Thanksgiving promotions should already be in the works and ready to, well, promote starting Monday. However, if you’re struggling, here are some last-minute ideas.

First and foremost, I’d like to go over how to handle Thanksgiving dinner giveaways to families in need. This sounds like a no brainer! You have people submit entries as to why they, or someone they know, should get this huge, free meal.   You’re probably expecting to get a tear-streaked mom telling you how much she appreciates what you’re doing for her family. The issue here is, it’s not about YOU. It’s about the families. We’ve all seen those “influencers” with their phones in the faces of the homeless telling them they’re going to take them shopping and get them cleaned up. Clearly, it’s not about the person they’re “helping,” it’s about clout for the one recording. The same thing goes here. My suggestion is, take the entries. ASK the winner if they want to be announced. If they don’t want their name given, don’t. Simply say you got a winner and give vague details.  When I was younger, we were not well off. My mom struggled to provide for us. We were gifted a free Thanksgiving dinner. I was mortified. I was a teenage girl, cheerleader, and the last thing I wanted my friends to know was that we were, in fact, poor. The gesture was incredibly kind. My mom was very thankful, but she, too, was embarrassed. A lot of times these parents are trying very hard and it’s rare they ask for help. Again, the gesture, thought and your heart are where they should be. Put yourself in their shoes, try to keep in mind who they feel during the holidays.

THAT being said…here are a few last minute ideas for Thanksgiving promotions!

*Take strange Thanksgiving dinner food ideas. What are some recipes that have been tradition in your family, that are not traditional to others? Make a virtual book out of all the recipes you get and post them on your website and socials.

*Ask for the event that started a fight or argument at a Thanksgiving dinner. What’s something you are not allowed to bring up at the table? Record callers and air them leading up to Thanksgiving. You can even have an answering service where they can leave their story so they’re able to call anytime. You wouldn’t believe how many callers have, clearly, been dabbling in the adult juice when they call.

*Host a “Safe from the Family” night the night before Thanksgiving. The entire family is in town this week and it’s no secret that is STRESSful. Make it fun! Wherever you are hosting is the “safe haven” from the crazy cousins and creepy uncles.

*This is more geared towards Christmas but we do know there are the crazies out there who already have their decorations up. Partner with a company who puts up Christmas lights on houses. They do the decorating for you! Give away a couple lighting packages!

As always, these are ideas you can easily embellish on. If you don’t have a promotion set, you can still get it done next week. Simple things can make huge impacts.