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As you plan your holiday marketing campaigns and think through ways to increase foot traffic to your stores, don’t underestimate the value of generosity.
The Definition of #GivingTuesday
For the past four years, businesses, organizations and individual people have used the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as an opportunity to promote philanthropic giving on social media with the hashtag #GivingTuesday.
More than 700,000 online donors from around the world contributed $116.7 million dollars on #GivingTuesday in 2015, according to The Huffington Post.
Why #GivingTuesday Matters
Today’s consumers give their business to companies with values that align with their own, The Huffington Post article says. So, customers who see your business supporting a cause or organization they care about will likely feel good about spending money at your store.
Generosity also matters to employees. Millennial workers tend to be looking for employers that practice social responsibility, and they want their values to be reflected in their workplace. In fact, more than half of millennials say they want to work for a company that makes a positive impact in the world, The Huffington Post reports.
Putting #GivingTuesday to Work
This year, you can get your company involved with the #GivingTuesday movement by donating time, money, supplies or your company’s influence in your community. The Huffington Post provides the following pointers for maximizing your impact:
- Keep it personal. As a small business owner, you likely have deep connections in your community. On #GivingTuesday, keep your efforts close to home by choosing to support local causes that are important to you and your business.
- Amplify your influence. Offer a matching challenge to motivate your employees, friends, family and community to donate to your chosen cause on #GivingTuesday. This tactic encourages other people to get involved in giving, and maximizes financial contributions.
- Go beyond the monetary donation. As a home improvement retailer, you can likely donate many products and services to your chosen cause. Maybe you have some excess inventory that you could donate. Maybe you have knowledgeable, skilled staffers who would be willing to volunteer their time to support an organization they care about. Donating more than money can help you and your employees build personal connections with organizations and other community members.
