It’s not just for hippies anymore.

If you value marketing and you’re

committed to being green, you may

have some concerns about conventional

marketing. For example, does advertising

in newspapers support the destruction

of millions of trees? Fear not—there are

many modern business practices that

are business friendly and kind to the

environment.

1. Twitter Nurture a following. Tweet often, at least daily. Tweet about important items on several different days and times because not everyone reads your tweets daily. (It’s free.)

2. Facebook Set up a fan page. Offer specials. Share information. Do surveys. Link to your website. Connect with your audience. (It’s free.)

3. YouTube Create a YouTube.com channel. Post interesting, funny, informational and relevant videos with links to your website. You don’t need a film crew—just a good idea and a video camera. Show off your business, give lessons, film events or jobs you have done, do before-and-after films and more. (It’s free.) Tweet and write about your YouTube video on Facebook.

4. Blog Write about what you know. Keep it interesting, informative and relevant. One hour a week invested can generate a solid following and translate to customers and clients. (It’s free.)

5. Offer classes, seminars/webinars and tutorials. If you own or manage a retail business and have the space, hold product promotion classes on relevant topics including, for example, how to apply eye makeup or install a floor. It’s a good way to introduce and sell products while building valuable relationships with customers. If you run a service business, this can be an effective way to help prospects be more comfortable with your pricing structure as they may feel better about perceived higher prices if they have a better understanding of the complexity of your business. (This is almost free; you should provide drinks and snacks of some kind.)

6. Throw a party in the park, in the midst of natural green or by the lake. Invite customers to hang out on a regular basis, give out samples, hold workshops and play games. Co-sponsor the event with like-minded and related businesses. (It’s almost free.)

Here are some affordable marketing ideas that are eco-friendly and work:

7. Write and distribute press releases. Feature content that is exciting and newsworthy. Send out fresh stories or articles on a regular basis (once a month) and keep them concise, no more than 250 words. Be persistent but not annoying. There will come a day when the news editor is short one story and will pick up the phone and call you. The resulting story serves as third-party endorsement for your business. (It’s free.)

8. Make your marketing tools reusable. Try to avoid putting dates on your promotional items. If you need to include dates, consider a design that allows them to be removable. You can even have days, months and years printed separately for easy reuse. If you have to promote on paper, try to make it small (postcard or business card size) and, of course, choose recycled paper and use the recycle logo. In addition, try to find printers who use soy-based ink.

9. Take stock of your packaging. Are you over-packaging? A product packaged in plastic, placed in a bag then put in a box may be overkill. A bar of soap doesn’t need a box to keep it clean. T-shirts don’t need to be individually wrapped. Request less packaging if you purchase your products from other suppliers. This may enable you to negotiate a better price because they will be saving money too. You can also use recycled paper for packing materials — newspapers, shredded documents, packing materials from suppliers, etc.

10. Offer reusable shopping bags, or charge for plastic bags and donate the proceeds to a local charitable cause. (Hey, if Target can do it, so can you.)

Green doesn’t mean good.“Green” marketing is not a substitute for, nor is it

mutually exclusive to, “good” marketing.

To be effective, your marketing — be it green,

brown, mauve or polka dot — needs to strike a

responsive chord with the right audience.

Your marketing messages

need to be meaningful,

memorable and remarkable

regardless of your marketing

style and behavior.

11. Use green promotional items. If specialty advertising is your thing (fridge magnets, pens, key chains, coffee mugs, etc.), make sure your giveaway items are durable or refillable. Consider refillable pens or something like seed packets with an imprinted message.

12. Use a flash drive. Information packets, in folders, with multiple pieces of paper, a couple of brochures, and pages of small print are seldom read by anyone. Putting this expensive packet on a reusable flash drive imprinted with your logo is far more impressive. The flash drive sends a message that you’re current with technology, can be reused by your customer/client and is easier on the landfill.

13. Offer discounts for customers that recycle. Encourage them to bring in plastic bags, cell phones, ink cartridges, etc. Become a drop off point for a local charity that accepts used items.

14. Donate a portion of your profits to a green charity or organization, and let your customers know that their purchase supports green endeavors.

15. Install a bike rack in front of your store or business, and make it convenient for employees and locals to bike to your location.

16. Make your green efforts visible. If you use recycled paper, offer reusable bags, have your lighting changed, lower your thermostat, etc. — let people know. Post it online via your website, Facebook and Twitter, and place a sign by your register.

17. Go online. Replace printed newsletters with on-line versions. If some customers or clients request mailed newsletters, be sure to use recycled paper and eco-friendly inks.

18. Get green certified: Green Seal, Green America and local green certifications are important. Get certified organic, or energy star ratings. This might be one of your single best ways to market your business as green.

Want to know more?Contact Pat Sears (pat@spikeadvertising.com),

Julia Andrews (julia@spikeadvertising.com)

or Ken Millman (ken@spikeadvertising.com)

at 802.951.1700.

19. Promote your green vendors. Link to their websites to expand your visibility among customers, clients and prospects so people can see the continuum of your green effort.

20. Use telephone and web conferencing whenever possible instead of flying or driving. Offer telephone and web conferencing to your clients and vendors.

21. Watch your thermostat. If your customers and clients walk into your store or office during the summer, and it’s 60 degrees inside and 90 outside, your commitment to being green may come into question. The same holds true if your store is all lit up after closing.

22. Reduce wasteful printing. Instead of a fax cover sheet, use a heading on the first sheet. Change font size or delete unnecessary info to reduce the size or your downloadable and printable documents. Print and photocopy on both sides of the paper wherever possible.