If you’ve worked in B2B marketing for any amount of time, you’ve heard the buzzwords. “Synergy.” “Enablement.” “Digital transformation.” “Leverage scalable solutions.”
For years, this kind of corporate-speak ruled the business world. Brands tried to sound big, important, and professional. But in doing so, they often lost the very thing that makes marketing work—the human connection.
Now, the pendulum is swinging in the opposite direction. A growing number of brands are ditching jargon for warmth, storytelling, and authenticity. They’re not talking to “decision-makers” anymore; they’re talking to people.
This shift is called B2H marketing, short for Business-to-Human, and it’s reshaping how companies communicate, sell, and build trust.
What Is B2H Marketing?
At its core, B2H is simple: no matter what you sell, your audience is made up of humans. Humans with goals, emotions, biases, and values. Even in B2B, where the buying process can involve multiple stakeholders, spreadsheets, and six-month sales cycles, decisions are still made by people who feel, think, and relate like consumers.
Traditional B2B marketing often treats buyers like machines, rational actors who respond to logic and ROI charts. But today’s buyers expect more. They want to be understood, not targeted. They want brands that speak their language, not hide behind acronyms. B2H marketing focuses on creating messaging that resonates emotionally and personally, while still delivering value and expertise. It’s about being credible and relatable.
Why the Shift Happened
A few major forces have driven the rise of business to human marketing:
The Consumerization of B2B
Business buyers now expect the same experience they get as consumers: intuitive websites, personalized recommendations, conversational emails, and storytelling that makes them feel something. If Netflix knows what you want to watch next and Shopify ads read your mind, your B2B vendor can’t sound like a slide deck from 1998.
Decision-Makers Are Overwhelmed
The average B2B buyer consumes 13+ pieces of content before making a decision. They’re inundated with case studies, eBooks, and webinars, most of which sound the same. In this content flood, human voices stand out. A conversational tone, humor, or empathy can cut through the noise in a way that “solutions that optimize operational efficiencies” never will.
AI (Ironically) Made Us Crave Humanity
As automation and generative AI became part of everyday marketing, something funny happened; brands realized people were desperate for authenticity. When anyone can pump out a jargon-filled white paper, personality becomes a competitive advantage. The more AI floods the market with generic copy, the more valuable human-sounding communication becomes.
What Human-First Messaging Looks Like
B2H isn’t about throwing emojis into your subject line or pretending to be a lifestyle brand. It’s about talking like a person while still speaking to professional needs.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
1. Conversational Language
Drop the buzzwords. Replace “Our platform leverages data-driven insights to optimize engagement” with “We help you see what your customers actually care about and act on it.” Plain language builds trust. If someone has to decode your message, they’ll move on.
Filip Roegies, Co-Founder of Gomez Roofing ditched jargon on customer calls and quote forms. “Instead of asking customers to select ‘TPO membrane systems’ or ‘photovoltaic array installations,’ we now just say ‘flat roof repair’ and ‘solar panels that cut your electric bill’. Our quote-to-booking rate went up about 35% in the first six months after this shift.”
2. Empathy and Understanding
B2H brands show they get their audience’s daily challenges. Instead of bragging about features, they talk about frustrations, fears, and hopes. For example: Instead of “Our CRM integrates with your tech stack,” try “You shouldn’t need five tabs open just to reply to a lead.”
3. Authentic Storytelling
Humans remember stories, not stats. Case studies that highlight real people, such as customers, employees, or users, stick far longer than a slide deck full of metrics.
4. Values Over Vanity
Buyers care about purpose, ethics, and brand behavior more than ever. Companies that communicate their values transparently (and act on them) build loyalty faster.
The Companies Doing It Best
Let’s look at some standout examples of brands leading the B2H movement—and what they’re getting right.
Slack: Humanizing Productivity
Slack built its brand around connection and ease: two deeply human desires. Instead of marketing itself as a “collaboration platform for optimizing workflows,” Slack tells stories about teams that work better together. Its homepage copy reads:
“Make work life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive.”
That tagline could belong to a wellness app, not a workplace tool—and that’s the point. Slack treats workplace communication as a human problem, not a technical one. The product is secondary; the feeling is primary.
Intentsify: Turning Buyer Intent into Human Insight
Intentsify stands out as one of the few B2B technology companies mastering the art of B2H through data. The company helps marketers use intent data: signals that show which companies are actively researching a solution to deliver outreach that actually matters.
Instead of blasting cold emails based on job titles or industries, Intentsify empowers teams to understand what prospects care about right now. That’s human-first marketing at scale. Its own messaging focuses on clarity, not jargon:
“Turn intent signals into meaningful marketing action.”
By translating complex analytics into human understanding, Intentsify proves that being data-driven doesn’t mean being robotic. It means being relevant.
Mailchimp: Quirky, Clear, and Human
Mailchimp practically wrote the playbook on B2H. Its tone is friendly, funny, and confident. The company built its identity around helping small business owners grow, not “enterprise clients optimizing email automation workflows.”
