For every business, how their message is expressed is vital. But even more so in the sustainability sector, with a tightrope to walk between ethical messaging, product/service sales and audience education. So, let’s look at what a sustainability copywriter considers worth knowing.
Knock-knock. Who’s there? Know your audience!
There’s not much more important than understanding who you’re talking to. Get to know your audience well. Learn what drives them and how you fit in. Use that information to create content that speaks to their needs. A good sustainability copywriter can work with you to tailor your message accordingly, to develop your research into something that really connects with your readers.
Say what?! Define your message
When communicating your message, be sure to clearly articulate the purpose of your business and the sustainability goals you’re striving to achieve. Working with a sustainability copywriter isn’t just about words, it can also help crystalise your thinking. And they can help define core messages. These capture the essence of your mission and resonate with your target audience. Identifying, and carefully crafting these messages early is an import step in creating consistent, branded communications.
Are you a BFF (best friend forever)? Build relationships!
Establish relationships with organisations and influencers in your industry and build mutual respect. You can do this by regularly sharing content that shows your unique thinking and point of view. A sustainability copywriter can support you, as a ghostwriter, to help you create thought-leadership content that resonates with like-minded organisations. This can extend your reach and create opportunities for collaboration.
Make the most of multiple media
Don’t be afraid to take advantage all sorts of different communication to reach a larger audience. This might include print, broadcast, web content, blogs, social media, video, podcasting and more. One of the advantages of using a senior-level sustainability copywriter is that they will have written for a broad range of media, so will be able to give you brand consistency, wherever you share your messaging.
Data counts – bigtime
This might sound like a no-brainer, but there’s using data and then there’s using data to your advantage. Beyond having the right facts and figures to back up your message and effectiveness, you can use it to persuade and change minds. Taking a nuanced approach to data, marrying it to your objectives and messaging, is where a sustainability copywriter is worth their weight in ethically-mined gold. OK, maybe not literally. But really, the right data can go way beyond providing an evidence-based foundation for your claims.
Realistic goals, expressed with empathy
Every business should set specific goals and objectives to measure the success of communication efforts. But how you set them and, as importantly, express them to your team is crucial. Are they realistic? Be ambitious, of course, but be grounded about what’s possible. And how you express them is just as important. Use your internal communications to share your goals in ways that encourage and enthuse your team. Engage an experienced sustainability copywriter to create internal messaging that ‘sells’ the goals to the team, so everyone is pulling in the same direction. The alternatives can be a demoralised team, disinterested in what they see as the management team’s unrealistic expectations.
Powerful visuals that pop
This might not be the advice you’d be expecting from a company providing your sustainability copywriter, but we know the power of images. The right one can help people visualise the impact of green energy initiatives, or environmental damage, in ways far more powerful than words. It’s all part of using storytelling to connect with your audience. Creating videos, infographics, and interactive tools can help potential corporate partners get to grips with complex concepts, as well as bring facts to life.
Connect with community
We’re all tied to our computers these days, it’s easy to forget the real world exists. But by engaging with local communities, you can make valuable connections, demonstrate how your product or service impacts people and the environment and more. When you reach out to local stakeholders, you build relationships and can really show your passion and commitment for the core values at the heart of your brand.
Gongs. Contracts. Legislation… Don’t forget to celebrate success!
It’s important to celebrate your successes externally, to motivate and inspire others and keep your brand front of mind. And it’s equally important to do so internally, to motivate your team, so they keep pushing towards your objectives. You can easily share success stories via case studies, blogs, video case studies and more. And whether you use a superstar sustainability copywriter or do it yourself, it’s a great way to keep your people motivated.
Of course, these tips are just the start. Crafting compelling copy can be a tricky journey but it’s always worth it!
Talk to us today about helping craft your compelling sustainability content.
