Thanksgiving and the official start of the holiday season is quickly approaching, and with it a broad range of marketing opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses. Get creative with your marketing plan and enjoy acquainting new customers with your brand in between bites of stuffing. Check out a few ideas to inspire your marketing strategy this Thanksgiving:
Recognize Customers
Show loyal customers how much you appreciate their business by featuring them on your website, blog, or social media channels. Do a write-up of their businesses, feature their testimonials, or find another way to recognize them. And remember to ask permission first whether using images or not. The customers you feature will very likely share, like, and retweet your posts, so you can reap the benefits of this cost-effective, easy marketing tactic.Provide Thanksgiving Discounts
Offer a holiday discount or other promotion on your products or services that help customers out in the crazy days leading up to Thanksgiving. Provide discounts on traditional Thanksgiving fare or flatware and cutlery if they apply to your business, or offer free products/services when customers spend a certain amount. If you own a salon or spa, offer discounted massages and similar services to help clients relax before the relatives fly in.Add a Little Thanksgiving Cheer
Give your brick-and-mortar business (if applicable) a Thanksgiving makeover, and do the same on your website and social media pages. The ‘net is full of Thanksgiving images for updating your Facebook cover photo, as well as plenty of graphics, such as a cute little turkey waddling across your website’s home page.Organize a Fun Run
Organize a charity fun run and bring awareness to your business while championing a great cause. Community “Turkey Trots” are always a good time, and grant you free media coverage. It’s also a way to show your business is not only part of the community, but cares about its citizens.Create a Thanksgiving Tips Newsletter
Make your November newsletter all about Thanksgiving. Include travel tips, as the day before Thanksgiving is the worst travel day of year, as well as recipe ideas, hotel and tourist attraction recommendations, and even coupons or promo codes. Recommending certain hotels and attractions also provides a great opportunity for cross promotion.Support Organic Food
Show your support for the organic food movement by promoting organic recipes or coupons to vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Most vegans and vegetarians are happy to celebrate Thanksgiving, so feel free to demonstrate the importance of consuming healthy food. It’ll boost your image and show vegan and vegetarian customers you’re thinking about them too.Give to the Needy
Learn how you can help area homeless and women’s shelters, and whether you might promote your efforts through local media. Many people cannot afford to celebrate the holiday, and ensuring the less fortunate can enjoy Thanksgiving meals is a wonderful way to yet again show your dedication to the community.
Use these and like tactics to give your small or medium-sized business the recognition it deserves this holiday.