Conversations on Website Conversion discussion

This chapter ties in well with the last book we read, Inbound Marketing. The staggering number of direct mailings required to reach just a few people reveals the inherent inefficiencies of this method. Fortunately, there are a lot of alternatives to this method, especially since the advent of social media and the prolific uses of the internet. While being online is not carbon neutral (somewhere a server is humming to keep your content up, and customers’ computers will have to be on to access it), it is definitely easier on the environment than processing paper.

There will always be some who prefer to be reached via direct mail, so eliminating that entirely may be a bad plan. Instead, focus on greening your mailings—use soy inks and high PCW paper, and consider putting a “please recycle” label on it. Also, remember to practice good list hygiene—eliminate duplicates and bad addresses (this is great for e-mail lists too!).

What advice from this chapter did you find most useful and applicable to your marketing strategy? Did you get any new ideas that you’ll put into your greening plan?

LET'S FACE IT. Every product that is created has an impact on the environment. With regards to marketing & communication materials it's important to ask...What waste products are created from it? Are they dangerous to human health? Not all business owners are going to ask these questions. In fact, many won't want to know the answer. But that doesn't change reality.

I had never really thought about the harsh truth that the commercial printing process creates enormous amounts of carcinogens, hazardous wastes and pollution. So it was encouraging to give serious thought what can be done about it? Well, we can't stop printing, right? Right (to say otherwise would put me and a lot of businesses OUT of business!) But we CAN choose printing inks that are made from natural products and processes, and that decompose without harm to the environment.

Thank goodness for 'soy inks'! It's incredible that by requesting soy-based inks over standard petroleum-based inks from your printer, you will be making a major impact on the health of the environment and simultaneously stimulating the US economy. Yes and yes!

I got a car insurance quote some time ago, and have been receiving mailings from the company about once a month ever since! It actually kind of offended me that I was never asked whether or not I wanted these letters (the most obvious form-letter you've ever seen), and they just seem to keep showing up. Most I don't even open and set straight in the recycling bin--it's incredibly wasteful. All the energy (and pollutants) that went into making that measly piece of mail are just going to be redoubled by the energy used to reprocess it. At least unwanted e-mail messages usually have a link to "opt out" at the bottom!

Direct mail will indeed continue. And, so true about the promotional goods: when I was working at a trade show in Singapore we had ordered some reusable grocery totes to give to visitors to our trade-show booth. Of course we got them from a distributor in China -each one was individually wrapped in a plastic envelope.

It is interesting how Wal-Mart's program continues to come up. Impressive as I imagine the average consumer to be completely unaware of this phenomenal greening process.

Actions still speak louder than words- now that's a marketing communications strategy!