If you’ve only just realized how important your sustainability efforts should tie into your marketing efforts, you are not alone. It’s called green marketing, which refers to any marketing campaign that emphasizes your commitment to selling products that provide an environmental benefit.
How to Be A Green Marketer
Many brands are purporting to be green, but their messages don’t always align with their business practices. Being authentic about your claims is vital to your reputation and long-term viability. Here’s how to ensure you are genuine in your sustainability marketing:
* Your products and services contain no ozone-depleting components and are free of toxic materials
* Your products can be recycled, re-used, or repurposed.
* Your products align with environmentally friendly guidelines
* Packaging is eco-friendly, created from recycled materials, and biodegradable
* Any non-green materials used in production are kept to a minimum
Sustainability Marketing Strategies
Sustainability needs to be at the core of your business practices to be effective. Here are seven ways you can effectively market your organization’s sustainability efforts.
1. Make Green a Part of Your Company Culture
Image by sonjachnyj.
Your message should highlight your company’s commitment to sustainable practices. Mostly, it comes down to practicing what you preach. Any deviation or misrepresentation can harm your image and reputation in the marketplace.
2. Be Transparent
The quickest way to lose respect and trust in the marketplace is to lie to your customers. Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages all day every day. The ease of buying online has given customers more choices, and they can now make buying decisions based on their research, rather than what a marketing message tells them. They will always prefer to buy from organizations using honest marketing methods.
3. Give Something Back
Businesses in the local community have tremendous opportunities to make lives better for those in need. Brands that use their status, money, and power to improve the community for all, not just their customers, will put down deeper roots, while also attracting a loyal following with values that closely align with the company culture.
Photo shot by Wavebreak Media Ltd.
An excellent example of how a company can give back to the community is found in the TOMS shoe brand. For every pair of shoes sold, the company helps someone in need. TOMS may donate a pair of shoes, supply medication for hookworm, or help remote communities gain freshwater access. The famous shoe brand is now worth more than 400 million dollars.
4. Get Everyone in the Company on Board
Getting the staff to participate in green practices will help instill your sustainability practices into the company culture. Create incentives for your employees to get involved, such as a mandatory day out of every month when the office works as a team in a community project. You can also support local charities and causes with regular donations.
5. Show Your Commitment
Social media is an excellent media for showing the world that your company practices what it preaches. Take photos and upload videos showing your participation. Charitable donations made as part of a special promotion will encourage sales and inspire customer loyalty.
6. Talk About Your Long-Term Commitments
Suppose you’ve been using sustainable practices as part of your business practices for a while now. In that case, there’s no harm in making this a prominent part of your message to highlight your company against those that have only recently taken up the sustainability mantle.
7. Get Certified
Photo captured by sonjachnyj.
Certifying bodies that align with your commitment to sustainability are a verifiable testament to your values and practices. Be sure to highlight these certifications in your marketing message. Most environmental organizations like the EPA or B-Corp allow you to display memberships badges on marketing material and packaging, which is powerful social proof many of your competitors won’t have.
For green marketing photos like the ones used in this article and more, explore our image library of zero-waste and eco-friendly themed shots.