Why this marketing team’s Facebook group has 33,000 members and how it empowers others

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the mandatory shutdown was taking a toll on many companies, especially Black-owned businesses. Unlike many of their clients, Malcolm Coley and Newdy Felton, co-founders of the Wilmington-based marketing company Influencers Lab, found they were able to pivot. The pair leveraged an online presence, e-commerce site and website to continue operations, and saw they need to help others do the same. The duo planned to start a Facebook group for Black entrepreneurs before the pandemic, but with Black-owned businesses struggling to adapt and needing support, the pair decided to use the group as a place where Black business owners could network, exchange information and develop opportunities. Their Facebook group Spending Black Matters found immediate popularity. “I’ll say in a matter of a month, we had about 10,000 people in our Facebook group,” Felton said. The group now boasts 33,000 members. Coley and Felton attribute the group’s rapid growth in membership to a shared need for survival among Black entrepreneurs. Many Black-owned establishments depend heavily on support from Black consumers and networking within their community. The backing of Black consumers is vital for success, as they often lack support from other demographics....