Where Social Media and Sustainability Meet
Posted by Mark Campanale on Tue, Aug 04, 2009 @ 10:47 AM
By Andrea Little, Marketing Intern
You may not associate Twitter with the environment or Facebook with conservation. But social media outlets play a huge part in promoting sustainability. Since sustainability is a term that is used (and misused) frequently, I'll define it using the "Brundtland definition" from the EPA's website: "Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainability means encouraging the diversity and vitality of our world, thereby preserving and protecting the way things are.
How are social media and sustainability related?
• Social media is cost-effective, time-effective, and conserves many other resources as opposed to more traditional media outlets including print. It is instantly pervasive, accessible worldwide, and, in most cases, free.
• The products of digital media are both current and enduring; although they are constantly updated, they can also be preserved for use by future generations.
• Social media encourages conversations, mobilizes movements and connects like-minded people. Individuals can talk to each other in real time and also learn from one another.
Park Howell, a green marketer and advertiser from Arizona, does an excellent job on his blog of summing up why social media is relevant to sustainability and the green movement. Below I've paraphrased a few of these reasons, but please visit his blog for the full list:
• Fly-on-the-Wall: By searching appropriate keywords on Twitter and then following the conversations, you can better understand the thinking and trends in the industry. You can also capture quick links to relevant websites and articles.
• Cheerlead, Encourage & Advocate
• Utility Infielder: Be a resource for identifying and sharing cool websites and links.
• Poll and get Feedback
• Educate: You can educate people through things like blogs, eBooks, and slidesharing.
• Connect
• Enable: Barack Obama's campaign demonstrated that social media is one of the greatest enabling tools of all time. Take a page from his playbook and build a community.
• Power to the Individual: Is mass media dead? Probably not. But more now than ever the individual consumer is in control. As David Ogilvy once said, "Word-of-mouth marketing is THE most powerful form of advertising."