In a world full of cookie-cutter campaigns, the use of AI, and a focus on the bottom line, one of the things about POP that I’m most proud of is that we have a true focus on human-to-human marketing. 

There’s an official definition of that, but there’s also a more intuitive definition. The two are closely related, and we fall into both. So today, I’d like to take a few minutes to talk about our empathetic human approach to our clients and their clients. 

We think it’s the best way to do small business marketing and business in general. If you agree, we’d love to meet you!

What Is Human to Human Marketing?

Human-to-human marketing refers to the idea that people prefer dealing with real people. They prefer authenticity and being treated like humans. They also like to feel like a human is on the other side of the brand. 

All of this should sound familiar to POP clients and readers since I’ve long preached authenticity as a pillar of a good marketing approach. That’s why we take the time to get to know you and your voice before we start marketing for you. 

Authenticity

We’ll begin with authenticity. As mentioned, we’ve talked about it before, but let’s review. 

Your marketing should sound like you and your business. It shouldn’t be overly official or polished, though obviously, you don’t want it to be filled with typos (and likely will keep profanity out of it, though some brands make it work.)

Celebrate the holidays you celebrate. If your brand is fun, have fun. Be silly if you want to! 

However, don’t start making your brand fun, silly, or different just because it’s the latest trend. Your customers are smartand will see through it. Plus, they likely like you for you!

Real People

I ask my clients to get me as many photos of their employees and customers as possible. There’s a place for professional photography. I prefer it for websites and brochures, but you don’t need it for social media. It should look natural and unstaged. 

I use stock photography when I can’t get real photos, but people smell a stock photo a mile away. 

Our Marketing Company

POP is made up of real people who really do the work. While AI is propagating and spitting out generic content for companies across the board, we do things the old-fashioned way. 

I’ve introduced you to several of the POP staff before:

Me: I’m the owner and founder, Anthony Giorgetti. A writer who originally focused on comedy but eventually realized it would be nice to have money. So, I backed into marketing when I accidentally realized I was good at it. My degree is in psychology from Roanoke College. 

Felicia: My wife and partner is a creative thinker, natural problem solver and student of human nature. A counselor by trade, she helps everywhere, especially when there’s something a little sticky to figure out. Her bachelor’s is from Hollins University, and she’s gotten further education through the Hakomi Institute (and a lot more). 

Aaron: Our first full-time employee, Aaron, is a fellow Maroon. He’s our primary sales guy and customer accounts manager. Frequently, he’s the first person anyone speaks to about POP. 

Khenan and April: These two do all the backend work. 

April, like me, is a writer (though she’s won more awards!) with an SEO background. She works remotely from Louisville, Kentucky.

Khenan also knows his way around IT, but his BA is in physics. He’s a smart dude whose undergraduate research at Roanoke College was published!

Caity: Caity is the other writer on staff. She writes blogs and social media for many of our clients. Caity lives in Florida with her family and loves working as a scare actor at the local theme parks, such as Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights!

Om: He’s our head of security and frequently encourages rest. 

Shanti: A high-energy girl, she runs the numbers because she’s the only one who can catch ’em. 

I’m proud of this team, and we’re the ones who get to know and understand you, not a computer. We’re also here to respond when you have a question. 

What Does Human-to-Human Marketing Look Like in Practice? 

Human-to-human marketing looks human! We speak conversationally, show empathy, and treat clients and potential clients like people. 

We don’t think in personas but in authentic interactions. We encourage our clients to think about their relationships with their clients. We build them, not try to trick them. 

It’s honestly kind of funny there’s even a thing called human-to-human marketing. Why would anyone do it any other way? We’re real people helping real people…help real people. 

And that’s what we like about our jobs. That’s why we’re Southwest Virginia’s friendly neighborhood marketing agency!