As the world continues to move towards sustainable solutions in an effort to combat the climate crisis, it becomes more and more important for businesses to play their part. Many businesses are already undertaking practices to become more sustainable, and as Mandatory Climate Reporting comes into play from July 1 2024, the incentive to implement more sustainable practices will only increase.
 

So how do you make the most of this move towards greater transparency? Showcase your sustainability efforts. It’s easy to say but can be difficult to continually implement new ideas and generate new content to demonstrate your business’s commitment and encourage sustainable behaviours in your audience and industry. 

 

Content creators have a particularly important role to play here. Content marketing is one of the cornerstones of branding and part of the foundation of a business’s marketing strategy. Content marketing focuses on providing value to audiences, as opposed to just promoting a business or service. 

 

We’re all aware of the marketing that occurs around Earth Hour and other sustainability-focused days and events, but sustainable content shouldn’t be exclusively once-a-year or calendar-inspired. So, as content creators, how do you ensure you’re providing quality content that works to drive sustainability?
 

We have a few ideas…
 

Make it personal

One thing that draws people into a story is a personal connection. Create a video about your team’s tree-planting efforts, the compost you’ve invested in for the office, or the chickens in your backyard (please tell us about the chickens in your backyard). People like people, and hearing about achievable moves others have made can inspire them to take the first step in implementing new sustainable strategies. 
 

Give tips

Create a fun infographic with different ideas of accessible sustainable actions that can be taken on a personal, familial, or business level. Write about eco-friendly cleaning products, minimising waste by buying a lunch box instead of using cling wrap, or changing out lightbulbs for greener options. Your content is going to real people and can extend far beyond your intended audience if it hits the mark. 

 

Make it interactive

Put up a poll or create a quiz related to practices or information your audience is either partaking in or interested in. Not only does this engage your audience in a meaningful way that requires them to take a moment to think about what you have asked but it also generates opportunities for future content based on the feedback and answers you receive. 

 

Engage with others

Start a discussion with a like-minded business on LinkedIn or Twitter, create a video with an influencer passionate about sustainability, ask your colleagues to leave a comment on your post and start a conversation. There are many ways you can engage, and getting others involved can help your content reach a wider audience and promote sustainability initiatives on a larger scale. 
 

Look into the digital realm

There are many ways we can all reduce our carbon footprint just through an optimisation of our digital footprint. Sharing tips on reducing high-energy technologies or promoting sustainable practices in IT is something a lot of us forget to do. But the truth is that deleting emails has a certain level of satisfaction to it that only increases when you realise you’re reducing your footprint. 
 

Use visuals

In this day and age, people are reading less and less and often will decide whether or not to engage with content within 0.7 seconds of viewing it online. That’s not a lot of time, and it remains true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Use captivating imagery, bold colours, and lay out your design in an easily digestible manner. Engaging tactics like visual hierarchy can increase the likelihood that someone will stop for longer than 0.7 seconds. 
 

Keep track of your wins and losses

If carousels are less engaging to your audience than videos and single-image posts, there is only one way for you to find out: by keeping track. Measure your post's engagement levels, likes, shares, and so on, to find out the kinds of content your audience is most attracted to. Though we all have our personal preferences, if your goal is communicating the importance of sustainability and encouraging others to commit to sustainable practices, you need to do it in a way that they will be willing to look at.
 

Beware of greenwashing

Yes, we know, we’ve said it time and time again. But it’s one of the most important things to remember when talking about sustainability. Be sure you’re keeping in line with the ACCC’s guidelines to avoid greenwashing so that your aspirations towards net zero aren’t going down the wrong path. 

When it comes down to brass tax, or in this case, green tax… keeping your content fresh, engaging, and authentic is the key to success. We can all do our part to encourage others to undertake more sustainable practices and boost the sustainability mission. Engaging our audiences through content is just one in a long list of steps we can take to drive sustainability. 

Looking for more tips and tricks to communicate sustainability? Get in touch today!