[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Top skinny IC Logo Section” fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#cc4315″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”on” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_css_main_element=”@media only screen and (min-width: 1350px)||.page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0, .page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0 .et_pb_row_0 {||padding: 0 !important;||}” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||0px|” global_module=”26126″][et_pb_row global_parent=”26126″ make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”on” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” padding_top_1=”0px” padding_right_1=”0px” padding_bottom_1=”0px” padding_left_1=”0px” column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_margin=”0px||0px|” custom_css_main_element=”@media only screen and (min-width: 1350px)||.page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0, .page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0 .et_pb_row_0 {||padding: 0 !important;||}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_image admin_label=”IC logo Image” global_parent=”26126″ src=”https://iriscontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/IC-logo-horizontal-framed-e1468862028685.jpg” alt=”Iris Content logo” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_css_main_element=”@media only screen and (min-width: 1350px)||.page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0, .page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0 .et_pb_row_0 {||padding: 0 !important;||}” url=”https://iriscontent.com” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” background_image=”https://iriscontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/bigstock-Modern-Green-Background-1135714.jpg” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#ffffff” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.74″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_divider color=”#ffffff” show_divider=”off” height=”200″ divider_style=”solid” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”on” disabled_on=”on” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Blog Post Title Text” background_layout=”light” max_width=”620px” text_font=”Cantata One||||” text_font_size=”72″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”0px||0px|” text_line_height=”1.1em” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” text_font_size_tablet=”52″ _builder_version=”3.0.74″]5 Tips To Show Customers That You’re A Responsible Brand
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Blog post main Section” fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”FDF3E7″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”0px|||” padding_mobile=”on” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Blog post Date Text” background_layout=”light” text_font=”Montserrat||||” text_font_size=”10em” text_text_color=”#cc4315″ border_style=”solid” text_line_height=”1.1em” custom_margin=”0px||0px|” _builder_version=”3.0.74″] 16 [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#cc4315″ show_divider=”on” divider_style=”solid” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”off” custom_css_main_element=”width:20px;” disabled_on=”off” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Month Year Text” background_layout=”light” text_font=”Montserrat|on|||” text_font_size=”18″ text_text_color=”#cc4315″ border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”-10px||0px|” _builder_version=”3.0.74″] NOVEMBER 2017 [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” max_width=”620px” text_font=”Montserrat||||” text_font_size=”24″ text_text_color=”#363636″ border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”10px||0px|” text_line_height=”1.4em” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” _builder_version=”3.0.74″ disabled_on=”on|on”]
The rise in popularity of brands like The Body Shop, Tarte and SolarCity indicates that customers want to buy products from brands who pay fair wages, help the environment or contribute to creating a positive social change in society. And that’s why your content marketing for 2018 should include corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Businesses aren’t just expected to make a profit. They have to serve society, make all their stakeholders happy and keep a steady profit margin.
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Photograph by TInnaPong via Bigstock.com
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So how can you include CSR in your strategy for content marketing for 2018? Here are five steps to get you started:
Use Influencers That Share your Brand’s Values
It’s been statistically proven that influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular amongst content marketers. Instead of using influencers to promote your products, why not use them to promote your CSR? For doing this right, you need to find influencers who share your brand’s values. This is crucial. Imagine if you’re a family-friendly restaurant and you use a risqué celebrity to give healthy meals to underprivileged children. It won’t generate the impact you’re aiming for.
You can browse through an influencer’s account to see if they share the same values as your brand. Bonus points if you can locate an influencer who already champions for a cause your business supports. This is a good starting point for your plan for content marketing for 2018.
Tell Stories
Do you know what people love? Stories. Bedtime stories, personal stories, real-life struggles. They’re interesting and entertaining.
So why not tell a story about your brand, products or services? Personalize your brand by telling stories and putting faces behind the company logo.
If your business practices fair trade in China which helped one woman pay for her son’s tuition, tell your customers about it. Were your handmade luxury soaps made by an employee whose gone through bankruptcy? Tell his story.
You can even highlight your product’s journey from a factory to the hands of a customers and the people who made that product from scratch. Putting faces behind your brand humanizes it. And customers trust people more than faceless companies.
Partner with NGOs
Here’s a handy tip for your content marketing for 2018: Partner with NGOs. But don’t just pick any cause you like. Let your customers be a part of your CSR efforts – let them pick a cause close to their heart.
As stated earlier, millennials are aware of the problems and challenges facing society. By letting them pick a cause you should support, you are essentially trying to make them a part of your brand. It emphasizes a more “we are all in this together” attitude which brings businesses and customers closer. It also shows that you care about the same things as your customers do.
Involve Employees
Don’t underestimate your employees – they can actually be a powerful voice for your brand.
Talk to your employees and you’re sure to find a few that do some volunteer work. Maybe they help injured animals at a local animal shelter on weekends? Maybe they read to underprivileged children? Talk about what your employees do in their free time and offer to sponsor their cause.
You can go a step further with this idea and give your employees a few days off every year to volunteer for a cause of their choice. One company, Sales Force, does this as a part of their employee engagement program (as reported by Huffington Post).
Feature the work of these selfless employees on your social media platforms and website.
Focus on the Cause, Not the Promotion
Yes, most brands do ample promotions of their CSR initiatives to build a strong connection with their customers. But don’t be most brands. Be different.
In your content marketing for 2018, focus on actually supporting a cause – be it social, economic or environmental – and educates customers about the cause you’re supporting. Don’t only focus all your energies on harping on about what your business has done for it. Because yapping about how awesome you are is self-promotion. And no one likes an arrogant person.
Instead, concentrate on being altruistic and let the promotion come later. Remember that millennials can see right through self-promotion tactics. They’re quite clever.
So there you have it – five tips to show that your business is responsible and takes initiatives to make the world a better place. No matter how small or large your company is or how many customers you have, you can give back to society. Potential customers will notice your altruistic efforts and this will increase their trust and loyalty in your business. It’s time to give back.
Need a content team to help you talk about your CSR initiatives? Iris Content has a team of experienced writers and editors who can make that happen. We also provide special holiday-themed content. Take a look at our affordable holiday packages for more information.
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[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_divider color=”#cc4315″ show_divider=”on” divider_style=”groove” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”on” disabled_on=”on” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Blog post main Section” fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”FDF3E7″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop”][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image src=”https://iriscontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Annienn.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”left” sticky=”off” align=”right” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” border_style=”solid” _builder_version=”3.0.74″ show_bottom_space=”on” animation_direction=”left” /][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_team_member name=”Annie Ianko” position=”Chief Content Officer” background_layout=”light” facebook_url=”https://www.facebook.com/IrisWebContent/” twitter_url=”https://twitter.com/Iris_Content” border_style=”solid” custom_css_main_element=”box-shadow: 0 0 20px rgba(0,0,0,.1);||” _builder_version=”3.0.74″]
Annie has 20 years of experience as an editor and content creator and manager. With work in television and written media, she has dedicated her past 10 years to learning the ropes of online content creation, from writing to editing, from SEO to content management.
If you need a professional to handle all your content during the hectic festive season, Iris Content is launching a few holiday packages that you can take advantage of. Reach out to us and we will help your business shine this holiday season!
Contact Annie to learn how you can take advantage of our holiday packages.
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