5 marketing tips for 2022

Our approach to brand strategy is very much ‘go big or go ho-ho-home’. We’ve run a number of brand strategy workshops this year, and we always begin by making it clear what brand strategy isn’t. Running social media campaigns, designing landing pages, hosting webinars, and writing e-Books? Nope. That’s all marketing execution, or the ‘doing'. This is where most companies start after coming up with their name and designing themselves a logo (ugh, you designed your own logo. Quick! Pass me a bucket...).

Brand strategy should come before all of this. It’s the discovery process through which we reach our brand goals and our overall business goals, with bigger, broader conversations about long-term plans and your values, too. And, most importantly, brand strategy workshops like ours are incredibly fun. Startup, scaleup or established organisation? Doesn't matter. The time is now.

If you do only one thing out of these five tips next year, please make it this one. Why? Because the other four things will follow naturally anyway, and every great business has a brand strategy! Ask us about our brand strategy workshops.

It’s safe to say that social media is a core channel for just about every business wanting to connect with audiences on a human level. But it’s important to consider exactly which platforms you’re concentrating on, and why.

If you’re posting everywhere, perhaps you’re spreading yourself too thin. If you’re not seeing great engagement on individual platforms, then perhaps you need to look more closely at your numbers.

We’re not talking vanity metrics – take a deeper dive and understand your demographics, your conversions, organic vs paid, accessibility, best practice and most importantly, how you engage with your audience. Don’t forget about them! They’re the whole reason you’re doing any of it, remember.

Telling stories around a campfire is, um, a tale as old as time. (Sorry.) And storytelling is nothing new in marketing. It's what the great marketers and advertisers of the world have always used. And the call for authenticity and transparency from brands and organisations is now louder than ever. Why did you start your business? What’s your origin story? Where do you want to go, and how do you want to make the world a better place? Why does your business exist beyond making a profit? (If it doesn't, you're in the wrong place - hasta luego, amigo.)

Your purpose is a fundamental pillar within your greater brand strategy. It’s not just the ‘About us’ page on your website, or your LinkedIn bio. Your purpose is the very reason you exist and why you do what you do. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through in every aspect of your business. Not only do ‘people buy people’, but sustainability and the fourth sector is built on trust and honesty. Tell your story, honestly and creatively. Sooner or later, the right people will find you, and they will kill you. I mean listen to you. Sorry, I was channeling my Liam Neeson vibes there for a second.

What does your content strategy look like? Are you writing quick and easy blogs in those rare moments when you have five minutes spare? In our book, content should be meaningful, and it should deliver value. It should also tie in to your brand strategy.

What do you want your readers to do after they’ve read your blog? How do you want to collect their details before you give them access to a whitepaper that you’ve spent months putting together?

There is certainly a balance to be found between great content, and being too salesy. But get this right, and you’ll not only start to win fans, but also find that you’re converting through your written pieces.

Content could be blogs, articles, sponsored posts, press releases, whitepapers, podcasts, videos and much more. It’s all subjective to your sector and audience, but with a clear plan and relevant themes, you’ll be calling yourselves thought leaders in no time. (Eeek.)

Ok, so this one is more of a general business tip than a specific marketing tip, but it has worked wonders for us and our journey, so we couldn’t not share it with you...

We pride ourselves on working with clients who share our sustainable and regenerative mindset, and we have no problem saying “no” to work that doesn’t fit our culture and values. As a growing business, this can be unnerving. But it’s what we truly believe in, and we’d encourage you to stick to your guns too. In fact, if you don't, your reputation could be at stake.

In 2021 alone, we have been part of communities including The Duck Pond, Ethical Hour, The Better Business Network, and the ESG Collective to name just a few! Go out and find your people. Build. Your. Tribe. We honestly can’t recommend it highly enough.

We’ve made so many close friends, clients and colleagues by making it clear who we are and what we want to do in the world. And the pay-off is huge; a community of like-minded planet-conscious superheroes. But best of all, we have each other’s backs.

