It was a long day yesterday with several thousand of my new fellow marketer friends. Throughout the keynote sessions and breakout workshops which I attended, several common themes emerged during my day one at Inbound 2013:

1. Humanization: As marketers, we often talk in terms of markets, market segments, prospects, and leads. I’m quite guilty on this site of writing in such terms. It’s a hard habit to break, and I know I’ll continue to use such terms in the future. However, one point was driven home yesterday, and that is we need to do a better job of remembering that humans are on the other end of our campaigns and messages. For us in the dental industry, this is of critical importance. After all, at the end of the products and technologies we are marketing are the hands of dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants – and ultimately the patients they serve. We have a responsibility to humanize. We are in a profession serving human health.

2. Connectedness: It’s no secret that social media are ubiquitous and that people are increasingly connected to their various mobile devices. However, if used thoughtfully and purposefully, these networks can meaningfully connect us. More than just adding to the count of Facebook “friends” and LinkedIn connections, networks can help determined individuals get their ideas and passions in front of more people and more of the right people. Networks can be used for the greater good and to enact positive change…and positive, non-interruptive communication.

3. Passion: Find yours. Work for it and do great things.

4. Story: I’ve written about this before. Humans (see point 1) are drawn to good stories. They share (see point 2) stories which resonate with them to others like themselves. They are moved by shared passions (yep, point 3) communicated artfully through stories. Craft stories, not interruptions. Share your passion, your company’s passion and values, and connect in an ever more meaningful way with the humans you serve.

So, what do you think? How can we infuse these concepts into our strategies and tactics for more meaningful communications in dental B2B marketing?