Wednesday Wisdom: Ride the Marketing Wave

Wednesday Wisdom, Inspiration for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners, Small Businesses

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday are successful marketing campaigns aimed at consumers to expend money for deals, sales, and good causes. In the 1960s, Philadelphia was the origin city of Black Friday, where a huge number of shoppers gave police and cab drivers headaches trying to keep up with the traffic and pedestrian crowds. It also stood for changing red ink to black ink profits making it a financially successful day for businesses.

As time and technology progressed, Cyber Monday became a hot marketing tool in 2005 to create customer excitement over the internet. Small Business Saturday followed in 2010 when corporate giant American Express desired a way to support small businesses and their community efforts. AMEX’s smart thinking generated a 23% increase in transactions for itself while inspiring 103 million Americans to support the small business community.

With all the greed and attention aimed at commercial enterprises, it made sense in 2012 that the simple idea of people doing good for others was created – Giving Tuesday. There are now 80 countries that participate in the cause on a random Tuesday in November with an estimated $2.7 billion donated in the United States alone. Pure proof an amazing marketing campaign can change the world.

On this Wednesday, how can you as a woman entrepreneur learn from the marketing success of these campaigns? First, you need to be creative, always thinking of something that could spur your customers to buy from you or the marketplace to come to your store or website. Second, actively promote these extremely popular advertising campaigns and get involved by participating, offering specials, and letting local media know what we are doing to get highlighted. Third, be inspired by these concepts and create your own unique marketing campaigns during the year – maybe around the launch date of our business – to entice the public to spend with you. 

We can ride the wave of success of global and national marketing movements. It isn’t hard to do so grab your 2023 calendar now and start plotting your course.