How Instagram Influencers help bring attention to environmental issues

April 22, 2020

While most of Instagram influencers use their fame to earn money, some Instagrammers use their influence for good. Sustainability influencers strive to create quality content to draw the followers’ attention to such environmental issues as climate change, water conservation, and plastic pollution.

Today, we will talk about how Instagram Influencers inspire a global sustainability movement. Also, we will discuss the ways in which you can encourage your followers to join the movement.

Increase awareness of environmental protection

If we want to solve environmental issues, we should make people aware of these issues. Sadly, most of the people still do not understand why they should avoid single-use plastic and why they should turn off the tap while brushing their teeth.

Environmentally-conscious celebrities and bloggers understand how important it is to increase awareness of environmental protection.  They use Instagram as a platform to inform and educate their followers about climate change and other issues.

For instance, Leonardo DiCaprio has more than 42 million followers on Instagram, but he never posts selfies or other personal photos. All the content he shares is dedicated to climate change. Leonardo DiCaprio strives to show his fans that environmental issues are real and encourages everyone to join Greta Thunberg's movement.

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7bf7X2luqK/

Explain the basics

Modern people hear words like “sustainability”, “greenhouse effect”, “water conservation” all the time. But do they have a clear understanding of what these terms mean? Nope.

Scientific definitions of environmental buzzwords are too sophisticated – not everyone can understand them. For this reason, one of the key objectives of Instagram influencers is to explain the true meaning of complex terms in simple words.

Some influencers write definitions in their captions, others – use quote pictures. Whatever types of posts they create, they do a great job – they help thousands of followers to learn the basic terms related to environmental issues.

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7bbpVPlVaP/

Give tips on how to start living an eco-friendly lifestyle

Here is another problem related to environmental issues and awareness of eco-friendly products.

“Some people do understand that they should change their habits and contribute to environmental protection, but they have no idea where they should start. They are interested in a zero-waste lifestyle. But they do not dare to try it because the transition from one lifestyle to another seems to be too challenging and sophisticated,” explains Melinda Jones, a reviewer at PickWriters.

Fortunately, there are influencers on Instagram who share awesome tips on how to begin a zero waste journey. They share their personal experiences and explain why it’s so important to start small and change one habit at a time. They make it clear for Instagram users what eco-products are worth using and what products are better to avoid.

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9mNV1RF9nD/

Inspire actions

The good news is that the number of sustainability influencers is growing fast. More and more people start using Instagram to discuss environmental issues and bring attention to the things that really matter. And that’s a positive tendency that can help to change the world for the better!

Influencers share pro tips, offer innovative solutions, discuss environmental trends – and that gets thousands of Instagram users to revisit their attitudes toward climate change and plastic pollution. People start getting ecological issues seriously. And, most importantly, they start thinking about their personal impact on the environment.

Thanks to sustainability influencers, many citizens have started to make “better choices” every day. They have changed their habits in order to create fewer wastes and reduce their carbon footprint. Here is what eco-friendly people around the world do thanks to Instagram:

• Use reusable water bottle instead of buying water in single-use plastic bottles
• Use tote bags instead of single-use plastic bags
• Ride bikes instead of driving cars when it’s possible
• Shop at farmer markets instead of supermarkets to buy less food packed in non-recyclable plastic
• Compost food scraps instead of sending them to the landfill

Stop consumerism

It’s worth mentioning that eco-conscious influencers inspire people not only to “take the first step” to eco-friendly life but to change their lives completely. 

They show not just how to buy groceries in bulk and how to reuse things, but how to live a meaningful life with less stuff. And that’s a great thing! If people follow the example, the environmental impact of household consumption in terms of the material, water, and land‐use requirements will be minimized.

As Gandhi once said, “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”Influencers can use their power to convey this message to a wide audience. They can use their influence to stop excessive consumerism and make a difference.

Raise money for charity

Instagram influencers strive not only to bring attention to environmental issues but also to resolve these issues as soon as possible.

They encourage their followers to donate for charity when it’s necessary. And they do not feel ashamed to ask people for support. They understand that every dollar counts and that the more followers will make a donation, the better results will be achieved.

A short guide on how to make a difference

If you live an eco-friendly lifestyle and want to contribute to environment protection, start blogging on Instagram. No matter how many people follow your account right – 75 or 750K – you can make a difference. If you inspire at least one person to stop using single-use plastic, you will make a great contribution!

• If you have no blogging experience, here are a few tips for you:
• Tell people about the environmental issues that worry you the most
• Support your ideas with statistics and recent researches
• Write your heart out. Be sincere with your followers
• Share your personal experience. Show that it’s not that hard to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
• Take high-quality pictures so your Instagram account will look visually appealing

Wrapping it up

The more people talk about environmental issues, the more significant the progress will be achieved. So, please, don’t hesitate to raise your voice and support the community of sustainability influencers.

This world needs you! Share your journey with your followers and make a difference!

 

BIO:

Donald Fomby is an academic writer and a contributor at LiveInspiredMag. He has written custom content for various websites and has worked in various marketing efforts and campaigns.