It’s never too late to pull off a thoughtful and meaningful last-minute promotional push for Thanksgiving. Choose one of these quick and easy marketing hacks to get in front of your most valued leads, clients and referral sources over the next week.
Pick up popular pop-bys
For those who have a houseful of guests, stop by with something to help feed the hungry hordes. Add a branded gift tag with a message of thanks and a personal word.
- Bring doughnuts or bagels from a local shop for Thanksgiving breakfast.
- Bring a basket of snacks from the local gourmet shop.
- Stop by with a bottle of wine from a local vineyard or a growler of craft beer from a local brewery.
- Grab a stack of pies from a local bakery or restaurant to contribute to the Thanksgiving meal.
Lend a hand at a local event
Many communities have their own unique ways of celebrating Thanksgiving. Join in, and volunteer to connect with people in your community. Wear a name tag, or sponsor a space to include your branding at the event.
- Reach out to the coordinator of a local Turkey Trot or Fun Run, and see what they still need. Sponsor the registration table or a water station, and volunteer your time.
- Contact a local charitable organization, and find out who needs a turkey or a meal. Help a family in need, and reach out online to your friends and followers to bring in other helpers as well.
- Contact a shelter that is serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless, and find out how you and your team can participate. Put together a group of volunteers through social media, and make it your new Thanksgiving tradition.
- Check out local post-Thanksgiving events like tree lighting or hanging of the greens, and look for ways to contribute. Be sure to share your participation through a blog post, video, and IG or Snapchat story.
Be part of Black Friday
You don’t have to fight the crowds to be part of Black Friday. Check out these ways to connect with your community during all of the craziness.
- Sponsor a coffee hour at a local coffee shop. Hop on Facebook Live or IGTV, and invite your fans and followers to stop in and let you buy them a cup of joe while they’re running from store to store.
- Have an open house at your office during the mid-morning of Friday so that exhausted shoppers can stop in for some cider, cookies and good cheer. Send out an email blast, and invite your social media following as well.
Stand out on Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday is a stellar opportunity for you to connect with local business owners and promote them while promoting yourself.
- Do a series of Facebook Live videos as you stop in at shops throughout your town’s retail district. Check with the owners beforehand to find out what time works for them.
- Create an IG or Snapchat story about a shopping trip at local businesses in your area. Highlight some of the newest and cutest items from these small retailers for your followers’ holiday gift lists.
- Join with a local retailer to set up a complementary coffee bar or wine tasting at their shop during SBS. Advertise jointly on social media and to your respective email lists.
Rah-rah for rivalry Saturday
It’s that time of year when college teams play their arch-rivals and everyone becomes a football fan for the day. Here’s how you can add some fun to your sphere’s rivalry day festivities.
- Stop by with a rivalry basket including cups, plates and napkins in the team colors, along with chips and sodas for the tailgate.
- Host a pre-game tailgate and game-viewing party at your home or office and invite everyone from both fandoms to join in. Share pictures and videos throughout the game across your social media platforms.
- If you’re lucky enough to attend the big game, be sure and share your photos and videos throughout the day on video and Instagram Stories. Engagement will be high, and you’ll definitely attract some new followers.
- If you have the hookup to nab a couple of last-minute tickets, this is a great giveaway to get attention on your social media platforms. Be sure to get game day pictures and feature the lucky winners prominently before, during and after game day.
Spread some holiday cheer
As soon as Thanksgiving is over, Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa holiday events will be in full swing. Be the first to get into the spirit, and share your holiday with friends and fans both old and new.
- Find out when your community is putting up decorations and get some great, shareable video footage of the bucket trucks and municipal workers decorating your town for the holidays.
- Sponsor a giveaway of tickets to the local tree lighting, choir concert, The Nutcracker ballet, or a performance of A Christmas Carol.
- Many movie theaters are rereleasing classic holiday films this season. Buy a block of seats, or rent out a whole theater for a memorable and fun promotional event.
- Put together a list of events and local celebrations for Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa, and then send them out to your email list, and share on social media. Brand them prominently with a holiday message and your contact info because these will be eminently shareable and savable.
What are you doing to market yourself this Thanksgiving week? Please share in the comments section below.
Christy Murdock Edgar is a Realtor, freelance writer, coach and consultant with Writing Real Estate. She is also a Florida Realtors faculty member. Follow Writing Real Estate on Facebook, Twitter, Instagr
