Social Media Advocates Sustainability

By: Leyla Balimtas

How social media changes the conversation of sustainability in business…

The environmental issues in our world are nearly inevitable. We as humans will always be using our environments because they are not only readily available to us, but they also provide the resources that we need to survive. And the main users of the environment are businesses and industries. Yet while businesses are using these resources, they can also replenish what is lost, and act as role models in the global aspiration for sustainable living.

Ray Anderson, sustainable business pioneer, discusses in a Ted talk that, “we are each and every one a part of the web of life… and we have a choice to make: during our brief visit to this beautiful blue and green living planet – to hurt it or to help it.” Ultimately, it is business, and namely, social media, that has brought the concept of sustainability to the world’s attention.

With the emergence of a social media-dependent world centered upon concepts of sustainability, it has become increasingly difficult for companies to ignore their responsibilities to the environment. Once businesses understand their role in a sustainable world, the next step in the transformation of current enterprise is to apply social media thinking to sustainability. This will result in the creation of a stronger, more responsible business.

There are five main themes that revolutionize the social media of an organization into one that promotes sustainability and further modernizes a company: having a magazine mentality, creating apps, developing new and emerging channels, branding a personal touch, and implementing big ideas. Whether it is creating a personal marketing campaign or showing how clients should develop sustainable practices, techniques like these put a business in the right direction for success.

With the adoption of any of these sustainable practices, revolutionizing a business in and out of the social media world is completely achievable. And once revolutionized in this respect, the economic benefits of going green will soon follow suit. Just look at the techniques and success of major companies like Walmart, Starbucks, or Nestle. All are businesses that have adopted sustainable practices, and all remain dominating companies in an increasingly competitive world.

Source: http://www.developmentcrossing.com/profiles/blogs/corporate-social-responsibility-csr-infographic