As environmental problems continue to grow, more and more businesses are implementing green strategies to minimize their environmental impact. Apart from being a social responsibility, going green is also a strong marketing tactic that can help your business attract more audiences.
Here’s how your business can do its part in environmental protection and how you can market it responsibly:
1. Start with your products and services
You can’t market your business as eco-friendly if your products and services are far from it. Whether you’re running a web development service or retail store, determine how you can reduce the impact of your products and services on the environment. You can start by:
- Sourcing to eco-friendly suppliers
- Using recyclable or renewable materials
- Reducing or eliminating single-use packaging
- Modifying your production to minimize waste
- Not using chemicals that are harmful to the environment
- Going digital as much as possible
However, not all companies can adopt green marketing. If it isn’t congruent with your business’ vision and mission, then it just wouldn’t make sense. If anything, it will make your audiences think you’re just jumping on the bandwagon.
With that in mind, think about whether green marketing is right for your business–and its products and services–before proceeding.
2. Promote sustainability within your organization
The first place where you should promote sustainability is within your organization. Here are some of the best eco-friendly initiatives that you can implement in the workplace:
- Implement a consistent recycling program in the office.
- Encourage employees to reduce energy consumption.
- Eliminate single-use items such as paper cups, plastic water bottles, etc.
- Go paperless and invest in digital software.
- Consider a carpool program for your employees to save fuel.
These green initiatives will be less effective if you don’t communicate your goals to your workforce. Thus, as you strive for a more eco-friendly workplace, involve your employees in the discussion instead of merely implementing new rules.
3. Invest in digital marketing
Although print ads are still effective, they are incredibly wasteful and contribute significantly to deforestation and pollution. While it’s not feasible for all businesses to switch to 100% digital marketing, minimizing your material waste by going digital is still a reasonable effort.
Furthermore, digital marketing is often cheaper than traditional forms of marketing, so you not only get to help the environment, but you also get to save money as well.
4. Promote your eco-friendly products and services
Studies show that consumers prefer to buy from, invest in, and patronize businesses that make a conscious effort to be socially responsible, especially when it comes to the environment. Apart from the price and quality of goods and services, they also consider environmental impact.
Thus, if you’ve modified your products and services to be in line with your eco-friendly mission, here are the best ways to market them as such:
- Create a selling point (e.g., recycled materials, natural ingredients, etc.)
- Use logos and insignias that represent your green efforts
- Do an ad campaign that emphasizes sustainability
- Join and promote through eco-friendly events
- Collaborate with eco-friendly groups and NGOs.
Going green is not just a trend or gimmick that you can hop on and hop off when you please. If you want your business to be recognized as socially responsible, make sustainability a pillar within your organization.
