Some Ideas for Promoting Your Small Business This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year - how can you not love a holiday that’s focused on family, friends, cooking and eating?!

If you own a small business such as a bar, restaurant or convenience store and especially if you have slot machines, there is a lot you can do to take advantage of this holiday and the events surrounding it to increase your business.

Thanksgiving Eve (Wednesday, November 21, 2018)

Thanksgiving Eve is often referred to as one of the biggest party nights of the year. Some people are celebrating since they’ve traveled home to spend time with family and friends, and many people have off of work the following day.

If you own a bar, this is your time to shine!

Consider increasing your promotions during the month of November to increase awareness of your business and remind patrons they might want to visit. Consider promoting specials related to the holiday, such as Thanksgiving-themed shots or a special on pumpkin-flavored beers. Make sure to include your specials in your promotions leading up to the day, and promote yourself as a great place to spend Thanksgiving Eve!

If you’re a restaurant, consider taking advantage of Thanksgiving Eve in a similar way as a bar would. Additionally, you could consider serving a Thanksgiving-style meal during the month of November, perhaps promoting yourself as a great destination for those looking to celebrate the holiday with friends ahead of time.   

If you’re a convenience store, this might be a good time to advertise your ‘party essentials’, i.e. those items people might stop in to pick up on their way to a gathering at someone’s house (wine, beer, snacks, solo cups, ping pong balls, etc.).

Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 22, 2018)

If your small business is open on Thanksgiving, you’ll want to make sure you communicate it. With other businesses closing for the holiday, you’re operating in a smaller market and just the fact that you’re open can be a great differentiator – but it won’t matter if your patrons don’t know it! Make sure to include messaging with your hours on your social media, outdoor signage and any other regular advertising you do.

If you’re a bar, you can advertise similar specials to those for Thanksgiving Eve and promote yourself as a great post-Thanksgiving-dinner gathering place.

If you own a restaurant, this is your time to shine!

Offer a Thanksgiving dinner special to your patrons. Make sure you use promotions to communicate your specials ahead of time.

If you’re a convenience store, promote yourself in a similar style to how you would for Thanksgiving Eve: a great place to drop by on the way to a holiday gathering to pick up wine or other necessities.

If you have slot machines, consider promoting yourself as a great place for patrons to decompress after spending the day with family.

If you’re not open on Thanksgiving, don’t fret. That decision will probably go a long way to making your employees feel valued (and they’ll especially appreciate it if they’ve taken part in Thanksgiving Eve festivities!).

Black Friday

(Friday, November 23^rd, 2018 – but some people get in line right after their Thanksgiving dinner!)

If you’re not a retail store, it may seem that Black Friday isn’t for you. That’s not the case at all! After all, shoppers will be out and about, and they still need to eat and may want to socialize and play slots, it is Friday after all.

If you’re located near a shopping outlet, take extra care to promote yourself with outdoor signage notifying shoppers that you’re open and communicating what you have to offer. Especially if you’re a bar or restaurant, you want to make sure you’re visible for drive-by traffic.

If you’re a convenience store, this is your time to shine!

People need snacks and drinks when they’re waiting in line for hours on end. Advertise yourself as a convenient place to stop by for ‘waiting in line supplies’ – coffee and hand warmers, if you have them, will likely be much sought after items.

Market your slot machines, it might be a good idea to advertise yourself as a great place for family members of serious shoppers. Perhaps they’d rather spend the day attempting to win back what is being spent by their loved ones.

The holidays can provide many different opportunities to promote your business, all it takes is some thought and planning. No matter what your small business, the holidays provide many opportunities for simple social media posts to encourage patrons and potential patrons to engage with your business brand. Consider wishing your followers a happy ‘fill-in-the-blank’, reminding them to celebrate safely, and also reminding them you’ll be open.