From Black Friday to Small Business Saturday to Cyber Monday, three post-Thanksgiving shopping holidays are plenty. But forget your consumerist worries for a minute -- Nov. 29 is “Giving Tuesday.”
Whether on Giving Tuesday or any other day of the year, giving is a great idea for businesses big and small. From company branding to connection building, there are many ways in which businesses can benefit from giving back.
Check out how these seven businesses are paying it forward.
1. Donate skills.
Marketers often struggle to give others a sense of the value a business has to offer. LinkedIn has found a way to combat this and position itself as an industry expert -- meanwhile giving back to the world.
LinkedIn encourages its members to make a difference in their communities by donating their time and talent. Its free-of-charge Volunteer Marketplace helps members find a nonprofit board or volunteer opportunity that fits their interests and expertise.
2. Leverage your strengths.
Squarespace is using its skills as a leading website platform to create microsites that promote Queens, N.Y.-based coding bootcamp C4Q. By showcasing what it does best -- web design -- while promoting diversity in tech, Squarespace is leveraging its skills to promote its own services as well as showcase the talent of others.
Every Tuesday in December, the company plans to highlight microsites of C4Q alumni on the Squarespace website, sharing their inspiring stories and enhancing their professional profiles. Aside from branding, promotion and giving back, this tactful method might also serve as a pipeline for future hires.
3. Build a movement.
This year, more than 500 organizations joined an initiative to “opt outside” on Black Friday rather than participate in the shopping frenzy. Initially launched by outdoor retailer R.E.I. in 2015, the #OptOutside campaign took flight this year, thanks in part to Black Friday fatigue.
Instead of opting outside, Patagonia kept all of its brick-and-mortar stores open on Black Friday, as well as its website. As a result, the company has promised to donate all of the money it made on Black Friday to grassroots charities.