your offering to a specific individual who will want their business challenges solved from your proposition. 

#2 Stop with the business jargon

As said by HubSpot, Just. Speak. Clearly. 

When you speak in business and industry-specific language, while it may sound important and clever, you in fact just come across as unapproachable. Use human language to communicate with prospects the same way you would with colleagues. When you write something, read it back and imagine saying it in a meeting with your seniors - would you feel silly saying it? If yes, then it is not human!

It is far too easy to make things look automated, scheduled or fake - especially on social media. When you communicate like a human being across your marketing activities, your brand feels more relatable and engaging.

#3 Encourage employees to be social on behalf of your company

When your employees are proud to share content on their social media on behalf of the company, it shows to potential customers that your employees care about the company they work for. If your customers see your employees care, it sheds good light on the business. When you encourage employees to use their social media accounts it also gives your company's content significantly more reach, allowing it to catch the eye of potential customers you may not have known would benefit from your proposition. 

Not only this, it also lets people get to the know the names, faces and personalities behind your company - which will make you feel more approachable and human. 

#4 You don't always need to be a "marketer"

While we know that as marketers, you are working this hard to get more traffic and leads which ultimately turn into customers. Nevertheless, it can be useful to, every so often, approach your efforts without the marketing mindset but with more of a human one. 

Rather than consistently sending your audience to landing pages, links to blogs, or lead-capture forms, it is good to give your audience something you think they will just simply enjoy reading. Maybe you saw a great news article that you thought they would like? Tweet about it! Maybe you have done something fun in the office which your audience would find entertaining? Take a picture and post it! Engaging with your buyer personas on a human level establishes a longer term, valuable relationship with them

Let ProsperoHub help your business stand out amongst the competition

With digital taking over, it can be easy for organisations to get lost along the way. This is why ProsperoHub are here to help your B2B marketing thrive. Download our eBook: Digital Transformation in Sales & Marketing for more on standing out above the noise as digital transformation continues to rise.

Keeping a consumer interested throughout their consideration stage and progressing them through their buyer journey requires a significant amount of meaningful content, without losing the human touch. With our digital transformation e-Book you delve into how Sales and Marketing has changed to keep up with this concept of digital transformation. Discover how we as sales and marketing professionals can use these advancements to stay ahead of our competition whilst delivering the best customer experience.

 

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Topics: Lead Generation, B2B Marketing

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