Many businesses celebrate Thanksgiving by giving back to the community, handing out cans of food or coupons for turkeys. While this kind of involvement is great, even small businesses without much budget for donations can get in the seasonal spirit by connecting with and showing gratitude to the people who support them. Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning:
- Invite customers to share
Many companies use social media to engage their customers, asking them to post photos of family dinners and decorations, or to share their favorite recipes.
Based on your brand, ask your consumers about how they use your products or services in their holiday preparation or celebration. The submissions (be they text, photos, or just a short Facebook reply) could enter respondents into a contest to win their favorite product. You get some valuable feedback from the responses and enjoy free “word of mouth” advertising for some of those products.
Though the approach is simple, the impact of “word of mouth” marketing might surprise you. A recent Forbes article cites Neilsen studies that found that 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising. The marketing industry has bought in: 64% of marketing executives believe word of mouth marketing is the most effective vehicle for messaging. Consumers see this as the most trustworthy form of advertising and stresses the importance of “connecting” over “collecting.”
- Send some snail mail
A great way to go from being a collector to a connector is to send Thanksgiving cards to your clients. Thank them for the opportunity to serve them and for their loyalty. This is a great way to prep for the “big holiday” in December and to let your customers know you’re thinking of them before they’re overwhelmed by a barrage of holiday cards. Sending Thanksgiving cards is also a nice way to keep your brand top-of-mind before rush of holiday campaigning.
- Pretty it up with pictures
One of the more fun things to do, is to add some holiday-themed graphics to your page’s Facebook cover photo or Twitter profile header. Connecting your brand to the latest holiday could bring some of the festivities’ revenue your way and helps to establish your brand’s personality. Just be sure to pay attention to the copyright on any fun images you find. Throw in a video of the staff doing a turkey trot for an extra helping of personality points!
- Feature Your Football Fandom
Speaking of throwing, don’t forget that to many Americans, Thanksgiving means football. The football games on Thanksgiving are some of the most watched events of the sport’s season. Get in on the action by live-tweeting updates on the game, or asking your audience to post pics rocking their team colors.
However you decide to engage your audience this season, remember this is the time to connect on a human level, not just advertise sales and deals. Invite people to be part of your brand’s family and you’ll find they want to be in your stores, too.
Having trouble connecting with existing and potential customers? Contact Compulse to learn how we can help you reach, engage and form lasting relationships with the audiences that matter most to your success.