B2B and B2C – isn’t it really about H2H?

OK, so let’s start by defining these acronyms:

• B2B = Business to Business
• B2C = Business to Consumer
• H2H – Human to Human

While we regularly speak about B2B or B@C marketing strategies (including us at Marketing Edge) isn’t it really all about human to human relationships and communication?Marketing programs and campaigns are created by humans and the targets for these programs and campaign are humans as well. Too often, we get hung up or fixated on the notion that we are selling to a business. But we all know that it’s a human making the decisions to purchase the goods or services we are offering.

In Bryan Kramer’s book “There is no B2B or B2C: It’s Human to Human,” a key takeaway is: Human beings are innately complex yet strive for simplicity. Our challenge as humans is to find, understand and explain the complex in its most simplistic form. This means you, marketers. Find the commonality in our humanity, and speak the language we’ve all been waiting for.

Mike Lieberman adds: An H2H marketing approach isn’t just for gushy feelings or sappy stories. It also delivers the following benefits to your company’s bottom line:

• H2H marketing communicates trust and safety to your prospects.
• H2H marketing develops long-term customer relationships.
• H2H marketing has more potential to spread via word of mouth (both online and offline).
• H2H marketing helps you listen (and respond) to changes in customer demand.
• H2H marketing connects you to your prospects through multimedia storytelling, which is far more effective than mere facts, figures and product descriptions.

While your business might need to optimize for a longer purchase decision cycle (B2B) or a very short one (B2C), you must focus first on the human-to-human relationship in both your marketing and your sales efforts. Harnessing the power of an inbound marketing strategy ensures your communications are more H2H, and that’s a change in business we’re all able to appreciate – even your bottom line.