It seems like every few months there’s a new trend in digital marketing. While 1:1 Marketing is trending, it’s not going anywhere, and we can’t get enough of it. Here is an approach that puts customer service and the customer’s experience at the top of the marketing priority totem pole. If you’re a B2B company, pay close attention. Zoom into the behavior and metrics of each individual and the results will positively impact your reputation and sales.

What is this 1:1 Marketing everyone is talking about?

Before we delve into the highlights of 1:1 Marketing, let’s start with the basics. TechTarget crafted an on-point definition: “One-to-one marketing (sometimes expressed as 1:1 marketing) is a customer relationship management (CRM) strategy emphasizing personalized interactions with customers.”

The operative phrase here is “customer relationship.” As a marketer, it’s in your best interest to have as crystal clear an understanding of your customers’ needs as possible. The more you understand your target audience, the better suited you’ll be to hand them content that makes them successful. The second you stop seeing your clients as individuals you risk compromising that relationship.

[Tweet “Each customer is different, their needs are different, their pain points are different.” via @danielnewmanuv]

“People buy from people they like. People buy from companies they like. There’s no easy button for this, but it’s not hard. You just need to care enough to want to build relationships,” explains Daniel Newman in a forbes.com article entitled B2B Marketing Must Focus on 1:1.

Treat other companies the way you would want to be treated. If you are listening to relevant conversations across all channels and come across a business in need, help them out! Impart your expertise, even if it won’t directly result in a sale. The long-term effects will show as you position yourself as a thought leader and a company that cares.

How to become a 1:1 Marketing Pro

Embracing 1:1 Marketing may be a new concept to you, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a challenge. By looking at your customer base and respective data under a microscope, you can more easily identify the channels that render the best leads and the content that brings them to your doorstep.

In an equally helpful article on B2B Community, Big Data And Omni-Channel Pave The Way For 1:1 Marketing, Newman notes, “In today’s B2B marketing world, personalization of customer data will let marketers build actionable strategies. After the data is filtered and presented in a consumable way, the marketers can use it optimally to create winning plans that will drive better sales and give them bigger returns on investment.”

You should be constantly evaluating your data on a smaller scale. If you aren’t generating leads on your social channels, don’t blame the medium. Fix your content and listen to what your customers are asking for. The effort you put into paying attention to your leads as people will show in long-term relationships based upon trust and human touch that unfortunately is absent in many business interactions.

“One-to-one marketing seeks to reinvent marketing with the personal touch absent from many modern business interactions,” explains Margaret Rouse for TechTarget.

Take advantage of all of the digital tools available. Email marketing and content marketing are just two examples of assets marketers have to listen carefully and hone personalized outreach. Don’t skimp on getting personal. Ultimately, 1:1 Marketing will set your business apart from the competition and will leave you with highly qualified leads and lasting business relationships.