The Short, Definitive Guide to Green(er) Marketing

Take a moment and think of all the things that you have control over as a business owner. You control your strategy, your operations, the culture of your workplace and even your schedule. 

You are in charge of so many facets of your world. In fact, you even have a responsibility for the world around you. And, you can make a big difference every day when it comes to waste and how it affects the Earth. 

One easy way to do this is through your marketing materials. Here at Steady Glow, we get it. We’re business owners too and sometimes have conflicting priorities between cost and needs. You have to decide what wins out. We’re here to tell you, you can meet, and even exceed your business goals, all while helping make the world a less polluted place with this guide to green(er) marketing. 

The Half-Truths We Tell Ourselves

The Direct Marketing Association will tell you that paper solicitations (ie junk mail) only account for a tiny fraction of waste. Comparatively, this may be true. Folks just need to recycle those flyers, postcards and letters. But, by adding logos such as “please recycle” on advertisements, the problem of extra waste doesn’t simply go away because we are all recycling.

First of all, many studies show that, unfortunately, a lot of those “to be recycled” items don’t even make it to a center, even when consumers are doing their due diligence. Many cities are closing shop on their recycling programs due to rising costs and a lack of resources. So, organic materials like paper, end up in a landfill to slowly decompose, emitting methane.  

Keep Innovating With Your Marketing Efforts

Think about it. You are a business owner and you know that the only way to stay ahead of the competition is to innovate. You must always be at least one step ahead, or more, of your competition. Doing things the same over a period of time is not evolving. But then, you likely wouldn’t be reading this guide to green marketing if you wanted to stay the same!

Do you need to print or should you create an email campaign? You may find that printing will be the best way forward and in that case, choose your printer wisely. 

Digital marketing can help make a dent in the waste companies are putting into the world, and at the same time, make your business more attractive to more people. 

Now, doesn’t that sound awesome? It’s something you need to do and something you want to do all at once. Let’s get started with 3 convincing points to remember about web-based advertising and marketing in greener pastures:

Digital Marketing is Measurable

In fact, it’s measurable and actionable. This means that you can be a voyeur after you send out your campaign and watch what happens. Then, depending on what buyer behaviors you observe, you can alter or augment your plans in real-time.

Unlike printed materials, you can track and measure exactly what your campaign is doing out there in the wild. It’s the difference between taking an active part in your advertising or just sitting back and seeing if you get a call after sending out a postcard. 

Here’s a quick snapshot of what that looks like

Emails: Track open rates, including who opened it and when, what they clicked on and how long they spent reading your message. Bonus: depending on your software, you can even see the online action someone took after they read your email.

Social posts: Find out who is interacting with your brand, interact with fans (and naysayers), and even “listen” to see if anyone is talking about your brand name or relevant topic online.

Web content: See how much time people spend consuming your information and watch where they choose to go next. Do they fill out a form for more info, choose to read an article for more info or just jump off your site? 

Think about what you could do with all that data! If you’re not sure, don’t worry, digital marketing companies like Steady Glow Digital can crunch the data for you. You could alter your messaging, pivot quickly in order to increase sales, and develop stronger relationships with your current and potential customers.

Digital Marketing Bolsters Your Brand

If you don’t have a website that resonates, unfortunately, you could be perceived as old fashioned. Those who are making buying decisions have grown up using the internet. In fact, many don’t know a world without it.
Millennials spend about $600 billion in the United States every year. With that buying power, you certainly don’t want your potential customers passing you by. Consumers are more conscientious of where their money goes and want to choose companies that have a higher purpose. Saving the Earth is a good one!

These Stats About Landfills and Direct Mail…

It is considered a strong victory if two percent of targeted customers open a physical envelope to read your advertisement and make a sale. That means that 98 percent of the paper and ink was wasted. 

Consider that:

1. Two out of every five trees felled are for papermaking
2. Paper accounts for one-fourth of municipal landfill waste, and
3. Municipal landfills account for one-third of human-caused methane emissions

There isn’t much more to say. Paper can be problematic, and direct advertisers have the power to make a difference. 

As a business owner, you are empowered. You can make a difference, and grow your business at the same time. We’re hoping this guide to green marketing has boosted the idea of reducing your waste. If you’re ready to make some positive changes in the new year, reach out to us. We can help you go digital, make better printing choices, and recommend vendors who see the world…well, greener!