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New Update: Boost Social Proof with Reviews & Automation
Stacey Corrin
Stacey Corrin
John Turner
John Turner
Thanksgiving marketing helps you drive sales and connect with your audience through emails, giveaways, bundles, and gratitude posts. Because Thanksgiving is about connection and generosity, it’s the perfect time to build stronger customer relationships.
At RafflePress, we run Thanksgiving campaigns every year and know how effective they can be. Even something small, like a thank-you email or a quick giveaway, can spark real engagement.
In this guide, I’ll share 12 Thanksgiving marketing ideas you can use to boost results this season.
Quick Thanksgiving marketing ideas:
A little preparation goes a long way. Tackle these quick wins before launching your holiday campaigns:
Decide what you want most this season. Focus on one or two goals, like sales, engagement, or growing your email list. If sales are your top priority, run a short discount campaign. If engagement matters more, host a contest or social challenge.
Plan ahead so you’re not scrambling during Thanksgiving week. Draft blog posts, design graphics, and schedule emails and social posts in advance. Repurposing one blog post into an email and a few social updates is an easy time-saver.
Not every subscriber or follower should see the same offer. Segment your audience so loyal customers feel valued and new visitors get a warm welcome. For instance, you could give VIP customers an exclusive discount and offer new subscribers a free holiday resource.
According to HubSpot, segmented emails drive 30% more opens and 50% more click-throughs compared to unsegmented ones — proof that personalization pays off.
You don’t need a huge budget or weeks of planning to make an impact. These 12 beginner-friendly ideas will help you boost sales, spark engagement, and connect with your audience this Thanksgiving.
A holiday giveaway is one of the easiest ways to build buzz and grow your audience. For example, you could run a contest on your website or social media with the prompt: “Share your favorite Thanksgiving memory for a chance to win a $25 gift card.”
This type of entry is simple, heartfelt, and encourages people to interact with your brand.
With RafflePress, you can create a giveaway in minutes using its drag-and-drop builder.
Add entry options like following you on social media, joining your email list, or referring friends. These viral actions help spread your campaign further while boosting subscribers and sales.
I’ve seen this work in practice. In one case study, Smash Balloon grew their email list by more than 3,500 subscribers with a simple giveaway campaign. That’s the kind of momentum you can create during the Thanksgiving season.
If you’re not sure what prize to offer, keep it relevant to your audience. A store discount, a holiday bundle, or even a small Amazon gift card can all work. For more inspiration, see our roundup of Thanksgiving giveaway ideas.
Bundles are a great way to increase average order value while giving customers more for their money. Package related products or services together, then offer them at a small discount for a limited time.
For example, if you sell digital downloads, you could create a “Friendsgiving Bundle” of templates, checklists, and guides at 30% off. If you run a service-based business, bundle two popular services and offer a bonus consultation as part of the deal.
In fact, Marin Skincare generated $122,000 in just 7 days from four fixed product bundles, showing how effective this tactic can be.
Keep the promotion short. Forty-eight to seventy-two hours is long enough to create buzz but short enough to drive urgency. Use WooCommerce coupons or discount plugins to manage pricing automatically, then promote the offer in your emails and on social media.
Instead of sending just one email, build anticipation with a short, themed sequence — five to seven messages leading up to Thanksgiving. Mix gratitude stories, sneak peeks at deals, helpful tips, or freebies, and end with a final offer.
For example:
Sending multiple touchpoints works. Automated email campaigns drive 34.8% better conversion rates than one-off blasts, so even a simple countdown series can make a noticeable difference in holiday sales.
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to put your customers in the spotlight. Share their stories, testimonials, or results in a blog post, email, or social media update to show how much you value them.
For example, this Thanksgiving email from Adùn opens with a warm thank-you message, then spotlights customers by featuring their shared photos and experiences.
The focus stays on community and gratitude rather than pushing products, which makes the message feel more genuine.
This kind of content strengthens relationships and makes customers feel part of your brand’s story, encouraging others to join in and engage.
Blogging around Thanksgiving is a smart way to attract seasonal traffic while connecting with readers on a personal level. Write posts that tie into gratitude, thankfulness, or holiday traditions your audience relates to.
For example, this roundup of soul food recipes for Thanksgiving shows how lifestyle bloggers attract readers with timely, seasonal content.
You could take the same approach by publishing a post like “Ways to Thank Your Customers This Thanksgiving” or “How Gratitude Can Improve Your Business Relationships.”
