In recent times, marketing has taken on a new dimension – Human Marketing, or H2H (Human to Human) Marketing. This new wave of marketing is all about connecting with clients on a more human level.
It’s about understanding their wants and needs and crafting marketing messages that speak to them directly – and resonate with them on a deeper level.
This article explores what Human Marketing is, why it’s important, and what to ‘do’ to get people to not just ‘buy from us‘ but ‘buy into our worldview’.
Introduction to Human Marketing
At its core, human marketing is about creating an emotional connection with your clients.
It is the process of using human-to-human (H2H) interactions to create meaningful connections with clients:
Human marketing is more focused on building relationships than pushing products.
We focus on creating trust for the long term.
By applying Human Marketing, we create loyal clients who will continue to use our services or buy our products because they trust us.
Why is it Time for Human Marketing?
The truth is this: The current marketing paradigm is broken. Again.
In his book Marketing Rebellion, Mark Schaefer explains that we are at the beginning of the third, and perhaps final, consumer rebellion.
Schaefer sums up this third rebellion as “The End of Control.”
Consumers want no more lies, no more secrets, and no more control.
What they want instead are more human impressions. Stats and research back up these observations, like in the brilliant article in the Wall Street Journal by Deloitte, Think Beyond Impressions to Make an Impression.
What worked ten years ago no longer works today.
Our client’s needs are different, and the tolerance level for pushy marketing has hit an all-time low.
Society at large is changing and will continue to change, and to paraphrase the title of Marshall Goldsmith’s 2007 book, what got us here won’t get us there.
We need a Human(e) Marketing Revolution!
Where to Start with Human Marketing
Traditional marketing brainwashed us with this idea of our client’s avatar.
The client is king, they told us. Know thy client. Every marketing course I ever took went on and on about how important it was to know your client’s avatar or customer personas.
I suggest we reverse the model and selfishly start with ourselves.
In human marketing, we understand ourselves to understand who our clients are. This understanding helps us to truly resonate with them.
Because, after all, we want to experience ease and joy in our business, don’t we?
In Humane Marketing, we have a three-step process to help you with H2H marketing.
Phase 1 of Human Marketing – Rumble
Forget your client’s avatar. Start with yourself.
In the Marketing Like We’re Human book, I call this stage ‘RUMBLE’. We’re rumbling with our story, with our values, with our worldview.
In the process, we’ll help our ideal client in a way that’s better for them.
Figure out who YOU are and what YOU want so you attract ideal clients who are a good fit for YOU.
How do you figure out who you are? Here are a few ideas:
- Find out your personality type by taking the MBTI test.
- Research your Human Design.
- Learn more about your astrological sign.
- Find your Character Strengths with the VIA Survey.
- Discover your Sparketype.
Only if we truly know who we are can we have real Human-to-Human interactions.
This is also true for companies.
Phase 2 of Human Marketing – Rise
Stop conforming. Be different and rise.
The second phase is your permission slip to stop conforming. You’re different, and it’s time to rise above the noise and the “shoulds”.
The rising phase of human marketing is about using your unique (and quirky) superpowers in your marketing, giving yourself permission to be different.
It’s about marketing your way—aligned with your worldview and values—while feeling good and having fun.
And remember, you’re not alone: rising is more fun together with like-minded partners who have the same intention of using business for good and making this world a better place.
Check out our Humane Marketing Circle to find out more.
Phase 3 of Human Marketing – Resonate
Stop chasing after clients.
Instead, attract those in harmony with your beliefs and guiding principles.
In traditional marketing, we started with a solution and chased after a problem. We treated our clients as if they were problems.
In Humane Marketing, we create a solution that we’re passionate about and know solves a specific problem. Then we communicate.
Marketing = Connection.
Connection = Communication.
In this third phase, we finally get curious about our clients. It’s not only about who they are and where they live; we want to get into their brains and find out what they think and feel.
Going deep helps us really understand them and then apply empathy in our communication.
Once we know who our clients are and what they’re struggling with, we’re ready to communicate.
Not only do we understand their problem, but we also have the same value system and a similar worldview.
We think alike, read the same books and listen to the same podcasts.
Human Marketing helps us to “get” our clients; we just happen to also have a solution to their problem.
Resonating is about attracting, not chasing, and attracting starts with ourselves.
Bring More of Yourself to Your Human Marketing
To attract like-minded people, we need to give customer-centric marketing a rest and bring more of ourselves to our marketing.
Not more of our product—more of our stories, our values, and our worldview. It’s everything we discovered about ourselves in RUMBLE.
Rumble, Rise, Resonate.
These are the three stages I suggest we work through to truly unlock the power of Human Marketing.
They’re not a quick fix since Human Marketing is not about pushing products and selling quick fixes.
Instead, Human(e) Marketing helps you create long term sustainable relationships with clients who will become your biggest fans.
From Human Marketing to Humane Marketing
Once we understand the concept of Human Marketing, we can take it to the next level and add the ‘e’ to Human.
Humane Marketing reinvents marketing for the generation that cares.
For our clients, ourselves and the planet.
It’s founded on the basis of truth-telling, human(e) connection, empathy and kindness and integrity.
Humane Marketing offers a fresh perspective, suggesting a reframe that proves that a gentler and more humane approach to marketing is not only possible but will guarantee a more sustainable business.
H2H Comes From Abundance, Not Scarcity
The phrase “coming from abundance, not scarcity” refers to the mindset or approach of someone who is able to approach situations or problems with a sense of abundance or an abundance mentality.
This means they view the world and the resources available to them as plentiful and abundant rather than scarce or limited.
What a useful mindset to have in a variety of situations, as it can help to foster a sense of positivity and optimism.
An abundance mentality can also encourage creativity and resourcefulness.
Someone who comes from an abundance mentality may be more likely to think outside of the box and find solutions to problems that others may not consider.
Using the abundant mindset, we have a real, community-changing passion that returns to the basics of trust, meaning, and purpose.
Humane Marketing is a revolution pushing up through the cracks of the conventional business world.
My Conclusion on Humane Marketing
Human Marketing is all about creating meaningful connections with clients.
Humane Marketing takes it a step further and truly cares about the well-being of our clients, ourselves, the planet and future generations.
Our approach emphasizes the importance of treating all parties with respect and dignity and of considering the long-term consequences of marketing decisions.
Use ethical and sustainable practices to become a humane marketer, and avoid tactics that may be manipulative or harmful.
In short, humane marketing is about creating value for all stakeholders rather than just focusing on short-term profit.
Build trust and long-term relationships with clients, contributing to a more sustainable and just society.
Just like a B-Corp business, start out with a clear purpose and be intentional about applying ethical principles; you will lead the way in this Humane Marketing Revolution.
If you want to dig deeper into Humane Marketing, make sure to read the Humane Business Manifesto (free), then start reflecting on the 7Ps of Humane Marketing with your 1-Page Marketing Plan or read the Marketing Like We’re Human book.
Once we understand the concept of Human Marketing, we can take it to the next level and add the ‘e’ to Human. Humane Marketing reinvents marketing for the generation that cares. Share on XOther Resources You Might Enjoy
- Manifesto: The Humane Business Manifesto (no opt-in).
- Creed: The Humane Marketing Creed (no opt-in).
- The Humane Marketing Glossary: marketing words we love
- The 1-Page Marketing Plan (email opt-in with 7 email prompts to help you think about the 7Ps of Humane Marketing in your business).
- The Humane Marketing Circle, our community of Humane Marketers.
