What Drives Green Consumers? Probably Not What You Think.

As a green business owner, you're out to change the world. You're driven by passionate environmental concerns; you spend time educating yourself about the eco-issues of the day; you work to conserve energy and water to reduce your footprint on the planet.

But is your target audience buying from you for the same reasons? Probably not.

According to the latest national study by Shelton Group, most of the consumers who buy green are doing so for reasons that may have very little to do with environmental issues.

Specifically, the study debunked six cherished myths:

• The economy, not the environment, is #1 on the list of green consumers' concerns. The environment falls at #8.
• Nearly 75% of green consumers save energy to reduce their bills; only 26% are doing so to reduce their impact on the planet.
• Many green consumers are actually uninformed or ill-informed about basic environmental facts
• Rather than being a monolithic market segment, green consumers tend to fall into two mindsets - "engaged green" (optimistic, extroverted, and open to innovations) versus "mainstream green" (generally more pessimistic, introverted, and driven by familiarity and security)
• Most (roughly 75%) of green consumers are not influenced by their children in making green household decisions
• Even those consumers who know the facts about environmental issues do not always make greener decisions based on their knowledge.

Shelton Group Founder, President and CEO Suzanne Shelton uses the study outcome to emphasize the importance of knowing your clientele. Rather than marketing based on myths, she advises using sales figures as a way to judge your success in reaching your audience.

As a green copywriter based in a small, conservative community, I found the study mirroring my personal experience. In fact, I've spent much of my time fielding questions from local prospects who wanted to go green, with reasons that were more often economic than environmental.

So I expanded my business to include an eco-consulting sideline through the national company Green Irene. As an independent eco-consultant for Green Irene, my aim is to educate clients who are just starting to go green, through offering public and private workshops, green home and office makeovers, Green-Seal certified products, and referrals to local green professionals.

The viewpoint is pragmatic - rather than assuming that my clients are motivated by environmental knowledge, I focus on the immediate impact of environmental issues on their lives and budgets. And I find that when they become aware of the double benefit they gain by buying green -- not only are they helping the planet, but also making investments that will pay off in savings over the long term - their incentive grows.

Is this a pure-green motivation? Maybe not. But in the end, does it matter? However a client ranks their financial health versus the planet's health, the fact remains that their green buying decisions can serve both in the long run. It's a matter of demonstrating long-term value over short-term cost.

Bottom line? The more you speak to your clients' immediate concerns, and the more you inform them about the economic and environmental return on investment for their green buying choices, the more motivation they'll have to continue.