Sustainability is a core value for organisations all over the world, as we aim to continue growing and expanding in the least disruptive way possible. Not only from an environmental perspective, but societal and economical as well, there has been much greater recognition of its importance both for ourselves and the world we live in.
Digital marketing can assist organisations in highlighting their efforts in sustainability. Moving to more sustainable practices can often be a complicated process that requires a lot of operational planning and assessment. Furthermore, for many organisations sustainability is of genuine meaning for them, not just from a financial or branding point of view. Environmental conservation and employee wellbeing are now authentically seen as critical factors by many employers.
For digital marketers, it’s about using the great sustainable practices businesses are implementing and making sure the necessary audiences are aware. There is however a balance that needs to be struck as greenwashing is now becoming a more recognised behaviour that unfortunately is being used by some organisations. Greenwashing refers to when sustainable practices are exaggerated or in some cases entirely fabricated in order to appeal to those who are more sustainability conscious.
Gone Green
There has been a great increase in the coverage of environmental and sustainability issues across the world and as a society, we are becoming more conscious of the impacts we’re having. Many customers will now actively seek out products and services that are responsibly sourced and carried out, as we continue to see the societal shift centred around sustainability and responsible consumer behaviour. In fact, a 2023 survey from NielsenIQ found that 46% of consumers are looking to brands to take responsibility for leading sustainable change.
With so many people going green, organisations are demonstrating their commitment to the cause, some are even building their whole business model around sustainability. In digital marketing, we can use a variety of channels to promote sustainability and environmental messaging. From simply turning off the lights, to fully fledged recycling operations, we can share these actions with the right audience who may be inclined to sustainable practices.
Sustainability & Social Media
Social media is key for sustainability in digital marketing, environmental and wellbeing awareness. Each day the chances are you’ll see a post on LinkedIn or Twitter highlighting these principles, with powerful communities that come together to share their experiences and celebrate the efforts being made by others. Whilst there are many different social media channels, sustainability discussions and communities can easily be found on all of them.
LinkedIn is perhaps the most powerful platform for B2B digital marketers and therefore an ideal channel for sharing sustainability goals and stories from the business. In fact, LinkedIn hosts a number of opportunities to help promote sustainable conversations, from training courses in environmental sustainability to global volunteering roles. Documenting recent sustainability efforts and posting them on the company’s profile with suitable hashtags can help boost engagement with other like-minded people.
Social media engagement is continuing to grow for sustainable topics as purchase decisions and user behaviour is becoming increasingly influenced by sustainability. Organisations in industries such as technology, automotive, construction, fashion and energy are making sustainability an integral part of their social media strategies.
Sharing Stories
Email newsletters are used by organisations all over the world to provide the latest insights and promote specific products or services. Because of this, sustainability goes hand-in-hand and they’re the kind of campaigns that should absolutely be considered. These days, people are receiving countless marketing emails each day with new products, limited time offers and discount codes. It’s safe to say consumers are becoming numb to the sheer volume and its brands need to find a way to stand out.
Incorporating sustainability into newsletters is a great way to boost open/click rates. Using a subject line that shouts about your sustainability efforts can stand out from the crowd and people may be more inclined to have a read, especially those with sustainable interests. Newsletters can highlight the past month’s sustainable actions or even some statistics such as carbon footprint reductions.
Personable stories from company employees can further improve readability and engagement. For example, focusing on the social side of sustainability and discussing employee mental health awareness may be relatable and certainly comes across as less salesy. Including quotes from those employees can also show the human side to an organisation.
About Inflowing
Inflowing is a B2B marketing agency. We help B2B organisations do meaningful things with marketing. Whether that’s getting more leads, more visibility, or supporting their sales teams.
We’re an experienced team of marketers with an incredibly strong background in B2B. To learn more about B2B and improving your marketing, check out our other blogs or get in touch.
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