Affordable and green marketing

You know what "they" say about going green... If you compromise on effectiveness and pay a premium you can do the right thing for sustainability.

But, hey, that's last-century thinking, isn't it? Just take marketing, for example. Here's how you can spend less, use fewer resources and still do a good job of promoting your company -- the email newsletter.

Email marketing effectiveness
Not only does a monthly email newsletter allow you to share your expertise and spread the word about your offerings. It helps you nurture existing customer relationships and build new ones. And then there's the big advantage of regular contact with customers. Increased sales.

Surprisingly, statistics show your clients are more likely to leave you because they feel ignored than they are for bad service. People love to be acknowledged. So give 'em more appreciation and interaction, but not just more selling. When you provide useful information in bite-sized form and ask for feedback you create a newsletter readers will value.

How green is it?
The carbon footprint of an email newsletter is practically invisible. After all, you don't consume paper, ink or the energy needed for printing or delivery.

And since we're talking conservation, keep in mind that an email newsletter also conserves your marketing budget.

Find out more reasons email marketing makes sense, especially in this economic climate...

Bonnie Ayers Namkung, a Marin County green certified copywriter and marketing consultant, is editor of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce GreenUp! email newsletter.

Think Local, Act Local: Protect your Watershed

As a green-minded business owner it is important to show your community that you "walk the talk."

So it is important to not only green your own business but to also get involved in your community and help improve your environment. Be a civic leader and set an example for others by joining or supporting a local environmental organization.

What kind of organization should you join? One example of a local environmental organization is a Watershed Council. Here in Marin County, California, each watershed has a Watershed Council.

In case you are not familiar with the term watershed, it is simply nature's boundary for water resources. A watershed covers an area of land within which all the water (rainwater, snowmelt) drains into a common body of water (such as a river or sea).

My company Kahl Consultants is a certified green business and also a Marin County Sustainable Partner (both excellent programs to join if you want to market your green business).

We also support our local watershed council, the Gallinas Watershed Council. Gallinas Watershd Council aims to connect the people who live and work in Las Gallinas Valley with their watershed, to help each other take responsibility for our impact on the watershed through protection, restoration and education, and to advance conservation action in our watershed environment.

If you want to find a Watershed Organization in your area start by checking out these watershed council links.

Whatever you do to improve the environment, be sure to tell people about what you are doing. Add a news entry on your website, write a press release, and mention it in your newsletter.

Welcome to KC Green Business Marketing

Welcome to the Kahl Consultants blog about how to market your Green Business.

Kahl Consultants is a web services and internet consulting company based in San Rafael, California. Our clients are found in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world.

We hope to present valuable information about marketing you green business in this blog. Our focus will be on small businesses who are dedicated to environmentally friendly business practices.