Published on October 29th, 2007 | by Stephanie Evans

Marketing for Green Businesses

It does no good to promote a green agenda if your marketing department prints thousands of color brochures—killing many trees in the process! Marketing for a green enterprise has to be carefully thought out so that the promotion process doesn’t impact the earth and make your company look hypocritical.

First of all, ads on the Internet are seen by millions and these don’t kill trees. The use of Internet rather than newspaper or magazine print ads is cost effective and utilizes less resources. Drive traffic to your website and use it as the primary point of entry for new clients.

Many green businesses also face two challenges of perception that your positioning and messaging must be designed to overcome. Even among those who consider themselves eco-savvy, there is a perception that green products and services are higher in price and somehow inferior to “modern” technology. To combat this, try to arrange comparisons between your products and those in the traditional sphere. If you don’t compare favorably, then quantify your environmental benefits and show how a small sacrifice can create a large green gain.

Last but not least, network with other green businesses to share ideas. Other business owners may have developed an angle on drawing in new environmentally friendly customers that you have not yet discovered. Word of mouth advertising is also quite effective and expends no additional resources.