5 Ways Marketers Can Help the Environment

Reduce Waste, Save Paper and Spend Less

1. Get your direct mail marketing materials printed on recycled paper. When you're choosing a printing company, look for one that says they offer recycled paper. And make sure your pieces are printed on it. You are the driver.

2. Get your marketing materials printed with environmentally friendly ink. Many printing companies are switching to it, especially for processes like offset printing, which require an ample amount of ink. This way, you will not have to sacrifice the low cost and high quality of offset printing.

3. Make sure that you and the companies you hire recycle. Some do not! Recycling paper is an easy way to make a big impact on the environment. Because businesses use so much paper it's important that all businesses have a recycling program in place and actively participate in recycling paper waste. If your business doesn't have a recycling program start one. Supporting companies that recycle by giving them your business sends a strong message. Be the change you desire to see in your world.

4. Use targeted direct mail advertising. Send your marketing pieces to customers who are likely to be interested. In today's marketing world there are tools called Saturation Lists. This is a list purchased from a database company that targets residents within regional areas; from whole cities to select zip-codes, even to specific mail carrier routes. You could even generate a list of residents within an X-mile radius around your business. It even gets better: after the regional selection, you can then target very specific demographics within that selection. Do this, and you will gain more for less, whichever way you look at it.

5. Go digital. Instead of submitting print copies of your marketing materials, photos and other graphics to a printing company use digital images and documents that can be sent through email or uploaded to a website. It's faster, cheaper, and much better for the environment. You may see this as trivial, but the small things add up.

The Postcard Pros Team

found on thedailygreen.com