Thanksgiving weekend was one of the most anticipated and loved holidays of the year.  It’s when we start getting a little time off from work, we see friends and family, we eat good food and some participate in the more modern tradition of staying up and going Black Friday shopping.\n\nThe day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest shopping days of the year.  According to some Wikipedia research I found out that the term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia around 1961 and is day where the majority of major retailers offer discounts and sales. Many people show up to stores bright and early in hopes of getting a great deal on big ticket items and holiday gifts.  The popularity of Black Friday has also spawned Small Business Saturday (created to help drive traffic to small local business) and Cyber Monday (online version of black Friday.)\n\nSure you can get some great deals but what really drives the masses to the stores and makes these retail holidays a success is marketing.  From the frenzy of TV commercials starting in early November to the nonstop e-blasts in my inbox the evidence of smart marketing is everywhere.  Whether you are a retailer or a B2B company there are lessons to be learned.\n\nStay top of mind – A huge part of the Black Friday success is that retailers start advertising early and often.  Many companies will launch a marketing campaign for a few days see no results and move on to the next.  A true marketing campaign requires planning and time. Try launching your campaign in stages that way you can adjust it as needed throughout the phases of launch.\n\nBe Clever – Would Black Friday seem as exciting if it was just known as “the Friday everything is on sale?” Clever copy and tag lines will lure in your audience and make them want to invest more time knowing your brand.\n\nBe enticing – Many retailers offer “door buster’ deals on Black Friday – exclusive giveaways or additional deals for customers who show up extra early.  Throwing in a little incentive that doesn’t cost your company much (or even better anything) will sometimes help get your foot in the door.\n\nIf you really want to start doing things right, remember that the best campaigns are direct products of more extensive marketing plans.  That said these tips will surely help your marketing campaign get a little more mileage and visibility which we can all agree is quite a deal.