The Social Side of Sustainability

In the last month, the 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Index/Corporate Sustainability Assessment, CDP Scores and MSCI's ESG Ratings have all been released. Never heard of them? Neither had I, but they are a big deal in the sustainability arena!

Amidst these reports, brands all over the world are turning to social media to showcase progress made in areas such as recycling, eliminating food waste, decreasing carbon emissions, etc. and to emphasize their commitments going forward.

This got me curious to explore how companies leverage their social channels and content to celebrate, raise awareness, operate transparently and inspire others to strive towards a more sustainable world and future.

Read on for:

?? Big picture social listening data behind sustainability across social media

?? Real examples and ideas for sustainability content campaigns

While not always positive, sustainability is undoubtedly a large and engaging topic across social media. Some of the highlights from a listening query (Nov 1-Dec 12) are:

?? 475.8k messages from 192.7k authors resulting in 7.6 billion potential impressions. Translation? A LOT of people are writing, engaging and watching this conversation unfold ??

?? Top five themes or categories emerging are: food, waste, environment, LED and packaging, with hashtags and a word cloud to match ??

*Data collected using Sprout Social's Advanced Listening tool from November 1-December 12th across Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube and selections from the web.

With so many sub-topics, trends and causes to support it can be difficult to know where to focus. Therefore, let's dive into some real-life examples from brands to see how this data plays out across profiles.

?? Merely publishing sustainability social content does not fulfill a brand's environmental duty, nor will it make an impact if not backed by genuine initiatives and progress.

?? Social media analytics are a key component to tracking impact, especially as it relates to long-term sustainability campaigns and goals.

?? Social media has become an important element of building a more sustainable world through raising awareness, transparently being held accountable and inspiring both followers and other brands to join in the cause.

For more insights and inspiration on sustainability across social media, check out the Sprout Social Insights Blog.