Incorporating sustainability into the influencer space is becoming more essential to target a younger audience. In the last five years alone, 85% of people have changed their purchasing habits to be more sustainable, according to a 2021 study by Simon-Kucher & Partners. Gen Z especially values sustainability among brands they support.
Sustainable influencers are one of the leading charges in creating a more eco-friendly buying experience. They’re taking charge of trends like de-influencing and plant-based lifestyles or advocating for brands to participate in a more sustainable purchasing system with eco-friendly packaging or ingredients.
As a consumer, sustainability may mean buying more long-lasting fashion than fast fashion or finding eco-friendly travel methods. Sustainability can start as small as buying fewer items or eating less meat. Everyone is different in how they want to incorporate a more sustainable lifestyle, from small changes to changing their entire lifestyle.
For brands, this change in purchasing behavior may seem scary as it could affect their brands in a negative light. That doesn’t have to be true. Since 2015, sustainably marketed products have grown 2.7 times faster than conventional products, according to NYU’s Sustainable Market Share Index™, showing how important it is to start incorporating more sustainable practices into brands’ efforts.
How to mix influencer marketing and sustainability
How can an influencer campaign help your brand share its sustainability efforts? By getting your brand in front of the right audience and showcasing your brand’s values.
Join the de-influencing trend
Working with influencers to share your sustainability efforts or products helps you connect with consumers who care about the topic. While the de-influencing trend can feel detrimental, it is better for brands that boast high-quality or durable products. If influencers are only using a few products, and one of them is yours, their trusting audience will also see your brand as a product they could incorporate to lead a more sustainable life.
Share your sustainability efforts
You can also work with influencers to share why your product is eco-friendly. Within a sponsored post, you can ask the influencer to share the sustainability stats. Maybe your packaging is fully recyclable, plastic-free or made with plant-based materials. Either way, make sure the influencers you’re working with are sharing why your product is helping the environment, not hindering it.
Create a sustainability challenge
Influencer marketing also inspires people to take action. People want to feel like they’re making a difference, and they’ll be even more motivated if the influencers they trust are encouraging them and offering tips.
Collab with an influencer to organize a sustainability challenge with a branded hashtag that viewers can participate in by recording their daily carbon footprint or efforts to live waste-free.
@0wastecleaning If you want to start living sustainably but you don't know where to start I got you 😌🌿 I started by switching out all my cleaning products for 0WasteCleaning products here I'm making a zero waste hand soap it's zero waste because it comes in packaging and all the ingredients are also biodegradable I've been doing this for the past 2 years my advice to you is to start with small little changes that eventually will add up ❤️ #livingsustainably #sustainableliving #sustainablelifestyle #zerowaste #zerowastecleaning #0wastecleaning #sustainabilitytiktok #sustainabilitytips #zerowasteliving
♬ original sound - Low waste living 🌸
Collab with an ASMR influencer for a video
Take a unique approach by working with an ASMR, organizational or cleaning influencer to create a video that features your reusable, refillable or repurposed product. Do it in the popular ASMR style to captivate and motivate your audience.
@goodbottlerefillshop Shopping at good bottle is always zero waste and that’s how it should be !! #asmr #asmrsounds #asmrvideo #refillday #refillandrestock #restock #refillshop #stopbuyingyourtrash #goodbottlerefillshop #refilltok #goodbottlegoodplanet #zerowastetok #ecotok #cleantok
♬ original sound - Good Bottle Refill Shop
If you want to share how your brand impacts the world in a positive way, working with an influencer who advocates for the Earth can help. The time is now to make changes to create a more eco-friendly brand and share that with the world via influencer marketing. Start finding influencers to work with on your next sponsored project on IZEA’s Marketplace.
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