Shopping online is simple, convenient, and accessible.
However, these advantages may come at the expense of the environment – but there’s hope. Ecommerce merchants can improve their environmental performance in a variety of ways, from the supply chain to the packaging.
More choices than ever before are available to today’s discerning consumers. In certain categories, it’s also easier to swap brands at the drop of a hat.
Because of this, businesses must look for new ways to sell their products. There are several examples, one of them being green marketing. A growing number of forward-thinking companies are employing this strategy while at the same time reducing their carbon footprint. Win-win!
Here are a few green marketing ideas for your e-commerce firm in 2022.
1. Donation incentives for purchases over a certain amount
Discounts are well-known for causing a spike in sales immediately.
The lifetime value of customers that come to your brand through discounts, on the other hand, is the lowest. Discount-driven clients are the least likely to repurchase, and if they do, it will be for a long time because they have already tried other discounted items or services before coming back to you.
However, customers that join your brand through donation incentives, whereby your company contributes a portion of sales to a charitable organization, are typically the most valuable customers, returning frequently and repurchasing.
This form of engagement increases the value of your brand and allows you to authentically attract attention to the issues you support, while also allowing customers to make philanthropic judgments about which organizations to support over others.
2. Green packaging and shipping material
More and more products are being packaged using environmentally friendly materials such as recycled cardboard and biodegradable plastic. This shows yet again the company’s dedication to environmental conservation.
Recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable packaging makes it easier for consumers to dispose of products. It gives people additional alternatives for disposing of these materials, and businesses should strive to make their goods as simple as possible for their customers from the beginning to the end.
A good example of this kind of thinking is seen in environmentally friendly materials such as biodegradable materials.
Customers who choose to compost their waste will not have to make special packaging arrangements. Biodegradable packaging may be composted in the same way as any other compostable material, increasing the overall value of the product.
Green packaging may also be able to save transportation and logistics costs, which is another additional advantage. Savings that may then be transferred onto consumers allow for lower rates on high-quality service.
Create your own hashtag and include an engaging activity for your customers to participate in. The User-Generated Content (UGC) can then be used subsequently be used in your Facebook and Instagram ads to increase consumer trust and build brand loyalty.
EcoTools sells high-quality eco-friendly cosmetics and donates to worthwhile organizations. Social content from the EcoTools team and fans is included in the company’s social offerings.
Using the Hashtag Gallery feature from Offerpop, EcoTools was able to collect Instagram content from their admirers and share it with the world by using the brand hashtag #Ecotools.
They’ve mastered the art of creating effective branded content. Customers can win a $10,000 donation to a charity of their choice as part of a $10k giveback program offered by the company.
3. Clean and simple branding
In the circular economy, objects have an unlimited life in a closed, waste-free circuit because of eco-design, which is a cornerstone of the concept. As a result of the use of sustainable resources, commodities in the circular economy may be reused at the end of their usable life rather than being thrown out at the end of their useful life in a linear economy.
Before making any modifications to the appearance of your items, it is important to establish their life cycle.
- It’s important to know where the stuff will come from.
- What are the steps in the manufacturing process?
- Will any waste be produced (and if so, how much) throughout the process?
In addition, the subject of what to do with a product once it’s no longer usable should not be disregarded.
Using the Hashtag Gallery feature from Offerpop, EcoTools was able to collect Instagram content from their admirers and share it with the world by using the brand hashtag #Ecotools.
They’ve mastered the art of creating effective branded content. Customers can win a $10,000 donation to a charity of their choice as part of a $10k giveback program offered by the company.
4. Eco micro-influencers
Being environmentally conscientious has never been easier than it is now because of the rise of social media influencers.
Eco micro-influencers are smashing it, whether they’re promoting personal waste reduction, pushing for ecological issues that cross ideological lines, or simply making greener options more approachable.
Compared to macro-influencers, micro-influencers are more likely to have a high level of engagement: According to one study, micro-influencers produce 7x more interaction than influencers with bigger followings on average.
The authenticity of your brand partnership may be improved.
Ninety-nine percent of micro-influencers say they believe in the products and services they promote when asked how they keep their followers engaged. Authenticity and quality content sharing, as well as interaction with followers, are important to these social media influencers.
5. Getting certified
Green certifications help companies show their environmentally friendly products, services, and activities to their consumers, partners, and shareholders.
In order to avoid greenwashing and indicate a company’s genuine commitment to sustainability, green business certifications are essential. Companies like LEED, B Corps, and the Green Business Bureau provide certification programs that can demonstrate your company’s environmental credentials.
In terms of certifications, not all are made equal, and certifications can focus on a wide range of sectors such as items and structures as well as processes and emissions. Each locale has a wide range of options.
In case a B Corp is out of reach, consider becoming a part of 1 Percent for the Planet.
Doers and money are brought together by a non-profit called 1 Percent for the Planet, which advocates for the green movement at the consumer and commercial levels.
With this approach, both individuals and businesses are able to directly support sustainability-focused non-profits by donating at least 1 percent of yearly sales as well as donating their time and resources.
Environmental groups have received millions of dollars in donations from members and you, as a consumer, may be contributing to this important purpose just by shopping.
