Social Consciousness Is Social Currency

Social consciousness is increasingly important for businesses. Five years ago, social consciousness was something that was nice for a business to practice and often something out of the ordinary. In the last year or two, we have seen businesses, brands, and even public figures toppling due to a lack of social currency. This is because consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the power of their support. Boycotts and “cancelling” have become popular ways of showing disappointment in brands that show a lack of social consciousness, or even worse, harm people through their actions.

What Is Social Consciousness?

Social consciousness, in a nutshell, is the awareness of the issues that face society around us, both in general as well as issues faced by smaller groups of people. Businesses have a responsibility to ensure their practices do not cause harm to the communities they operate in. But further than that, they have a responsibility to ensure they benefit the communities they operate in and the people they employ.

Displaying social consciousness is not as simple as sponsoring a charity, it has to be a value that runs deep in your business structure. Businesses that are truly sustainable look at every single element of their business to determine if they are helping rather than harming.

They look at their supply chain, how their employees are treated, the effect their business has on the local community, and how they market their products and interact with their customers.

What Happens When a Business Does Not Show Social Consciousness?

Social consciousness is not something you either have or don’t; it is an ongoing journey. A socially conscious business owner will always evaluate how they run their business to ensure everything aligns with their values.

It may not even be clear at first glance which businesses are socially conscious and which ones are not. But, a business that is not socially conscious is a ticking time bomb for bad press. For example, Amazon has received a lot of negative press lately for the lack of care it shows to its employees. Between stories of tight deadlines that do not allow for bodily functions and not allowing employees to go home during catastrophic weather conditions, the news is full of Amazon’s lack of social consciousness. Amazon, being a large company, can handle the negative press, but for small businesses, this sort of negative press would be the kiss of death. Due to social media, negative press can spread like wildfire, and consumers will usually do one or both of the following:

• Boycott your business – This is where they stop buying your product. The millennial and Gen Z generations are very conscious of what their money funds. They want to support businesses that do good.

• “Cancel” your business – This is the equivalent of a public time out. Due to disgust in your actions, they will refuse to interact with your social media or marketing or react in extremely negative ways. This will last until they have moved on from the issue or until you have appeared to learn your lesson through a heartfelt apology and steps to rectify the issue.

How Do I Improve My Social Consciousness As a Business Owner?

In order to be socially conscious, you need to surround yourself with diverse people, whether that be in person or online through the media and content you consume. The more diverse the voices around you, the more awareness you will have for issues they face and how you can help them. Understanding can go a long way to preventing a faux pas.

But you also need to look at your business strategies with a critical eye and identify how they may affect different types of people. Does your focus on productivity create burnout amongst your employees? Is it ableist because employees with disabilities, chronic conditions, or neuro-divergence would struggle to meet your goals? Does it prevent your customers from receiving the personalized care they appreciate from your business?

A socially conscious business owner should also be regularly looking for ways in which their business negatively impacts its community or the world around it. As entrepreneurs and business owners, there will be times when we will just be unaware of how our business is negatively affecting things; there may also be times when we are aware, but there is nothing we can do for the moment.

We are not superhuman; we can only operate within our abilities and means at any given time. But a willingness to constantly improve things and do good in the world at large is what makes a business owner socially conscious, even if there are aspects of their business that need improvement. Be constantly on the look out for ways to improve and look for ways to do good in other areas in the meantime.

We truly are in an amazing time for technological advancement. This is an amazing thing for social consciousness and sustainability because solutions are being found and created every single day. As a business owner, this means you can give yourself a break. You will not be crucified for not switching to a new sustainable fuel source the very minute it was discovered. It takes time for a business to evaluate if they should make a switch or not. So relax; the fact that you are reading this article means that you care about being socially conscious. The most anyone can ask of you is to commit to doing your best for the people and world around you.

About the Author:

Dangerous Words Copywriting is a boutique copywriting agency that is passionate about helping small business owners and new entrepreneurs kickstart their digital presence through engaging website copy and compelling sales pages. They take your passion and drive and translate it into words that connect with your ideal clients and have them rushing to take action. No matter what your product or service, Dangerous Words Copywriting will help you turn your vision into sales.

Dangerous Words Copywriting Webpage

Instagram: @dangerouswordscopywriting