Well-timed seasonal posts like these can bring in search traffic now and continue to deliver value year after year.
Instead of running one big Thanksgiving promotion, spread your offers out across several days. Each day you reveal a new discount, bonus, or freebie, keeping your audience curious and coming back.
For example, Day 1 could be 20% off a popular product, Day 2 might include a free gift with purchase, and Day 3 could unlock early access to your Black Friday sale. Countdown timers on your site or daily emails can build anticipation and drive urgency.
This approach has worked well for big brands. Wendy’s ran a “12 Days of Free Food” campaign, giving customers a new buy-one-get-one deal each day and keeping them checking back daily.
You can adapt the same concept for Thanksgiving with themed offers like free shipping, bonus gifts, or daily discounts on holiday bundles. The consistent novelty is what keeps people engaged.
Social challenges are a fun way to spark engagement and get your audience involved. Ask followers to share something they’re thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving using a branded hashtag.
For example, this challenge from Corner Canyon Health Centers invited people to post daily notes of gratitude throughout Thanksgiving week.
Similarly, Carlyanne Creates hosted a turkey-themed drawing challenge, asking participants to share their artwork, tag the host, and join her free online community. These examples show how simple prompts can spark creativity and community engagement.
You can adapt this idea with your own daily prompts, a branded hashtag, and by resharing entries on your feed. Challenges like these keep your brand visible while encouraging authentic interaction.
Free resources are a simple way to grow your email list while giving value to your audience. Create something seasonal that people can download in exchange for their email address.
For example, Simply Special Ed offers free Thanksgiving task boxes as a printable resource. You could do something similar by creating a gratitude journal, a Thanksgiving recipe ebook, or a holiday checklist tailored to your audience.
Add the freebie to a landing page with an opt-in form, then promote it across blog posts, emails, and social media. Seasonal freebies like these build goodwill and keep your brand top of mind when subscribers are ready to buy.
Thanksgiving is all about generosity, which makes it the perfect time to connect your brand with a cause. Pledge to donate a percentage of sales to charity, host a food or clothing drive, or give customers the option to round up their purchase for a good cause.
For example, you could run a promotion like, “For every purchase this week, we’ll donate $1 to [Charity Name].” Share updates on social media to show progress and encourage participation.
We do this ourselves. Every year from Black Friday through Green Monday, a portion of RafflePress sales goes directly to The Conservation Fund. Campaigns like this not only give back but also strengthen customer trust and loyalty.
Here are my favorite charity giveaway ideas to get you started.
Word-of-mouth is especially powerful during the holidays. With RafflePress, you can build referral contests that reward people for sharing your promotion with friends. This gives you more reach while keeping it fun and engaging.
For example, you could run a promotion like, “Refer a friend and you’ll both get 20% off your next order.” The viral sharing options in RafflePress make it easy to track referrals automatically and reward participants without extra work on your end.
Here are some refer a friend promotion ideas to inspire yours.
Many shoppers browse during the holidays but never complete their purchase. Retargeting ads and abandoned cart emails help bring them back.
For example, you could send an email with the subject line: “Your Thanksgiving deal is waiting” and include a direct link to their cart. Adding a limited-time discount or free shipping can give them the nudge they need to finish checking out.
Abandoned cart emails average a 39.07% open rate and a 23.33% click-through rate, proving how effective they can be for recovering lost sales.
On social media, retargeting ads can remind visitors of items they viewed on your site, keeping your brand top of mind. Even one well-timed reminder can capture sales you might otherwise lose.
For help, see this guide on how to add a Facebook pixel to WordPress for remarketing.
Don’t let the connection end once Thanksgiving is over. A follow-up email or social post is a great way to thank your customers and set the stage for what’s next.
For example, you might send a simple message like: “Thanks for shopping with us this Thanksgiving — here’s 20% off your December order.” It shows appreciation while giving customers a reason to come back.
Closing the season with gratitude helps your audience feel valued and more likely to stay connected with your brand long after the holiday rush.
Thanksgiving is a chance to show real appreciation while growing your business. A simple gratitude giveaway, a limited-time Friendsgiving bundle, or even a heartfelt “thank you” email can spark stronger connections than a generic sale ever could.
Want a head start? Use RafflePress to launch your Thanksgiving giveaway today and turn gratitude into growth.
You may also find the following guides helpful:
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