Now, let's take a look at those 5 sustainable business tips we mentioned...

 5 sustainable business tips for 2022

1. Serious about sustainability? Measure. Your. Emissions. 📊

Any credible business net zero strategy starts with measuring and understanding your emissions. Read that twice!

This is a big step. It certainly was for us. We engaged Pilio Group to measure our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, giving us an accurate and transparent view of our carbon footprint. This included our impact when it comes to energy, transport and even procurement.

It’s important to have this holistic view of your business, as it allows you to make validated and informed decisions around your sustainability efforts.

This could be how you approach remote work, commuting or offsetting (which absolutely isn’t the be all and end all answer). If your goal is to be a carbon neutral or negative organisation, measuring your emissions is the only sensible place to start, setting a clear benchmark for today, and making some realistic targets for tomorrow.

Avery & Brown's full carbon footprint report is available here.

A full carbon footprint / Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions report can be a big investment, especially for small businesses. So, if you’re not quite there yet, that’s absolutely fine. There are other options, such as Giki, that can be used by individuals or rolled out across your team(s).

Platforms like this allow you to gain a greater understanding of your collective carbon footprint by measuring various aspects of your lifestyle (down to the smallest of details such as the pets in your home).

If you or your business are serious about ESG, then platforms like Giki (other similar platforms are available!) are the perfect tool to kickstart your internal employee sustainability programme.

Already measured your emissions and ready to offset? Sign up to Ecologi using our referral link for an extra 30 trees to be planted in your forest.

We all have big, bold aspirations. And that’s okay. But remember where you came from. Your local efforts are just as important as the big-name logos and the partnerships, proposals and pitches.

This isn’t just about supporting your community, but also being aware that your business will have a local impact on a sustainability level too. What can you put back into the community? Who needs help being a better, greener business? What can you do yourselves to be a better, greener business?

In 2022, ask yourself what you can do to help your neighbours, whether they’re companies, good causes, or just someone you think may need a leg-up. Sponsorship opportunities, charities and even local councils are often a good place to start. Over the summer, we began supporting Surrey Wildlife Trust as a corporate partner, helping to protect the beautiful nature that's right on our doorstep.

Think global, act local.

Bamboo pens. Recycled notebooks. Cotton totes. Whilst the good intention is there, ask yourself, does the world really need more stuff? Bamboo pens still contain plastic. Notebooks need to be manufactured, stored, delivered, collected and recycled. And we all have a scrunched up pile of tote bags somewhere under the stairs. If you're looking for branded workwear which is sustainable, ethical and well made, we get ours from Rapanui. (Bonus marketing tip: walking around in a branded tee or hoodie - especially at relevant industry events and meet-ups - is a great way to market your business and we get positive comments on ours all the time.)

We’re not saying to strip your businesses entirely of fun and friendly items like these. But do a sense check every now and again. If you want to reward staff or clients with items, switch your thinking from physical gifts to something more impactful such as planting trees, sponsoring a good cause or donating to a charity on their behalf.

"Russ, why have you put a photo of us next to the cheap and tacky merch section?!"

Time slips away. Teams get busy. It’s all work and no play. We get it. It happens to us too. What may start as a well-intended plan can easily fall onto the back-burner, and before you know it... it’s Halloween again. 👻 😩

For 2022, make a sustainable marketing plan. Set clear goals, and also put realistic targets in place. Hold yourselves and each other accountable. An internal ‘green team’ is a great idea, but there are also external collectives too. See if there are any ESG groups that you can join, because let us tell you, the encouragement and motivation of pushing each other along is phenomenal, and if we all answer to each other, then together we can go further.

So, take some time to sit down and make a list of all the actions you could take in 2022 to kickstart your business sustainability journey. Oh, and if you do follow our advice and decide to make a sustainable marketing plan, then one of your starting points should be to read ‘Sustainable Marketing - How to drive profits with purpose’ by Michelle Carvill, Gemma Butler and Geraint Evans and checking out the Sustainable Marketer Manifesto website - we’re proud to be a Partner and huge supporter.