Nine Thanksgiving Marketing Ideas to Attract Customers and Boost Sales

Thanksgiving is not only a time to give thanks and celebrate your gratitude with family and friends but also the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season! And as an estimated 158.3 million people shop online during Thanksgiving weekend, small business owners and e-commerce entrepreneurs don’t want to miss out on what is arguably the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

If you’re among the many online retailers looking for ways to capitalize on the holiday shopping season, here are nine Thanksgiving marketing ideas to help you promote your e-commerce store:

1. Email Marketing. Whether a Thanksgiving-themed thank you email or a happy holiday wish for your customers, email marketing is a great way to engage customers and share your holiday deals or promotions with them. Be sure to mention and special offers you’re running for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and/or Cyber Monday and encourage customers to order early to receive their purchase in time for their holiday celebration.‌

2. Create a holiday-themed video. Creating a holiday-themed video or live stream is a great way to capture the attention of your audience and drive traffic to your online store. This is especially effective if your products relate to the holidays in any way as you can use them, and talk about them, in your video. For example, if you sell clothing, consider using new trends to offer customer fashion tips for an upcoming party. If you’re in a print-on-demand business, show how your goods can be used in decorating or gift giving.

3. Host a Thanksgiving-themed contest. Social media contests tend to go viral so, if possible, create a fun contest related to your business. Clearly specify the rules, establish a fun hashtag for visibility, and announce winners in a timely manner.

‌‌4. Encourage your customers to support your business in giving back. Thanksgiving is about giving, making it the perfect time to host or participate in a charitable event. While many Thanksgiving marketing ideas revolve around generating sales, this one is more about building your standing in the community and connecting with potential new customers. If possible, tie the charity or organization you’re supporting in with your business or your business practices.

‌5. Engage in paid ad campaigns on social media. During the holiday season, customers are inundated with ads! To compete for impressions, consider designing Thanksgiving-themed social media ads to promote your most attractive holiday sales offers. Facebook and Instagram offer auction pricing based on the number of ad impressions so be  sure to establish a budget based on your desired reach and design your campaign(s) to target your audience.

‌‌6. Optimize your listings. Local SEO can help customers find your products during internet searches. Make sure your listings, and images, are tagged with the appropriate keywords.

7. Create Thanksgiving-related content. Another way to boost your SEO for the holidays is to consistently post unique content. Whether recipe swaps, employee spotlights, Thanksgiving decorating ideas, or teasers about your upcoming promotions, posting on your website’s blog and social media accounts help keep your brand top of mind and excite your customers for the holiday season and sales.

‌‌8. Partner with another small business. Thanksgiving is often associated with friends and family, making it the perfect time for collaborations that allow you to partner with and promote another businesses. Consider creating co-branded content for your website and social media or use videos to introduce people to your partner business. When they reciprocate, you’re often able to reach a new audience and engage with them on a deeper level.

‌‌9. Thank your customers. Consider hosting an exclusive online shopping event for your best customers or extend a special offer to them to express your gratitude for their business.