Why Should You Follow The Eco-Digital Trends And Start A Sustainable Business?
Sustainability has become a trend on social media after communities started spreading awareness of the situation following the increasing worldwide temperatures. As people got to learn more about the factors causing climate change, the demands for companies to address their waste management and the levels of contribution to greenhouse gasses boomed, leading to a new era of the ecological movement.
Eco trends have flooded social media platforms, with TikTok being the latest tool for approaching sustainability. Hacks that don’t damage the environment are shared daily on the platform, including subjects like natural fertilisers, growing loofas at home, and reusing jars and containers. On the other hand, popular eco-friendly products include natural deodorants, beeswax wraps, and shampoo bars.
If we talk business, there’s no doubt that eco-branding is thriving and will continue to do so for some time since climate change is worsening, so the matter will be discussed in the future as well. So, here’s why you should take advantage of trends and start a green business.
There are plenty of profitable opportunities
The sustainable subject of business is almost infinite, as there are many areas in our lives where development could slow climate change and make it worthwhile to adopt a circular economy.
For example, it’s known that our current agriculture system is flawed due to massive water waste. The sustainable alternative would be employing organic farming, which includes sending pesticide-free produce locally to markets and customers.
Along with this idea, there are so many promising ones:
- Manufacturing green cleaning products;
- Offering eco-friendly cleaning services;
- Starting a zero-waste grocery store;
- Producing reusable products;
Some businesses have already adopted sustainability as one of their core features, such as creating compactors for cardboard and other materials or using eco-friendly textiles in fashion. Although many companies missed the start, there’s still time to make yourself an authority in the sustainability competition.
Customers demand it
The demand for products always establishes its dynamic to the public, which can sometimes be a failure. New Coke, Crystal Pepsi and Microsoft’s Zune are only a few major flops in the product industry, so the uninterested audience will "annihilate" any product without value or purpose.
Luckily, a study made by PwC revealed that customers who value sustainability will continue paying higher costs for green products despite inflation and other financial concerns. On average, this audience tends to spend about 9.7% more on sustainable products. Social media dramatically impacts these numbers since people buy most products directly from platforms. At the same time, social media helps them discover more green brands
As long as there’s a massive demand for such products, anyone should start a sustainable business. Communities will always find smaller brands appealing as a way to pursue one of their concerns.
Gen Z power supports any sustainable business alternative
Gen Z audiences might be one of the most vocal generations regarding worldwide problems. Gen Z mitigates climate change intensely, but quality and human rights are other widespread concerns. The age group is a massive contributor to changes worldwide, as their protests, social media coverage, and pursuits have made companies change their approaches to remain relevant in the market.
Gen Z is also famous for boycotting brands that are unwilling to cooperate in doing the right thing. One of the most well-known boycotts concerns Starbucks’ use of plastic companies that don’t align with its sustainable practices.
Therefore, starting a transparent, eco-friendly business will appeal to Gen Z, and you’ll easily attract plenty of customers. Of course, what you should avoid is greenwashing because you’ll be rapidly discovered and shamed on the internet.
You access clear objectives
In many instances, companies are seeking objectives that fit their culture and can represent them as an authority on the market. This might happen when they’ve reached a dead end in sales, and nothing seems appropriate enough for product innovation.
However, a sustainable business is easier to assess because so much can be done to improve products. For example, if you want to make packaging more sustainable, use paper, cardboard, or compostable materials. Moreover, if you’re one of the first to incorporate such development locally, you’ll win people’s hearts immediately.
On the other hand, social media awareness regarding sustainability can be approached in many ways, from user-generated content to hope for TikTok's green trends. One of the most recent trends consists of people showing their under-consumption lives as they’ve been using the same products for years, part of the de-influencing process.
Visual content is king
Being sustainable doesn’t mean you’re not aesthetic, which is what people love the most. Green aesthetics refer to sleek and elegant products, such as bamboo brushes or linen clothing. Although it may seem superficial to us to like things that look good, we find that cultures like the Japanese value beauty in imperfections, for which they’ve created the “Kintsugi” concept.
Hence, we need to be surrounded by beautiful things despite their being broken. The Kintsugi process involves repairing broken objects with a mix of powdered gold or other precious elements to save precious things without altering their looks and aesthetics.
Therefore, we can say that visuals and sustainability go hand in hand if you know how to develop and promote them. On social media, the most important thing is the visual appeal of a post because it’s the first information about your business that customers find. Hence, regardless of what you create, make it beautiful, even if it has flaws.
What do you think about starting a green business?
The online environment is one of the most vital tools companies can use to develop valuable products and spread awareness of their goals. Social media platforms brought a massive change in the business sector when sustainability became trendy, but it continued booming, triggering sustainable products and practices. Considering its popularity, anyone could start an eco-friendly business and excel due to increasing demand and usefulness. You only have to follow trends and provide customers with what they need― when they need it.
