• by Frank O'Brien , December 14, 2011

As 2012 approaches, green marketing will be as important as ever for both company image and bottom line. It should come as no surprise that using social media is the most effective way to take advantage of green marketing initiatives and establish a better relationship with the consumer. Unfortunately, some still aren’t well versed when it comes to the social media landscape. In 2012, this will not be a good position to be in.

Even companies who have just dabbled in social media are not doing enough. Some marketers are still yet to realize the expansive reach that social platforms have. There are so many different ways to get your brand message out there through social media that the sky is truly the limit. Simply saying you have a Facebook page to update every now and then isn’t going to cut it. If you want to keep up with green marketing, you in turn must keep up with social media.

Know where social media is going. Consider this: Most experts are predicting Facebook will pass the billion-member mark in the upcoming year. With so many potential followers out there, you cannot afford to have your Facebook page, or any of your other social media, overlooked. And posting on social media sites is a great, paperless opportunity to market green. Start expanding what you are posting while making your content more exciting at the same time. Keep in mind, more people than ever will be viewing what you post.

It’s time to start focusing more on smartphone apps, as well. IMS Research predicts that 420 million smartphones will have been sold by the end of 2011. Morgan Stanley research also estimates that smartphone sales will exceed those of PCs in 2012. Consider apps to be another important social media platform in the coming year and make sure to tie them into your overall, green marketing plan.

Bring in an expert. Social media experts could soon become a standard piece of organizations, and if you feel your company does not have proper knowledge to utilize social media correctly, then this should be a move for you. Expect to see social media managers added to more payrolls in 2012, as executives start to realize that social media is an essential piece to successful business now more than ever. Think about it from a green perspective – having someone in-house to direct your social media efforts cuts down on the time and resources wasted performing trial and error.  

Utilize all platforms. Finally, building off my first point, expand beyond the Facebook and Twitter worlds. Both sites are great to get involved with, but it’s best to use them as a gateway to your other social media. Set up links to YouTube clips, blogs and LinkedIn accounts. If you only make use of a few sites, you are losing the battle. With so many different things going on in all different corners of the web, utilize social media the right way to stay ahead of the curve. There are ways to be more “green” about it, too. Use one-stop platforms like www.socialwhirled.com that help integrate across all platforms.

Green marketing is becoming more and more imperative and the best way to take advantage of it is to get involved with social media. In 2012, being involved with both things will be essential.