What’s the business case for Black Friday?

It’s that time of year when retailers and consumers alike brace themselves for the onslaught of discounts, deals, and sales that come at the end of November. With Black Friday closing in, of course, small businesses are forced to think about their own sales and offerings too.

Questions like: do I need to create a new offer? Should I be promoting my product or service? Do I need new sales funnels?, might be flooding your mind.

So, what are my thoughts as a marketing consultant, and someone who has been on both sides of Black Friday chaos?

How to build demand for your business: 6 steps to take to generate more interest and sales

In marketing and business, we talk a lot about how to build demand for your services and solutions. In fact, larger marketing teams have dedicated professionals working specifically on demand generation. But what exactly does that mean?

Regardless of the tactics used, demand generation refers to any activity that drives awareness and interest in your offer. From the moment of awareness to the moment of purchase, every touchpoint with your audience can lead to increased demand.

Here’s how to take advantage of those touch-points to build demand and interest for your company.

Challenge the status quo with your business—in good faith

Hardly a day goes by where we don’t hear about a new change Elon Musk has made to the world of tech.

And while these changes are often framed (at least by Musk) as “advancements” to the industry, many critics (myself included) are wary of the impact of these – often seemingly abrupt and impulsive – changes.

Because while there’s no doubt Musk is challenging the status quo in all of the industries he has his hand in, my concern is that he’s doing it to build his ego, not for the benefit of society.

Prioritizing diversity of sourcing in your content

With recent news and emphasis in the media on diversity (and the sad lack thereof), systematic and systemic discrimination, and the need for companies to prioritize inclusivity in their business, you’ve likely been rethinking how your company is currently running, and what changes you need to make.

An area that’s often unfortunately overlooked, as business owners make their way through revisions to their hiring practices and procedures, putting guidelines in place to ensure the marketing media and copywriting they use are more inclusive and representative, and surveying current and past employees for feedback, is prioritizing the diversity of sourcing in your content.

Small business pricing and profits: The importance of aligning your prices to your values

Pricing can be tough when you’re a small business or solopreneur. As business owners, we’re intimately connected to our clients and our pricing. Because of this interesting dynamic, I find small business owners make more emotional decisions, modifying (or not modifying) their pricing based on what they feel their clients can afford.

It isn’t enough to simply pick a number that sounds good out of thin air for your program or service. It isn’t enough to just check a few items off your “marketing to-do list.”

Your pricing needs to reflect your values. And when you take the time to gain clarity on your values and goals for each of the offers you have, you’ll feel much more empowered to share about your business, promote your services, and find your clients.

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