Showing their commitment to social and environmental problems in a structured manner, businesses are proving that they are not simply talking the talk.
6. Sustainable Product and Service Development
Adopting a green marketing strategy typically entails concentrating on the products and services supplied.
As a result, many new businesses are emphasizing criteria like environmentally friendly designs, reduced carbon footprints, and goods that are built to survive for a long length of time.
A partnership with manufacturers or suppliers who use sustainable methods may be a suitable fit for your business, depending on the products you sell.
As an increasing number of consumers are interested in purchasing environmentally friendly items, it’s a good idea to incorporate these products into your current product line.
Eco-friendly alternatives to existing items, or solutions to problems that allow people to live more sustainably, might be part of the solution.
Self-cleaning water bottles like those made by LARQ, for example, are an excellent way to get more people interested in avoiding single-use plastics. To help the environment and achieve its sustainability objective, LARQ also gives a percentage of its profits to 1 percent for the Planet.
The primary outcome of these initiatives is that the manufacturing process will use fewer resources. In addition, customers will benefit from the fact that they will be acquiring things or services that will not expire and return to the environment. With this, the organization will have a positive brand identification. This is a wonderful selling factor.
7. Targeting consumers who are environmentally conscious
A well-executed green marketing effort must also consider demographics.
This is only natural, as it makes no sense to target an audience that is not interested in sustainability. The most important question here is who will be most interested in such a strategy.
Here’s another instance when a little bit of investigation may really pay off.
A respected think tank has developed a list of intriguing findings:
- The majority of people who buy green products consider themselves to be middle-class.
- These people tend to be younger than the rest of the population such as millennials.
- Products that have been developed in an environmentally friendly manner tend to be more popular with this population.
- Transparency, value, and business compliance are important to them.
These people are referred to as “LOHAS” (Lifestyle and Health and Sustainability) customers. The number of these people is expected to rise dramatically in the coming years, therefore it makes sense to address their needs now rather than later.
8. Drive action towards a greener planet
It’s important that green marketing doesn’t reflect a one-dimensional effort.
Contrary to what you might think, they must be linked to action in order to be effective This is a fundamental premise of modern marketing.
“Greenwashing” is the practice of falsely presenting an organization’s product or service as environmentally friendly in order to increase sales. In reality, there are no or very few environmental advantages to this product or service.
One of the most well-known greenwashing examples is when Volkswagen admitted to using software that could identify when a car was undergoing an emissions test and modify performance to cut emissions.
While all of this was going on, the corporation was promoting its cars as environmentally friendly and low-emissions automobiles. In reality, these engines were producing nitrogen oxide pollution at up to 40 times the legal limit.
For consumers, false promises aren’t enough anymore.
In the later part of the twentieth century, these tactics have faded away. As a result, they are demanding proof that a corporation actually cares about environmentally friendly practices.
The end-user must be made aware of proactive tactics in a clear and straightforward manner. Unless this is addressed, even the most inventive green marketing strategies may go unnoticed.
9. Transparency about products
In the past, green marketing initiatives have been hindered by the products themselves rather than the advertising campaigns.
Let’s pretend for a second that a product boasts that it is made using eco-friendly materials. Consumers rapidly discover, however, that it is mostly made up of artificial colors and fillers. As a result, any future assertions made by the company will be far less trustworthy.
Here are a few things to ask yourself in order to keep this from happening:
- Where does the product come from?
- Where does labor come into play when it comes to manufacturing?
- What is the source of this labor?
- Are the most efficient modes of transportation in use?
Marketers should make it a point to emphasize the product’s environmental advantages. Use authoritative studies and/or connections to credible sources to further strengthen these claims. Making promises isn’t enough anymore. An educated audience is more likely to demand proof rather than catchy slogans and taglines.
Let’s not forget that recycling is just as important as saving the environment. Recycled materials should be prominently featured in the product’s entire marketing strategy.
In terms of brand transparency, Patagonia is a frontrunner and innovator in the garment industry. With the Footprint Chronicles initiative, clients may learn where raw materials come from, where cotton is farmed, and how items are kept in stock at the warehouse.
10. Maintain personal accountability
You shouldn’t just claim that you’re going to plant trees or switch to recyclable plastic for your current line of water bottles; you need back it up with concrete actions.
Make it clear to your customers that you are actively working towards a goal and invite them to hold you accountable for your actions. This improves authenticity and trust, resulting in a more positive view of the company and a more devoted consumer base.
Forestry company Timberland maintains a track record of how many trees they have planted so far and what their future plans are.
Do your part for the environment with green marketing
Using green marketing strategies might help your company’s brand image, but it also makes good commercial sense to protect the environment, which affects us all.
For one thing, customers prefer to see green marketing. In today’s world, consumers want brands to be environmentally friendly. Therefore, a larger consumer involvement approach should include green marketing. If you notice that your target audience is particularly worried about climate change and environmental concerns, it will be of the utmost benefit to you.
We must do all in our power to shield future generations from the consequences of the decisions we make now. When it comes to protecting your brand and enhancing its image, making the correct decisions at the right time is essential.
