Social Media: The Perfect Marketing Tool For Green Businesses

Social media is no longer “the new thing.” It’s a common marketing tactic for most organizations and one of the best tools to reach out to consumers, be it through Linkedin, twitter, Facebook, YouTube or through bloggers. But how are sustainable businesses using social media? Are they using it at all? And how can organizations leverage social media to promote their green message?

Some of the big players in the green industry have already figured out the impact social media can have when getting your message out there. Take Seventh Generation. They have a Facebook page with over 57,000 fans, 16,000+ followers on twitter and a YouTube channel reaching the 500 subscriber mark.

Patagonia, another green business mogul, keeps an active blog and has an impressive profile on Linkedin, on top of its 35,000+ fans Facebook page and twitter account of over 10,000 followers.

Social media is clearly one of the primary marketing platforms green businesses use to promote their message. Why?

• Social media goes hand-in-hand with transparency. If you want to be perceived as a green leader, one of the first steps your organization must take is to promote clear, honest communication.

• Social media is a two-way communication media. Mass media campaigns are great for exposure, but they won’t go far in establishing your brand as a leading green business. This is better achieved with public relations and interaction with consumers.

• Social media is a great platform to build trust. Consumers are becoming more and more inquisitive about the companies they do business with, and some are even wary of green claims. How can a green business position itself as such without being faced with extreme scrutinity? Social media empowers clients to interact with the brands they care about. If brands follow the basic rules of social media (transparency, honesty, consistency), this media becomes the ultimate trust-building tool for green businesses.

So, how can you start leveraging social media to promote your green message?

1. Create a social media plan (define what you want to achieve)
2. Identify your target audience
3. Determine who will oversee your social media programs (having an independent, third-party may help you getting started)
4. Track your efforts
5. Keep an eye on what other green businesses are doing

Do you have any successful stories you’d like to share? Please leave a comment below or connect with us live on twitter.

Recommended reading:
Green marketing: what works, what doesn’t
Social media release: top 5 tops on successfully marketing your green business
Building trusting relationships through social media