As a business owner, you need to make choices that help the planet and lessen environmental damage. Air and ocean pollution, climate change, and food waste are major worries for consumers. Because of this, more businesses are adopting eco-friendly practices that cut down on waste and demonstrate social responsibility.
Did you know that, in the last 50 years, humans have consumed more resources than in all previous history? With such a massive increase in a short time, businesses must use their power and positioning to promote positive change and pass it onto their customers. When brands produce and sell products and services by making environmentally conscious decisions, this is known as green marketing.
Now more than ever, consumers actively seek healthier, greener alternatives that protect the planet and promote a sustainable way of living. As a result, businesses are using this information to cater to their audiences and promote green living.
If you want to incorporate green marketing into your business strategy, here’s how to get started.
Make it part of company culture
Green marketing is more than simply stating you’re a green-friendly brand that believes in sustaining the environment. If it’s going to be part of your marketing strategy, it needs to be implemented in every facet of your business. First and foremost, it should be the heart of your company culture.
Though your mission isn’t just about generating sales or increasing revenue, it helps when people know you’re a brand they can stand behind. Working towards a good cause and serving a purpose that’s bigger than you and your company organically attracts the right target audience. Going green should be a central part of your brand identity, and your mission statement should outline how and why you’re taking this route.
To implement green practices into the company culture, start with your team. Provide adequate training and onboarding processes that make it clear to employees why you’re adopting this strategy and how it’s beneficial for everyone involved. When your staff believes in this approach, it’ll show through the work they do. If they aren’t committed to going green, it’ll create a disconnect between your company’s mission and its actions.
Give back to the community
It’s crucial as a brand adopting green marketing that you practice what you preach and give back however you can. This doesn’t just apply to green practices and can include any type of charity. Green marketing is also about building goodwill throughout the community. It’s honorable to spread the word about helping others and encouraging people to do the same.
Loyal customers are worth nearly 10 times more after they make their first purchase. It’s easier to move them through the sales funnel when they believe in your brand message and want to see that vision carried out.
More brands are beginning their business endeavors with a mission statement that aims to serve the community. Since 2006, Toms Shoes has provided millions of shoes to children in need using their marketing campaigns, and that’s just one of the many ways they’ve given back.
Think of specific steps your company can take to give back using its resources and revenue. It’s essential to spread the word about charitable strategies because it inspires others to do the same. It also gives consumers something to believe in other than just your products and services. Use social media to showcase your brand’s efforts and encourage your followers to submit user-generated content if they adopt these practices too.
Practice transparency
The best way to build brand credibility around a green marketing strategy is by practicing transparency. This means your business openly commits to social responsibility and making environmentally conscious decisions, such as going paperless or rigorous recycling practices. Without proof that you’re doing the beneficial things you say you are, it’s challenging to convince consumers to do the same.
Be open about being a green brand that implements these practices into your business strategy. Create blog posts about the process so visitors get an inside look at how your brand operates and why. Marketers who use blogging receive 67 percent more leads than those who don’t. Creating a content marketing strategy builds brand awareness and encourages engagement around the topic.
In general, businesses that practice transparency show their audience a level of trust that didn’t exist before. Promote openness and candidness with your team and encourage them to talk about setbacks and other issues. Respond to and engage in customer inquiries on social media. Embrace opinions, ratings, and reviews of all kind geared towards your brand so you can continue to build it based on constructive criticism and honesty.
Over to you
There are several ways going green helps your business efforts, but the real reason brands should embrace a green marketing strategy is because it benefits the planet. When consumers see their favorite brands adopting eco-friendly practices, it encourages them to do the same. Being proactive about issues that matter is one way businesses can do their part to reduce waste and improve environmental conditions plaguing the planet around the world. Will you implement green marketing into your business strategy?