5 Tips to Increase Your Brand Exposure Through Corporate Social Responsibility

Are you looking to grow your brand and business presence in your local community? First things first, take a look at how your business is giving back to the community.

Your company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) is exactly that, a responsibility of your business to the community you serve. CSR is a growing trend many businesses are taking much more seriously in an effort to give back to their community.

Corporate social responsibility is defined as the voluntary activities undertaken by a company to operate in an economic, social and environmentally sustainable manner.

Is your business lacking in its efforts to give back to the community? Here are a few ideas you can use to get your business involved in corporate social responsibility:

1. Environmental Sustainability Projects: Turn all office lights and electronic devices off at the end of the day; limit the amount of water used in your office – purchase high efficiency appliances (dishwasher, toilets, water coolers, etc.); encourage staff and agents to reduce the paper used and wasted – there are countless paperless transaction technologies available to real estate brokerages; offer monthly community clean-up events where you and your team clean a local park or area around your office.

2. Community Sponsorships: A local sports team; a local non-profit organization; a community fundraising event.

3. Local Event Participation: Encourage and participate as a volunteer at a community event, the local food bank, soup kitchen or shelter; gather a team to volunteer at a local Habitat for Humanity home-build.

4. Fundraising/Donations: Collect monetary donations for a local non-profit on dress-down Fridays; hold a clothing drive each fall to collect winter clothes for a local shelter before the cold weather hits; collect new and gently-used business attire to help less fortunate trying to get back on their feet.

5. Community Partnerships: Team up with a local non-profit to be an exclusive partner, supporting their initiatives; pair up with a frequently referred business partner as a community partnership opportunity.

Corporate social responsibility is about giving back to the community you serve; however, it is so much more than that, too. CSR can help build comaraderie among coworkers, connect you to the community, foster a positive reputation and build trust among those you serve. And, of course, there can be major business benefits to effective corporate social responsibility, too. Having a strong brand presence and trust locally will help you recruit top talent and generate more leads; your business will be recognized for its involvement in the community and your contributions to its sustainability.

At the root of it all, effective corporate social responsibility is a great way for companies and communities to benefit and bloom.

To view the original article, visit the Lone Wolf blog.