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Human-To-Human Marketing Examples That Win Readers’ Hearts
A Complete Guide To Authentic Engagement
Megan Smith
October 30th, 2024
Table of Contents
Forget business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C), the best marketing is human-to-human (H2H). The approach emphasizes authenticity and connection. It's about putting people first, building trust, and fostering meaningful relationships.
Your audience is made up of individuals and they will appreciate the personal touch. Let's dive into these human-to-human marketing examples to boost your brand's bond with its audience.
Understanding Human-To-Human (H2H) Marketing
What is human-to-human marketing?
Human-to-human marketing focuses on connecting with customers and treating them as individuals rather than data points. Behind every purchase decision is a person with unique needs, emotions, and values.
H2H marketing is picking up steam as generic templates and AI writing become more common and affordable. People want to feel that a real person is talking to them in every message, whether it's an Instagram post, an email, or anything else.
What is an example of human-centric marketing?
H2H examples are everywhere today — check your social feed to find lots of user-generated content (UGC) or your inbox to find personalized messages from your favorite brands.
The Psychology Behind Human-To-Human Interaction
But first, let's talk about why human-to-human marketing matters.
At its core, H2H is about connecting on an emotional level. Emotions drive people to subscribe, buy, or follow. They shape priorities and preferences.
H2H practices rely on personalization and empathy to make audiences feel seen and understood. For example, they might share the success stories of current customers to help prospects relate their own lives to what the brand offers.
The Impact of Personalized Communication in H2H Marketing
Personalized communication is a powerful tool. Messages that respond to previous purchases, address particular audience segments, or mention in-person interactions prove that you're paying attention.
Using top personalized email marketing software (like beehiiv), you can leverage advanced tools to segment your subscribers and customize your messages.
Key Principles of Human-To-Human Marketing
Building your brand with human-to-human marketing requires:
Authenticity
Brands need to be genuine to build trust — be transparent about your values, mission, and the benefits of your products or services.
Empathy
Use storytelling to demonstrate that you care about their experiences and challenges. This can be achieved through attentive customer service, personalized messaging, and content that speaks to their pain points and aspirations.
Personalization
Tailoring your messages to individual preferences and behaviors makes your audience feel valued and understood.
Engagement
Active engagement involves listening and responding to your customers. Use interactive content to encourage conversations, ask for feedback, and show that you value their input.
Consistency
For audiences to connect to you on a human level, you need human-like consistency in your brand voice and visual style.
Examples of Successful H2H Marketing Campaigns
But what does all of this look like in practice? These human-to-human marketing examples come from both mega brands and smaller ones, proving that the approach works for both.
Starbucks: Personalization at Scale
Automation makes personalization possible for the biggest brands. Check out the Starbucks app, which uses customer data to create tailored experiences.
Users get custom recommendations, participate in Starbucks Rewards, and can have their favorite order waiting with a couple of clicks. They also get free coffee on their birthday, a little gift precisely tailored to the individual.
Fantasy Fangirls is a bookish podcast run by two sisters. Nicole and Lexi connect with Fangirls fans across several channels, including a beehiiv newsletter.
They run tournaments on Instagram (where followers vote for their favorites), host monthly live Q&A sessions, and participate in niche conventions to meet fellow fantasy-lovers. All of these human interactions solidify the loyalty of their listeners.
ModCloth: A Spotlight on User-Generated Content
ModCloth humanizes its fashion brand through user-generated content (UGC). It encourages customers to share photos of themselves wearing ModCloth outfits on social media with the hashtag, #MyModCloth. It reshares favorites and even features them on the website's home page.
UGC celebrates a brand's community and shows customer appreciation. #MyModCloth images also substitute real customers for professional models, giving potential buyers authentic and relatable fashion inspiration.
ModCloth is a great example of a brand that follows a human-to-human business model on all their channels.
GrowLetter: Giveaways and Testimonials
During the first beehiiv Beach Club contest (an opportunity for the top-earning beehiiv affiliate to win a luxury vacation), Matt McGarry cemented his victory through a limited-time offer. Verified new customers received exclusive content and a short phone call with Matt.
Matt helps brands grow their newsletters, and subscribers were eager to discuss their strategy and get expert feedback. The personal touch convinced all the fence-sitters on Matt's list to commit.
Matt also takes full advantage of glowing client testimonials for his brand GrowLetter, displaying them prominently on his website. H2H marketing and social proof often go hand-in-hand.
Patagonia: Authentic Storytelling
Patagonia excels in using storytelling to connect with its audience. Its content often highlights outdoor enthusiasts and environmental activism. It shares stories of real people advocating for the planet — or simply enjoying it.
By aligning their brand values with those of their customers, Patagonia builds trust and loyalty while promoting sustainability.
DeadHappy: Surprising Humor
Life insurance isn't traditionally a super funny topic. DeadHappy is a British insurance company that humanizes all the paperwork and anxiety. Its product and its messaging both use H2H marketing.
DeadHappy plans are easy to customize with specific bequests, allowing people to personalize their "afterlife strategy." The brand's content demystifies the topic and invites the audience to laugh in the face of their mortality.
Crafting Your Human-To-Human Marketing Strategy
Time to talk about how to make H2H work for you.
