How to Make Your Green Store Stand Out through Education

Last week, I suggested that aspiring eco-tailers look at the top green products carried by mega-stores such as Amazon and Walmart in order to figure out what to sell in their own online shops. 

Ok, that was the easy part.  The hard part is how in the world can you compete with these big boys?  It's not going to be simple.  We've heard from many of our green merchants what a tough environment it is out there given the recession, the lack of brand recognition for green products, and the inability to compete on price.  So what can you do to differentiate yourself? 

You know those kinda cheesy late-night infomercials?  Well, try adding a dash of green to that cheddar and you may have yourself a differentiator.

This article from Triple Pundit lays out a good case for how the infomercial approach can benefit the green sector.  The crux of the article is that:

"green marketers cannot assume the audience understands the relevance of the qualities to which their products aspire to (“It’s compostable? So what?”). ... Which brings us back to the infomercial. Infomercials understand one thing: you can’t offer a solution if the consumer does not know the problem exists. What infomercials do so brilliantly is create in the consumer a need that, before seeing the infomercial, was not there. You may not have had a problem with the way you cut your vegetables but after watching someone on TV mangle an onion–maybe you’re doing it wrong. Infomercials first outline the problem and then, in the same breath hit you with the solution."

The benefit of this approach is very obvious in the case where green overlaps cost-savings or health, particularly the health of kids.  Once a parent knows why BPA (Bisphenol A) is a problem, selling a BPA-free baby bottle becomes a much easier proposition, even with a higher price tag.

Many successful green e-tailers showcase a digital version of the infomercial on their websites, making it crystal clear what the problem is, and how their products solve it.  Take a look at ReuseIt and EarthEasy, and notice how prominently they feature their learning guides.  Arbico Organics produces a weekly radio show that offers expert advice on organic gardening and natural pest solutions.  And Gaiam, the mother of all green stores, has an entire website devoted to "Solutions for Living" which illuminates consumers on the obstacles to healthy living (exposure to electromagnetic radiation, insomnia!) and then offers solutions in its store to cure those ills.

The more relevant the problem is to the health of the individual rather than the health of the planet, the easier it is to convince the consumer that a) there is a problem and b) they need a solution.  That's just the way it is folks.  So the more you can personalize or localize the problem or link it to healthy living or saving money, the more effective your "infomercial" will be.  And no, you can't, as many of those late-night infomercials have been accused of, make false or misleading claims -- your information should be backed up by facts, studies, and legitimate third-party credentials and experts. 

Your infomercial doesn't have to be overly technical or long - most of the examples above are just text.  Podcasts are easy to produce.  And teleseminars are a snap given the myriad of companies that will host one for you at relatively little cost.  If you're not an expert yourself, try an interview with one, or invite him or her to create a guest post on your blog.

Once in a while Ecobunga! will post a learning resource among our giveaways and deals.  It is always a top traffic-getter and, even more important in these days of viral marketing, a top "share".  So take a lesson from Ginsu Knives and The Perfect Peeler.  Illustrate the problem and provide the green solution.  We're not saying the big boys don't do this as well, they do (see Walmart's buried Sustainable Living section.)  But it's typically more of an afterthought than a primary one, and it's not terribly personal or specific, like a tele-seminar has the potential to be.  People are hungry for information from trusted sources.  We say, feed 'em!