Its marketing content speaks like a mentor, not a machine:
“Get down to business and grow sales. We’ll help you build your thing.”
Mailchimp’s design, humor, and approachable writing make email marketing feel empowering, not intimidating. Even their errors and 404 pages have personality—because every touchpoint is human.
HubSpot: The Helpful Friend
HubSpot’s success story is tied to its inbound marketing philosophy: educate, don’t interrupt. Its content feels like advice from a helpful friend who just happens to be a marketing genius.
Their blog doesn’t scream “buy now.” Instead, it answers questions like “How do I write a cold email that doesn’t sound desperate?” or “How do I get my first 100 subscribers?” By providing free education and insight, HubSpot builds trust long before any sales pitch enters the chat. That’s B2H in action: earning attention instead of demanding it.
Notion: Making Productivity Emotional
Notion takes what could be the world’s driest category—knowledge management—and turns it into a lifestyle movement. Its messaging centers on creativity, freedom, and individuality. The product isn’t just a tool—it’s a way to build your own system, your own way.
When Notion says “Write, plan, and get organized—all in one place,” it’s not talking about software. It’s talking about control, calm, and clarity. The emotional side of productivity.
The brand’s aesthetic (soft colors, minimal design, human imagery) reinforces that emotional tone.
Gong: Making Data Feel Alive
Sales intelligence software doesn’t exactly scream emotion, but Gong manages to make analytics exciting. Their content is playful and direct. Instead of saying “AI-powered revenue optimization,” Gong says “Know what’s really happening in your deals.”
Their emails often start with relatable lines like:
“You know that sinking feeling when your deal goes quiet?”
That’s human. They’re not selling dashboards—they’re solving feelings like uncertainty and stress. The data is just the solution.
How to Build a B2H Strategy
Ready to make your own messaging more human? Here’s how to start:
1. Listen to Real People
Talk to your customers. Read the comments. Sit in on sales calls. Pay attention to how your audience actually speaks. Then, use that language in your copy, not sanitized corporate versions.
2. Define Your Brand Voice
Your voice should reflect your company’s personality. Are you a trusted guide (like HubSpot), a playful partner (like Mailchimp), or a data-driven empath (like Intentsify)? Document your tone rules, i.e. which words to use, words to avoid, and how you want people to feel after interacting with you.
3. Reframe Your Messaging
Audit your content. For every line of copy, ask:
- Does this sound like something a person would say out loud?
- Does it speak to a real pain point or emotion?
- Does it reflect our values?
If not, rewrite it.
4. Empower Your Team to Be Human
B2H isn’t just a marketing tactic; it’s a company mindset. From social media managers to sales reps, everyone should be encouraged to communicate with empathy and personality.
5. Use Data to Deepen Humanity
This is where platforms like Intentsify shine. By surfacing intent data, such as the real-time topics your audience is engaging with, you can reach them at the right moment, with the right message. It’s personalization powered by insight, not guesswork.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with good intentions, brands can get B2H wrong. Here’s what not to do:
- Trying too hard to be relatable. Forced humor or slang can feel fake. Authenticity beats trendiness every time.
- Forgetting professionalism. Being human doesn’t mean being sloppy. Clarity, accuracy, and brand consistency still matter.
- Talking about yourself too much. B2H means focusing on the human on the other end, not your brand’s ego.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
As AI continues to evolve, the brands that win won’t be the ones with the most automation. It’ll be the ones that sound least automated. Human-first messaging isn’t a fad; it’s a necessity. The B2B world is saturated with content, competition, and complexity. The easiest way to stand out? Be real.
Because at the end of the day, every business conversation still comes down to one human saying “yes” to another. And that’s the heart of B2H.
TL;DR
B2H marketing is the evolution of B2B: a shift from robotic, jargon-filled copy to conversational, empathetic, human storytelling. Brands like Slack, Intentsify, Mailchimp, Notion, HubSpot, and Gong are leading the way by focusing on real people, emotions, and values.
If you want to connect, convert, and stay relevant in a world full of noise, remember: you’re not selling to a company. You’re speaking to a person. Speak like one.
FAQs
Question 1. How does a shift to B2H marketing provide a tangible competitive advantage?
Answer: It allows us to cut through the content flood by replacing robotic jargon with authenticity and personality. This makes our message stand out and builds trust, especially as AI generates more generic content.
Question 2. We are data-driven. How can we ensure B2H messaging remains professional and credible?
Answer: B2H means being credible and relatable. We drop jargon for plain, conversational language. We must use our data to deepen humanity (e.g., precise timing and relevance), not to sound robotic.
Question 3. What specific steps should we take today to integrate B2H principles into our content?
Answer: Listen to real people (customers/sales calls) and their language. Then, audit and reframe all messaging to ensure every line sounds like something a person in this industry would actually say in conversation.
