3 myths of cleantech content marketing
As the climate crisis grows more urgent, hundreds of cleantech startups are born each year, with record years in venture capital investments in 2021 and 2022. While founding team members focus rightly on securing funding, research and development, and scaling operations, marketing is a critical piece of establishing a firm hold on their key customer base within the industry.
One crucial element to a healthy, growth-focused marketing strategy for a cleantech company is content marketing. A strong, SEO-focused content strategy builds brand awareness, drives relevant organic traffic to the website, generates quality leads, and educates and informs prospects and customers.
But like any niche industry, content marketing for cleantech carries misconceptions. Below, we break down the top three myths of cleantech content marketing.
Myth #1
Greenwashing is an effective marketing strategy
One common misconception is that simply labeling a product or service as "green" or "eco-friendly" is enough to attract environmentally conscious consumers. But your customers are smart. They can easily discern between genuine sustainable practices and “greenwashing”—a relatively new term that refers to misleading claims about a product or service's environmental benefits.
Effective marketing for cleantech companies involves transparent and trustworthy communication of authentic environmental impacts and sustainability efforts.
Myth #2
Only environmentalists are the target audience
Another misconception is that marketing for cleantech companies should exclusively target environmentalists or those already passionate about sustainability.
In reality, the audience for cleantech products and services is much broader. Many consumers are interested in eco-friendly solutions if they provide tangible benefits such as cost savings, efficiency improvements, or overall convenience. And in today’s geopolitical and economic climate, those benefits are becoming more and more common.
Effective marketing should emphasize these broader advantages to reach a wider customer base.
Myth #3
Sustainability is the only selling point
While sustainability is a key selling point for cleantech products, it's important to avoid the misconception that it's the only factor influencing purchasing decisions. Consumers still prioritize factors such as performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, hence myth #2. Effective marketing for cleantech companies should highlight how their products not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also meet or exceed traditional alternatives in terms of performance and cost efficiency. Here are some of the benefits many cleantech companies can tout:
Cost savings - Many sustainable technologies and services by nature save energy usage, reduce waste, or conserve resources, which saves costs in the long run.
Innovation - Companies that embrace or build their core values on innovation and change benefit over competitors by showing initiative and creativity in solving problems.
Risk mitigation - Finding sustainable approaches to common business challenges like supply chain and energy resources ultimately mitigates the company’s risk of being disrupted by global crisis or climate events.
New markets - Adopting sustainability solutions can open doors to new markets, partnerships, and business opportunities that align with the values of those markets.
Understanding what a strong content strategy isn’t helps cleantech marketers form a clearer idea of what it is, and build an approach that’s right for their company.
A content strategy that incorporates evergreen content (content that remains relevant and valuable to the audience over an extended period), “trendy” content, and company-specific content (news, press releases, product announcements, etc.) is one that drives high-quality leads and measurable success for a cleantech company.
FutureProof Content Co. provides hassle-free content marketing subscriptions for sustainability tech companies. Whether you’re just starting out on your content strategy or you’re a seasoned professional, we have an offering to fit your needs. See our services.
