Whether you’re new to the world of green marketing or you’ve been learning about it for a while, you might have noticed there are some common misconceptions about green marketing. Let’s address them, and hopefully, by the end of this blog, you’ll realize that green marketing is one of the most sustainable things you can do for yourself, your business, and the planet!
Online service businesses have a minimal impact on the planet
While it’s true that online service businesses have less of an impact than in-person product businesses, nothing is without waste production or some level of emissions.
You’re only human – we can’t escape producing waste! Whether that’s electronic emissions, physical waste from notebooks, print campaigns, or even things as small as the pens you throw away. The thousands of emails sitting in your inbox produce carbon, your website produces carbon, and of course, the electricity used to charge your devices produces emissions and uses energy.
We don’t want to make you panic about this. Instead, we want to raise your awareness so that you can begin to take small steps to improve the impact and green credentials of your marketing.
If I limit my print marketing I may lose out on potential business
There’s a time and a place for print marketing for sure, but the truth is, the world is going digital. We need to be more mindful and intentional about our print marketing materials in this world of overconsumption.
Have you ever been to a trade show where you got a free bag full of promotional materials and constantly got given flyers and leaflets throughout the show? What did you do with the materials – did you keep them, or throw them away without reading at them?
While we cannot underestimate the power of a strong print ad or marketing campaign, we need to balance between print and digital in order to not only give ourselves the best chance of success but also to help preserve the planet’s resources.
Digital campaigns are usually cheaper, too!
I need to be present on social media all the time
As of October 2021, about 60% of the world’s population uses social media, with the average daily use being about two hours and 27 minutes. A 2021 report published by Ofcom in the UK found that 44% of 8-11-year-olds use social media apps/sites, which increased to 87% of 12-15-year-olds. There’s no hiding the fact that social media is a powerful marketing tool.
But, excessive use can lead to burnout and exhaustion. Green marketing looks at how you can diversify your marketing so it’s sustainable for you. Social media can become empowering and not draining when used in the right way, and a green marketing strategy can help you achieve that.
Marketing should deliver fast results
Another misconception of green marketing is that it should deliver fast results. Marketing looks different for every business, and a slower, more intentional approach to your marketing strategy will lead to sustainable long-term results. Cookie-cutter stops giving you results after a while, and what works for one business might not be sustainable or realistic for another.
We don’t need to copy what everyone else is doing – your green marketing plan should be unique to you and your business goals.
Follow us on social media and learn more about green marketing
If you found this blog valuable, we’d love to invite you to follow along with us on social media. We regularly share knowledge, tips, and resources on green marketing.
