Go green: Eco-friendly marketing tips for small businesses

As a business owner, you can significantly impact the environment through small operational changes. One place to start is to implement green marketing strategies as consumers increasingly seek and favor eco-friendly products.

We've compiled a short list of ways to market your products in an environmentally friendly way. Take a look below while enjoying our "Echoes of the Earth" playlist, which celebrates our amazing planet.

Know your audience

You genuinely need to know your audience and understand their needs. While the environment may be your top priority, your audience may have other ideas. Being familiar with who you're marketing to can help you define the best path forward in building a successful strategy.

How do you get to know your audience? Well, it sounds obvious but, if yours is a customer-facing business, talk to your customers. Distribute postcards (printed on recycled paper, of course!) with QR codes leading to a survey to gauge their interests in matters that affect the environment. You can distribute the survey via email as well. See how important sustainability is to them.

Audit your stock

Take sustainability to the max with your goods and services. Go through everything you use in your marketing efforts and figure out if you can improve and do better.

Share with your customer base what you are doing in your business to help Mother Earth. For example, if you use recycled glass, have a lesser carbon footprint, or even use earth-based packaging, feature this information in your marketing materials, retail signage, and on your website.

Use digital marketing, where possible

Using digital marketing for an online or brick-and-mortar business is way more eco-friendly than printing out tons of flyers. The digital world lends itself to sharing information about your business, including your sustainability efforts, marketing methods, and even charitable ways in which you might be helping the planet. Share your business's green goodness online through social media, email newsletters, your website, and your blog—all the places people are apt to find you online.

If you have business cards, try to get them printed on recycled paper or look into digital business card options like Mobilo, Popl, or dot., to name a few.

Green packaging

If you're an Earth enthusiast and are committed to bringing this ethos to your business, choose eco-friendly packaging for your products. If you run a coffee shop, you can use recycled cups or offer reusable cups that patrons can purchase and bring in for reduced-priced refills. You can also provide utensils made of bamboo or other sustainable materials. Plastic bags have been banned in several states, requiring businesses to find alternatives such as reusable tote bags or paper bags. According to research done by Environment America, roughly 12 million people are no longer using single-use plastic bags as a result of the bans, which significantly reduces the amount of waste left behind. It’s estimated it would equate to enough plastic to circle the Earth nearly 42 times – that’s a huge impact for positive change. Similarly, plastic straws are being eliminated in favor of more eco-friendly alternative materials like cardboard.

Packaging is one of the biggest concerns when considering starting a retail business. Try to use recycled, biodegradable, or minimal packaging.

Related: Dirty secret: it’s actually easy being green

Practice the green you preach

This is a big one. If you are simply 'preaching green' but not following it yourself, you risk losing trust with your customer base. If you're a consultant and tell customers to be eco-minded while using single-use paper or plastic goods or products that don't meet the definition of 'sustainable,' you may be called out on that—and rightfully so!

Marketing "green" to consumers has to do with what goes on behind the scenes just as much as what goes on in front of them. You may be trying to get your customers to buy green, but your operations remain 100% conventional. Make sure you're implementing plenty of internal green practices to back up your Earth-friendly stance. This means adding a good number of operational practices, such as using 100% post-consumer waste for boxes or installing solar panels to power your operation.

Work with green certifications and labels

As the saying goes, "If you've got it, flaunt it." It never hurts to have a few big names on your side to help market your green products and initiatives. Certifications like Energy Star, USDA Organic, or Fair Trade instantly lend credibility to your marketing claims, boosting your green profile while easing some consumer anxiety. If you have these accolades, be sure to include them where customers can see them.

Related: The most successful small businesses ideas for 2024

Continuously update and inform

Lastly, it is essential to keep track of your environmental impact and communicate these results to your customers. Even if your company's progress is limited or incremental, sharing this information with your customers is very important in building trust, likely leading to customer loyalty.

At the end of the day, remember that green marketing is not just a fad; it is a way of life in our modern world, especially for small businesses that can use the strategies above to gain a competitive edge.

Also, keep in mind that sustainability is an ongoing journey and commitment to continuous improvement is key. Stay up on current best practices and new technologies as they emerge, and keep your audience engaged on your green journey.