Authentic Green Marketing: Checklist

Sustainability
Written By Laura Dunkley

Whether you've reduced your packaging waste, switched to ethical suppliers, or committed to a circular economy model, telling people about it is the next step.

You've done the hard work: your business has made meaningful changes to be more planet-friendly, and you've defined a compelling story that reflects your values and impact. Now it's time to share that story with the world — in a way that builds trust, raises awareness, and drives action.

A Practical Strategy & Action Plan to Market Your Sustainability Story

Below is a practical, step-by-step marketing action plan to help you share your green story with clarity, confidence, and credibility. From strategy to social media, we've included everything you need — plus a detailed checklist to align your marketing team and build awareness through authentic, purpose-driven storytelling.

This guide includes:

  1. A simple marketing strategy framework

  2. Campaign ideas to build awareness

  3. A detailed checklist of what to create

  4. A brief template to get your marketing team aligned

Step 1: Create a Simple Green Marketing Strategy

Your strategy should answer three key questions:

1. Who are you trying to reach?

  • Eco-conscious consumers

  • Partners or funders who value ESG

  • Retailers/distributors

  • Employees or future recruits

2. What do you want them to do?

  • Trust your brand more.

  • Choose you over competitors.

  • Share your story with others.

  • Support your next green initiative.

3. How will you reach them?

Choose the right mix of channels:

  • Website & blog

  • Email newsletter

  • Social media

  • Partnerships or events

  • PR & media outreach

  • Paid media (optional)

Step 2: Launch a Campaign (Build awareness)

A green story deserves more than a "just listed on the website" moment. Turn it into a launch campaign with creative energy behind it.

Campaign Ideas:

  • "Behind the Green": Share behind-the-scenes footage of your team or partners making the change.

  • "Impact Week": Post one stat or story every day for a week to build momentum.

  • "Ask Me Anything": Host a live Q&A on social or Zoom with your founder or sustainability lead.

  • "We're Not Perfect": A series that shows progress and ongoing efforts, building trust through transparency.

  • Customer Challenge: Invite your community to take a sustainable action aligned with your mission.

📆 Timeframe: A 2–4 week campaign works well for launching a new story.

Step 3: Green Marketing Asset Checklist

Here's a detailed checklist of what you need to create:

Marketing Brief

Share with your internal team or marketing partner:

  • Core message(s)

  • Target audience(s)

  • Key stats, certifications, quotes

  • Product or service tie-in

  • Brand tone (playful, serious, heartfelt?)

  • Goals (engagement, awareness, lead gen)

Website & Landing Page

  • Add a sustainability or impact page.

  • Include visuals, data, your story, and team quotes.

  • Optional: downloadable PDF report or story sheet

  • A link to it can be found on your primary nav and product pages.

Social Media Strategy

  • 3–5 visual posts for Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn

  • 1 video or reel introducing the story

  • Carousel or story format for stats

  • Hashtags (e.g. #OurGreenStory #PlanetFriendly)

  • CTA to visit the new page or learn more

Email Newsletter

  • Add a featured section to your monthly newsletter

  • Or send a dedicated launch email.

  • Include a quote, stat, photo, and link to the whole story.

Blog or Article

  • Publish a 500–800 word story on your blog.

  • Include behind-the-scenes content, timeline, and future goals.

  • Tag partners/suppliers to encourage sharing

Photography & Visuals

  • Before/after shots

  • Team members involved in the change

  • Infographic or chart showing results

  • Packaging/product changes

  • Certificates or audits, if applicable

Marketing Brief Template (Example)

Title: Launching Our Green Packaging Story

Goal: Build trust and engagement by showcasing our shift to compostable packaging

Audience: Eco-conscious customers (25–45), media, partners

Key Message: "We've reduced single-use plastic waste by 90% with new compostable packaging — and we're just getting started."

Tone: Honest, upbeat, customer-first

Deliverables:

  • Landing page

  • 3 social posts

  • Email announcement

  • Press release

  • Infographic

👉 Repurpose to Amplify

Once you've created your core content, repurpose it across different formats:

  • Turn your blog post into a LinkedIn article

  • Use video clips in stories or ads.

  • Make your infographic printable for trade shows.

Laura Dunkley https://acornstudio.marketing/
Next

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