Using Social Media to Effectively Market Sustainability to Conscious Consumers
Today, social media and sustainability greatly influence the ways businesses conduct themselves and their consumer marketing tactics. This is because, over the last decade, there has been a rise in conscious consumerism. In particular environmental concerns have become a top priority for many consumers. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been an increase in consumer demand for sustainable and ethically produced products.
According to a 2020 survey from management consultancy firm Accenture, 60% of consumers reported making more environmentally friendly, sustainable, or ethical purchases since the start of the pandemic. Another study from GreenPrint showed that consumers are willing to spend more on eco-friendly products as well. GreenPrint’s study found that 64% of Americans are willing to pay more for sustainable products but most (74%) don’t know how to identify them. Small businesses are often using more sustainable and less environmentally harmful practices than larger corporations because of the smaller, more local scale. As such, marketing sustainability is a way for small businesses to differentiate themselves in the mind of the conscious consumer and drive more traffic to their business.
How Can Small Businesses Connect with the Environmentally-Conscious Consumer?
Social media: Social media is where many conscious consumers go to make informed purchases. Small businesses can use social media to get the attention of consumers looking to shop sustainably. Shopping is no longer just about completing a purchase or buying a new good, but has transformed into a way for consumers to support people, causes, and missions they stand for. Today’s conscious customers are putting broader collective impact above short-term convenience when it comes to purchasing goods or services. Social media can be a tool through which you, as a small business, can convey the other aspects of your brand beyond the “what” that you are selling.
For more information about how to get started as a small business on each social media platform check out this article.
Tips for Marketing Sustainability on Social Media:
Highlight your small business’s or brand’s sustainability story with a social media post. Even the smallest changes can make a big difference for conscious consumers.
One area to start with might be switching from plastic packaging to sustainable packaging materials or finding ways to offer a zero-waste packaging option (such as using extra boxes you have from suppliers).
Within each social media post about your business’ sustainability story make sure to emphasize the reasons why taking sustainable steps is important to your business and reiterate how that relates to your founding mission and guiding principles.
2. Share important facts and figures regarding the importance of sustainability and connect them back to your mission.
Post graphics and data visualizations of figures emphasizing the dangers of unsustainable practices and choices. This will drive consumers toward your more sustainable products or services.
Highlight what your business is doing to alleviate the concerns related to those statistics. Numbers make everything more clear and allow for customers to quantify the impact of their sustainable choice.
3. Figure out what existing products and aspects of your business would be considered moderately sustainable and expand them to be even more sustainable.
Any small business can switch from plastic to paper packaging. Finding ways to take initiative and make what you're selling more sustainable helps your products stand out.
4. Post images and information highlighting exactly what aspects of your small business are sourced locally.
Emphasize that these sustainable aspects of your business were deliberate and value-driven choices. According to a Nielsen Report, conscious consumers have grown increasingly sensitive to “greenwashing.” “Greenwashing” refers to when companies provide misleading or false information to make their products or services appear more environmentally friendly.
Thus, Posting about where your products come from will provide the conscious consumer the transparency they are looking for.
Many small businesses are already using locally sourced products and sharing images of exactly where products are sourced can help a small business stand out in the eyes of the conscious consumer. An IBM study showed that almost 80% of North Americans want to know the origin of the products they buy, and 69% of these consumers would pay a premium for brands that provide this information.
For this reason, offering clear information about where your business is sourcing from will differentiate your products from those where consumers are unsure of their origins.
5. Make posts that highlight your business’s connection to your local or broader community.
Partner with a local sustainability organization or initiative to show you are taking steps to better understand how your business can become more sustainable.
Key Takeaways:
Many small businesses are already using relatively sustainable practices compared with larger corporations selling similar products, services, or experiences. Marketing the sustainability of your business as a deliberate and value-driven decision can help drive conscious customers to your business. Social media is a tool that can help small businesses leverage their inherently more sustainable ways of operating so their products stand out to the conscious consumer and in turn drive more traffic to their business.
As a social impact initiative, Rem and Company also offers free consulting services and resources to small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. Our pro-bono consulting teams provide small businesses with the opportunity to identify and prioritize issues facing their business, propose innovative strategies, and facilitate execution. If you are a small business or nonprofit in need of assistance, learn more about how we can help.