Oh, the weather outside is frightful, or so the holiday song says. But what’s even more frightful is the amount of holiday messages your customers get each year. After a while, they tend to lose their impact. That’s why it’s important for business owners to time their holiday message carefully. Think about sending messages at Thanksgiving instead and avoid holiday clutter.

Small businesses that reach out to customers at Thanksgiving enjoy some distinct advantages:

• Says what you mean – You appreciate your customers doing business with you.  So Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to deliver that message. It will be perceived as genuine and in the spirit of the occasion
• First-mover advantage – Sending your message before the holiday rush means it will be one of the first they see in the holiday season. That means it will enjoy higher visibility. Before they get wrapped up in the rush of the season, they’ll see your message
• It’s unexpected – You might receive a Thanksgiving message from friends and relatives but not a business. That unexpected greeting is likely to get noticed. It’s one way to differentiate your business from others
• Respects the diversity of the season – The holiday season is celebrated in many different ways. So it can be difficult to craft a message that respects the various traditions. By contrast, Thanksgiving is more uniformly celebrated and its message is more universal. That makes it easier to share your message without potentially offending a customer

If your marketing plans include a holiday message to customers, consider sending it at Thanksgiving instead. This unexpected greeting might help you break through the holiday clutter and get more attention from valued customers.