This year’s World Engineering Day is all about Sustainable Development. So, in celebration, we wanted to talk about sustainable marketing specifically for engineering companies.

It can be difficult to market yourself as an engineering business. The technical complexity involved in products and services could mean your real value is difficult to grasp. Tight budgets may also mean your marketing resources are limited, and so your choices become that much more important.

More than just a trend, sustainable marketing is an excellent method of demonstrating a business’ vision through highlighting company culture and successful products. Let’s get into the details.

What is Sustainable Marketing?

Sustainable marketing is a method of positioning your brand in the market as working towards a sustainable future. It goes beyond showcasing a reduced carbon footprint or the use of recycled materials and involves aligning the company with a corporate social responsibility to address the actual sustainable pain points of your customers. Sustainable marketing can also be harnessed to position yourself as an active participator and thought leader in the green agenda for your field.

Engineers will likely want to focus on the environmental, social and economic impact of their activities, such as highlighting the green impact of their products and services or promoting how they source socially responsible materials.

Why is Sustainable Marketing Important?

There are many positive impacts involved with undertaking a sustainably aligned corporate strategy. From a marketing perspective, highlighting the sustainability of your products and business can attract and maintain new clients.

With more people concerned about the environment, promoting your involvement is also a great way to attract valuable employees and secure your brand reputation as an ethical choice. Marketing campaigns are an effective way to promote your business or senior staff as thought leaders. They also offer opportunities to involve yourself in wider industry conversations which can support long-term planning. Stricter green regulations will likely continue to be introduced over the years which may result in cost increases. Involving yourself in these discussions will enable your business to stay at the forefront of industry changes.

Sustainable Marketing Techniques for Engineers

There are many ways to engage in sustainable marketing as an engineering company. What’s most important is to utilise techniques that make the most sense for your business. Here are some of the most common sustainable marketing strategies that are worth considering:

  • Content and Emails – Content and email marketing are the most effective methods of talking about your work. Showcasing your sustainability to existing and potential customers can be a huge selling point. Check the current messages your business is distributing through content and see if you’re truly demonstrating the sustainable benefits of the company’s products and services.
  • Video – Alongside talking about your work, it’s equally important to show people. Video is an excellent way to prove that what you’ve been saying in your written content is true. It offers tangibility to your company and can be a great way to make people feel more trusting towards the business.
  • Social Media – Once you’ve effectively demonstrated the sustainable value of your business offerings, it’s time to build your community. Social media marketing is an effective method of showcasing the ‘extras’ your company and staff do. Highlight the charity work of your employees and show how the office has adopted greener solutions. Social media also offers an excellent opportunity to get involved with worldwide green initiatives, such as WWF’s Earth Hour.
  • Brand Voice – The last strategy we recommend is to hone your brand voice. It’s all very well having a green product base and engaging in environmental discussions but to make sustainable marketing work for you, people need to be invested. What specifically does your company bring to the table? Is the company an innovation powerhouse that drives high-level discussions or do you position yourself as the ‘everyday man’, focusing on small (but no less significant) changes? Knowing how your company will approach the sustainability discussion will provide a clear voice and narrative for consumers to follow.

There’s no right way to conduct sustainable marketing. Instead, you need to consider what your company wants to achieve by engaging in the green agenda. If you’d like a little more direction about how your engineering business can utilise sustainable marketing, we recommend contacting a specialist marketing agency (like us!) that can offer guidance and solutions.