Month: April 2022

ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS GIFTS

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Environmentally Friendly
three gifts wrapped in eco friendly wrappping, with flower decorations on a light background

Whether it’s the holiday season or you’re looking for something to say thank you or happy birthday to your staff or clients, gift giving often goes hand in hand with success and celebrations. They’re a gesture of thoughtfulness and care, a universal language used for letting others know that you appreciate them. Sadly, there is also a common downside to the practice. Whilst most gifts spark joy in the moment, many are disposable and short-lived. They can lack usefulness or longevity. In addition to this, they’re often also accompanied by wrapping paper or plastic packaging, creating a lot of rubbish ultimately making the wonderful action of gift giving a terrible contributor to environmental pollution. According to recent findings, the average person purchases 32 gifts every year, while every Christmas we dispose of over 227,000 kilometres of wrapping paper. Though it may seem small, making eco-friendly swaps when it comes to gifts can be a sizable step in a greener direction.

What are Eco-gifts?

Eco-friendly gifts allow us to combine the act of giving with a needed respect for our planet. They are commonly sourced from natural, sustainable materials and strive to be reusable. Focusing on functionality, eco-gifts often reflect the current needs of the recipient. Apart from fulfilling practicality, ecological gifts can be an invitation to a more sustainable lifestyle! Inspiring the recipients to implement greener principles and consider a change of habit they can be a great way of recruiting new eco warriors!

Here’s our list of popular ecological business gifts, as well as one’s you might not have thought of!

  • Reusable coffee cups and water bottles – With sustainability on the rise there are hundreds of reusable alternatives to choose from! Take your pick from stainless steel, glass, and silicone products- with many brands opting for recycled materials.
  • Reusable straws and cutlery travel set – Governments all over the world are banning single-use plastics, making reusable straws and cutlery travel sets a great permanent alternative to help reduce rubbish pollution. Various companies such as Sho make reusable cups and flasks and donate a portion of the profits to charity.
  • Vegan & cruelty-free beauty products – Many beauty companies are making a push to limit testing cosmetic products on animals or using animal products in cosmetics. Look for companies with green certifications and certified cruelty free logos on their packaging.
  • Seed-planting and home garden kits – With gardening growing in popularity over recent years, seed-planting and home gardening kits are great gifts. Explore companies such as Treebombs with their 101 trees pack.
  • Organic snacks and treats – Look out for foods with the organic label! Organic foods are more friendly to the environment because of the lack of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers which often have negative consequences for surrounding organisms. With online retailers such as Abel & Cole finding organic snacks and treats has never been more accessible!
  • Experience vouchers – Instead of buying a physical gift, why not think about an experience? Physical gifts take materials and energy to manufacture, whereas there is no waste involved with experiences. Why not consider experience packages working alongside charities or giving back to communities?
  • Recycled material cards – Use cards that contain recycled materials in their construction, or alternatively forego a card altogether. Consider eco-friendly sellers such as “WashedUpCards” which use recycled plastic waste found from beaches to make cards.
  • Kitchen herb plants – Herbs are a great natural gift – they are useful for any cook and can transform a dish. They are an eco-friendly alternative to dried herbs in jars, cutting out the picking, drying, and packaging steps while promoting growing your own produce. You can find herbs at most larger supermarkets, garden centres and online retailers.
  • Reusable makeup pads– Time to ditch the single use skincare and utilise organic makeup wipes! Made from organic bamboo cotton they are both reusable and kinder to the skin.
  • Recycled notebooks and stationery – There a many beautiful and recycled alternatives. Did you know there are sustainable notebooks that are fully compostable? Our recent favourite is the “vegan leather” bound notebook made from sustainably harvested Teak leaves and ecological materials. Visit Etsy and explore endless sustainable options!

Our team at MOMENTUM are constantly looking for ways to improve our effects on the environment! If you’d like to discuss other eco-friendly ideas or want to find out more, we’d love to share ideas! Get in touch: E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

Podcasts: A Marketing Tool On The Rise

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Digital Marketing
Woman using a microphone to record a podcast while reading a notebook

A podcast is a digital series of audio files commonly presented as episodes, which listeners can stream and download using varying platforms. Typically lead by a host or featuring guests, podcasts are an auditory space in which the speakers share topic-focused stories, discussions and news. Often striking thought provoking debates, they provide a unique opportunity for participants to talk about something they’re knowledgeable and passionate about.

One of the main strengths of podcasts is that they are a passive form of media – they are easy to listen to in the car, on a commute or while making dinner. Conversely, visual formats often require your full attention. While initially they may be more engaging, they’re a lot less flexible which often leads to a loss of interest and focus.

The most popular way of accessing a podcast is through a smartphone – as most mobile devices now support mainstream platforms. However, modern desktops, tablets and smart TVs are also suitable, though less optimised for listeners on the go. Some popular podcast apps include Apple podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Google podcasts and Stitcher.

Podcasts for business

Though they’re a great way of passing time, podcasts aren’t just another media format- they’re also a great business tool! According to latest findings the global number of podcast listeners has surpassed 400 million and is set to continue rising over the coming years. Furthermore, based on research carried out by Bredin, an impressive average 39% of SME owners listen to podcasts. Over half of those SMEs prefer to listen to business, finance and economics themed shows- presenting a significant figure of likeminded listeners and potential prospects.

Making your own podcast

Before taking the plunge and starting your own podcast series, it is important to establish some basics. Consider who you are making the podcast for – it is sometimes useful to create a customer avatar, which is a detailed profile of your ideal customer. Catering your podcast towards this ideal customer will help to draw in more listeners with a positive impact on your business. Your content really depends upon why you want to make a podcast. Growing your community, building trust with your audience, and using a podcast as a creative outlet are all valid reasons. You need to provide value to a listener, or else there won’t be a point to listening. A successful podcast is a reliable outlet for either information or entertainment- in both cases benefiting the audience.

Tips for getting started

  • Good quality recordings are essential for a good listening experience. Record in a place where there is little or no background noise, and make sure the quality of your microphone is up to par.
  • Editing the audio is important, as it can streamline the podcast and is useful for cutting out any long pauses or stumbles.
  • Upload regularly, so that your audience knows when your content is due and can tune in consistently.
  • Keeping the length of the podcast consistent between episodes is also key, although a difference of a couple of minutes between episodes is acceptable.
  • Don’t script it word for word! While notes and key cards are a great way of keeping on track, a free form episode often sounds more organic and provides an easier, conversation-like listen for your audience.

These things may seem small but presenting your podcast in a professional manner is principal to its success. If you’d like to find out more about podcasts, or require any additional business support, we’d love to help! Get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789