IPOWER's Gone Green?
You bet. Granted, we're a web hosting company; everything's online. There are no earthly resources to expend ... except all that electricity. And so, for the last two years, we've been offsetting all of our electricity use with wind-generated Renewal Energy Certificates, becoming a "Green Power Partner" of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
These Renewable Energy Certificates prevent the release of 2,660 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. The estimated yearly benefit to the environment is equivalent to planting ~2,390 acres of trees or not driving 6.1 million miles.Your Website Is Green, Too
You have a choice in where you host your website, and with IPOWER, you're electing to host your site in an eco-friendly data center. If you'd like to spread the word, add one of three "green" badges to your site.
Is Green Marketing Effective?
Promoting environmentally friendly products or services can be a double-edged sword; it can be highly effective if done correctly, but it can potentially backfire if done disingenuously. Learn more >>Green Marketing Resources
So how can you employ effective green marketing techniques? By learning from others: emulate the success stories, avoid the pitfalls. We've put together an eclectic group of green marketing resources, from case studies and expert advice to green WordPress themes:
- Promote Your Green Website:
We've experienced a tremendous amount of success with our own green marketing efforts, and we've heard from many of you who've received overwhelmingly positive feedback after adding one of our eco-friendly badges to your websites. - Install Green WordPress Themes: Give your WordPress site or blog a green makeover; these ten WordPress themes are perfect for green businesses and environmental non-profits.
- Study History: Just last week, CBC's radio program, "The Age of Persuasion," explored the history of green marketing, examining what has worked in the past, as well as what hasn't. The program is 26 minutes long >>
- Follow Five Simple Rules: Green marketing expert Jacquie Ottman, outlines her five simple rules of green marketing and highlights several case studies that put the "rules" in action, in this five-page .pdf article.
- Tell a Story: In this September 2010 article, Shannon Arvizu points out that "Most clean tech marketing strategies lack a potent emotional or narrative component. Conventional green marketing [is limited to] facts or statistics ... [which] is not necessarily the most effective way of communicating the value of a green product to consumers."
- Don't Forget "Regular" Marketing: In this June 2010 article, Beth Zonis reminds us that "it's important not to get too carried away with the green-ness ... of your offering, at the expense of explaining how well it solves your customer's needs."
Share your stories with us. Is green marketing something that can help your business? Have you had success with it in the past?
