How to Use Thanksgiving to Promote Your Business

Thanksgiving is a great time to market and grow your business! Learn how to create Thanksgiving-themed promotions and discounts, run social media contests and giveaways, partner with other businesses to offer joint promotions, create Thanksgiving-themed content, and give back to your community.

HOLIDAYSMARKETINGSTRATEGY

Emily Ginsenburg

11/17/20234 min read

a laptop computer sitting on a Thanksgiving Dinner table with mobile devices
a laptop computer sitting on a Thanksgiving Dinner table with mobile devices

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States and Canada, celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. It is a day to give thanks for the blessings of the past year, particularly the harvest.

History

The first Thanksgiving is believed to have been celebrated in 1621 by the English colonists of Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag people. After a difficult first winter in the New World, the colonists had a successful harvest in the fall of 1621. They decided to hold a feast to give thanks to God for their good fortune and to share their bounty with the Wampanoag people, who had helped them survive their first winter.

Thanksgiving was celebrated sporadically in the American colonies throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be held on November 26 of that year. However, it was not until 1863, during the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day to be a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November each year.

Celebration

Today, Thanksgiving Day is one of the most important holidays in the United States and Canada. It is a time for families and friends to gather together, enjoy a feast, and give thanks for the blessings in their lives.

Traditional Thanksgiving foods include turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Many people also attend church services on Thanksgiving Day.

Other popular Thanksgiving Day activities include watching football games, going for walks, and playing games with family and friends.

Thanksgiving Day in 2023

Thanksgiving Day in 2023 will be celebrated on Thursday, November 23.

Here are some ideas for how to celebrate Thanksgiving Day in 2023:

  • Cook a Thanksgiving feast: Gather with your loved ones and cook a delicious Thanksgiving meal. If you're not sure what to cook, there are many recipes available online and in cookbooks.

  • Attend a Thanksgiving church service: Many churches hold special Thanksgiving services on Thanksgiving Day. This is a great way to come together with your community and give thanks for all the blessings in your life.

  • Watch a football game: Football is a popular Thanksgiving Day tradition in the United States. There are usually several NFL games played on Thanksgiving Day.

  • Go for a walk: Thanksgiving Day is a great day to get some exercise and enjoy the fall weather. Go for a walk in your neighborhood, at a local park, or in the woods.

  • Play games with family and friends: After your Thanksgiving meal, spend some time playing games with your loved ones. There are many different games you can play, such as board games, card games, and video games.

Whichever way you choose to celebrate, Thanksgiving Day is a special time to give thanks for all the blessings in your life.

Leverage this holiday to grow your business

Here are some ideas on how business leaders and entrepreneurs can leverage Thanksgiving to market and grow their businesses:

  • Offer Thanksgiving-themed promotions and discounts: This is a great way to attract customers and boost sales. For example, you could offer a discount on Thanksgiving-related products or services, such as turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. You could also offer a free gift with purchase or a free shipping deal.

  • Run social media contests and giveaways: This is a great way to engage with your target audience and generate excitement about your brand. For example, you could run a contest where people submit photos or videos of themselves celebrating Thanksgiving with your products or services. You could also give away a Thanksgiving-themed prize, such as a gift basket filled with food, cooking supplies, and decorations.

  • Partner with other businesses to offer joint promotions: This is a great way to reach a wider audience and cross-promote your businesses. For example, you could partner with a local grocery store to offer a discount on Thanksgiving dinner if customers purchase their groceries from the store. You could also partner with a local restaurant to offer a free appetizer or dessert to customers who dine at the restaurant on Thanksgiving Day.

  • Create Thanksgiving-themed content: This could include blog posts, social media posts, email newsletters, and even videos. Thanksgiving-themed content can help you position yourself as an expert in your field and build trust with your target audience. For example, you could write a blog post about tips for cooking a perfect Thanksgiving turkey or share a video on how to make a delicious Thanksgiving dessert.

  • Give back to your community: Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. One way to do this is to give back to your community. For example, you could sponsor a Thanksgiving food drive or donate to a local charity. Giving back to your community is a great way to show your appreciation for your customers and build goodwill.

Here are some additional tips for leveraging Thanksgiving to market and grow your business:

  • Start planning early: Thanksgiving is a busy time for everyone, so it's important to start planning your marketing campaigns early. This will give you enough time to create high-quality content, develop effective promotions, and reach your target audience.

  • Be creative: Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to get creative with your marketing. Think about how you can make your campaigns stand out from the competition. For example, you could create a Thanksgiving-themed video ad or design a Thanksgiving-themed email newsletter.

  • Be consistent: Promote your Thanksgiving marketing campaigns across all of your channels, including social media, email, and your website. This will help you reach a wider audience and increase your chances of success.

  • Follow up: After Thanksgiving, be sure to follow up with your customers and thank them for their business. You could send them a personalised email or offer them a special discount on their next purchase.

By following these tips, business leaders and entrepreneurs can leverage Thanksgiving to market and grow their businesses.

How can The Industry Leader help?

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Thanksgiving marketing tips for entrepreneurs

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