What is the human-to-human strategy? It depends on the humans involved. Adapt human-to-human marketing trends to fit your audience and industry.
Audience Segmentation in H2H Marketing
Personalization is the bedrock of successful human-to-human (H2H) marketing, but it's not practical to write each subscriber a unique message — even if you'd like to.
That's why audience segmentation is so important. Segmentation allows you to tailor your messages to specific groups rather than individuals.
Some of the best segmentation strategies include these common types:
Geographic: Divided by location such as neighborhood or climate.
Demographic: Divided by personal characteristics such as age, gender, income, education, etc.
Psychographic: Divided by values, beliefs, interests, and lifestyles
Behavioral: Divided by purchasing habits, brand loyalty, and usage patterns
beehiiv's segmentation tools enable precise targeting. You can even use our fancy automation features to segment your audience for you, creating groups based on the actions readers take while reading your emails.
Gathering Audience Insights
But how can you know enough about each subscriber to create effective segments?
You can conduct surveys to gather direct feedback about audience preferences or combine data from various touchpoints for a fuller picture of individuals.
Don't forget about social listening, which is the practice of monitoring what your audience is talking about and how they perceive your brand. Respond to the feedback you hear and adjust your strategies.
The Role of Storytelling in H2H Marketing
Storytelling humanizes your brand and creates deeper emotional connections with your audience. Stories are also inherently engaging. They capture attention and make information more memorable.
To craft compelling stories, focus on real-life experiences that reflect your brand’s values and mission. Use vivid details and relatable characters to draw your audience in. Keep the narrative simple and aligned with your brand message.
Social media platforms are where you can let your hair down. They provide a space where brands can engage directly and informally with their audience.This creates a sense of community and building trust through authentic communication.
A few tips for success:
Respond to messages promptly
Share user-generated content
Host interactive sessions
You should also convert social followers to email subscribers. Remind them to sign up for your best content.
Measuring the Impact of Your H2H Marketing Efforts
Tracking key metrics and using various evaluation methods helps you see what's working and where improvements are needed.
Key Metrics for H2H Marketing
beehiiv's 3D analytics let you track audience engagement with ease. Here are the crucial newsletter metrics to consider in judging your results:
Engagement Rates: Measure how actively your audience interacts with your content. Look at open rates and click-through rates.
Conversion Rates: Track the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
Retention Rates: Monitor how many customers return to your brand after their initial interaction. High retention indicates strong brand loyalty.
Incorporating Feedback Loops in H2H Marketing
Incorporating feedback loops in H2H marketing is crucial for understanding audience responses and adjusting strategies.
Use surveys, polls, social listening, and analytics tools to gather real-time data and insights. This approach keeps you aligned with your audience's needs and enhances your marketing efforts.
Leveraging Technology for Enhanced H2H Interactions
Technology enables personalized and timely responses. Here’s how you can leverage technology in your H2H marketing:
CRM and Marketing Automation Tools
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and marketing automation tools help manage customer data and streamline communication processes.
Use them to:
Personalize Responses: Tailor messages based on individual customer preferences and behaviors.
Automate Follow-Ups: Schedule automated follow-ups to maintain ongoing engagement with your audience.
Track Interactions: Keep a record of all customer interactions to ensure coherent and consistent communication.
It's a bit of a paradox, but you can harness the power of technology to strengthen your human-to-human connections.
Challenges and Considerations in Human-To-Human Marketing
Like any marketing approach, human-to-human marketing comes with its own set of challenges. Knowing how to address these common hurdles is important.
Common Challenges in H2H Marketing
Authenticity vs. Promotion
Maintaining authenticity while trying to promote products can be tricky. It's important to strike a balance so that your marketing doesn't come off as insincere.
Highlight real stories and customer experiences. Use testimonials and case studies to show the value of your product in a natural way.
Consistent Personalization
Personalizing interactions at scale can be overwhelming. That's where we come in. Take advantage of the advanced automations in the beehiiv platform.
Keeping up With Consumers
Remember, human-to-human marketing is a dialogue, not a monologue. Consumer expectations are constantly evolving, and staying ahead of these changes is crucial for staying relevant.
Embrace interactive content and customer feedback. Try out beehiiv's one-click polls or survey forms to find out what matters to your audience.
Cultural Sensitivity
This is important for everyone — especially all the bilingual newsletters and creators with diverse audiences. Marketing to a global audience means navigating different cultural norms and values.
Do thorough research on the cultural nuances of your target markets. This means understanding their values, beliefs, customs, and social norms. Tailor your messaging and strategies to fit and respect different segments of your audience. Working with local experts is also a good idea.
Be Human
H2H marketing prioritizes genuine connections and conversations between brands and their audiences. By focusing on personalization, storytelling, and audience engagement, you can create meaningful interactions and messages for your audiences.
Just follow the human-to-human marketing examples of successful beehiiv creators and global brands.
Ready to take your marketing to the next level? Sign up for beehiiv today to leverage its powerful tools for audience segmentation, interactive content, and personalization. Connect with your audience on a human level and see the difference it makes.
Why Trust Me
I'm a certified human being and an experienced digital marketer with multiple bylines on related content. I specialize in all things newsletter and branding.
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