16 01732 759725 MARKETING Time to address the hidden cost of digital marketing Louise Mahrra, Marketing Director of CloudInteract, explains how marketers can reduce the carbon footprint of digital marketing As marketers, we’re no strangers to optimising our campaigns for better performance and engagement. We segment our audiences, personalise our messaging and ensure our content reaches the right people at the right time. As focused as we are on driving efficiency, there’s one aspect of our efforts that tends to get overlooked – the environmental impact of the energy used by servers, data centres and devices to deliver and view marketing messages. The carbon footprint of digital marketing may not be as visible as that of physical products, but it is substantial nonetheless. Sending one email generates roughly 4g of CO2, which seems negligible until you multiply it by the millions of emails in mass marketing campaigns. Video content is particularly energy-intensive. High-definition streaming requires a huge amount of bandwidth, driving up emissions every time a user watches or replays a video. Data centres, where websites, emails and cloud-based software are housed, are notorious for their energy consumption. In fact, the ICT sector, which includes all online activity, accounts for around 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, similar to the aviation industry. Yet, according to a recent study by WARC, 59% of businesses are either unaware of their digital emissions or not taking action to address them. As marketers, we have a responsibility to recognise the issue and take steps to reduce our environmental impact – not least because consumers are increasingly looking to align themselves with sustainable brands and governmental regulations around emissions are likely to tighten. Companies that act now will be better positioned for the future. First steps So, what can marketers do to reduce their digital carbon footprint without compromising the effectiveness of campaigns? Here are six steps that can help make a real difference. 1 Focus on targeted, humanised campaigns One of the biggest contributors to digital waste is broad, impersonal mass marketing. Sending blanket emails or serving irrelevant ads result in wasted energy and missed opportunities for connection. By making better use of data, marketers can create personalised, targeted campaigns that speak directly to the needs and preferences of individuals. Gaining an in-depth understanding of your audience will also enable you to deliver more timely, relevant content that feels more personal. When people receive information that speaks to them, whether that’s an offer they need in the moment or a message that aligns with their values, engagement increases and digital waste decreases. 2 Optimise email marketing with personalisation Email marketing offers a prime opportunity to adopt a more personalised approach. Rather than bombarding an audience with frequent, irrelevant emails, brands can focus on understanding who wants to hear from them and what kind of content they find valuable. By carefully segmenting your audience and delivering only relevant, timely information, you avoid wasting energy on mass emails to uninterested recipients and enhance engagement levels. 3 Sustainable website practices A brand’s website is another area where emissions can be cut and the user experience improved. Compressed images, minimal code and faster load times reduce the strain on servers and the power required to deliver content. Regularly reviewing and removing outdated content that’s no longer driving value but still taking up server space is another way to cut down on emissions. Choosing a green web hosting provider that uses renewable energy sources or offsets carbon emissions can also reduce digital marketing’s environmental impact. 4 Leverage local, in-person events While digital marketing has the advantage of reaching a vast Louise Mahrra
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=