6 Creative Thanksgiving Social Media Ideas to Drive Engagement and Celebrate the Season

Every year, as Thanksgiving approaches, I always look for new ways to connect with my audience and make my brand part of their holiday traditions.

Coming up with creative Thanksgiving social media posts that truly stand out isn’t just about jumping on trends—it’s about understanding what resonates, learning from the best campaigns out there, and using smart tools to get inspired. That’s why I love diving into how brands like Oreo, Campbell’s, and Jell-O approach their Thanksgiving social media campaigns—and how I can use platforms like Socialinsider to get those insights and make my own content more impactful.

#1. Spark fun Thanksgiving moments with creative challenges

When I want Thanksgiving social media ideas that truly engage, I love launching creative Thanksgiving social media posts in the form of fun challenges.

Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to invite followers to get playful and clever—especially if my brand’s product can be enjoyed in different ways during the holiday.

For example, I’ve seen how Oreo challenged people to share their wildest, most creative Thanksgiving dessert creations using Oreos.

If you ask me, I'd say this makes for a smart Thankingiving social media post, with fans gaining the inspiration for inventing everything from Oreo “turkeys” to unexpected pie mashups.

@oreo we’ll be enjoying these OREO cookie turkeys all day long @livelovespeech #thanksgiving #oreo #oreocookies #oreotok ♬ love song (hesitations) (sped up) - Lofuu & Shiloh Dynasty & dprk

Creative Thanksgiving social media posts like that allow for celebration of the community’s inventiveness, and provide tons of new Thanksgiving social media post examples for others to join in.

#2. Run a Thanksgiving Trivia

I never underestimate the power of a good trivia game when it comes to Thanksgiving post ideas! Launching a trivia challenge is one of my go-to Thanksgiving posts for social media, because it instantly turns passive followers into eager participants. Whether I’m quizzing followers about quirky food facts, Thanksgiving history, or even my own products, trivia makes my Thanksgiving social posts lively and fun.

I like to offer a little reward for the quickest or most accurate answers—maybe a special shoutout, a small discount, or a featured spot in my stories. Not only does this spark repeat engagement, it keeps the focus on community and shared celebration.

For just about any brand—food, retail, education, or even tech—this is one of those creative Thanksgiving social media posts that brings people together and makes my channel a go-to destination for Thanksgiving content.

#3. Bring people together with heartfelt stories

When I think about Thanksgiving social media ideas that last far beyond the season, sharing heartfelt stories always comes to mind. For me, the most memorable Thanksgiving social media campaigns are the ones that invite everyone to be a storyteller and remind us just how meaningful tradition can be.

One campaign that truly captures this spirit is the collaboration between Butterball and StoryCorps. They invited people to reach out to someone they wanted to share a Thanksgiving memory with—a friend, grandparent, or neighbor—and record a conversation about the holiday. Whether it’s an in-person chat around the table or a remote interview, the act of capturing these Thanksgiving traditions turns every memory into a treasure. Butterball made it easy by offering prompts to get the conversation started, ensuring everyone could find their own voice.

What I found especially powerful with this campaign is that every recorded story became part of the #NationalThanksgivingArchive, to be preserved in the Library of Congress. Knowing that a simple Thanksgiving social post could turn into American history makes the idea even more special.

If you're thinking about something big for this year's Thanksgiving social campaign, you could draw on this example by encouraging your followers to share—and even record—the Thanksgiving traditions, recipes, or reunions that bring them together. Not only will this offer you a lot of content for moving, original Thanksgiving posts for social media and stories worth sharing, but it will actually highlight of why this celebration matters: connection, memory, and gratitude.

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A post shared by Butterball (@butterballturkey)

#4. Inspire your fans with behind-the-scenes Thanksgiving preparations

When I look for effective Thanksgiving social media ideas for brands in the food space, I always recommend behind-the-scenes content to connect with your community on a more personal level.

A great example is spotlighting Thanksgiving preparations—from cooking favorite recipes to arranging a cozy Friendsgiving table—and weaving the brand’s snacks or ingredients directly into the story. This kind of creative Thanksgiving social media post serves as real-life inspiration, making it easy for followers to picture the brand as part of their own celebration.

@campbells

These mini versions of our classic side dishes are a host's best friends this Friendsgiving.

♬ original sound - Campbell’s Soup

Campbell’s offers a textbook example with their Friendsgiving TikTok. In this Thanksgiving social media post, they walk viewers through easy, appetizing recipes and show off a festive holiday tablescape, making sure Campbell’s products are front and center as must-have additions to the celebration.

What I notice in this Thanksgiving social media post is how seamlessly Campbell’s positions its snacks and soups not just as party food, but as tools for hosting, sharing, and connecting with friends. The post blends practical Thanksgiving content ideas—like recipe suggestions and serving tips—with genuine moments of preparation, helping viewers see how Campbell’s fits into the authentic rhythm of the holiday.

For me, this approach is a standout among Thanksgiving posts for social media because it does more than promote a product: it shows the brand as a true partner in the most memorable moments of the season.

#5. Promote a social cause

Every year, I try to make my Thanksgiving social media campaigns about more than just celebration—I want to use my brand's Thanksgiving posts to make a real difference. Promoting a cause that matters, like hosting a food drive, supporting local charities, or spotlighting an organization fighting hunger, lets me show what my brand stands for. These Thanksgiving social media post examples don’t just connect with my values—they inspire my community to act, share, and give back.

If my brand has strong local ties, I often feature employees or customers volunteering in the community, and invite others to join in. The sense of purpose turns Thanksgiving posts for social media into something much more than holiday filler—it becomes a rallying point for positive change.

#6. Create a dedicated product or launch a special offer

One of the most effective Thanksgiving social media ideas I recommend is creating a seasonal product or launching a timely special offer tied directly to classic holiday traditions. Brands that take this route give their followers a fresh reason to engage, share, and even start a new Thanksgiving ritual.

Jell-O does a fantastic job of this with its creative Thanksgiving social media posts. Instead of sticking with the same old options, they rolled out limited-edition Thanksgiving flavors for their gelatin, putting a playful twist on nostalgia.

The post that caught my eye featured a bold message: "Plain ol’ pecan pie? No thanks! Jiggly JELL-O version? Yes please! Grab your #NoThanksThanksgivingMolds today, link in bio!"

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A post shared by JELL-O (@jello)

By highlighting their unique Thanksgiving products with fun, cheeky copy and a clear call-to-action, Jell-O turned their special offer into a must-try holiday event—exactly the type of Thanksgiving social media campaign that sparks curiosity and shares.

What I notice about this campaign is how it blends Thanksgiving content ideas with humor, tradition, and a sense of novelty. Jell-O’s approach stands out among Thanksgiving posts for businesses because it transforms their seasonal flavors into a conversation starter—a creative Thanksgiving social media post that invites followers to join in on something both familiar and unexpected.

For any brand launching a special seasonal product or promotional bundle, this is the kind of Thanksgiving post I want to emulate: attention-grabbing, timely, and irresistibly shareable.

BONUS: How to get Thanksgiving content ideas from competitors and brands you admire?

Well, the answers to all your kinds of questions related to social media marketing can be found in the data. Here's what I mean by that.

Let’s say I’m looking for Thanksgiving social media ideas and want to understand how a top competitor like Jello approaches their seasonal content. We already looked at Jello’s creative campaign with Thanksgiving desserts, but as a competitor, it’s invaluable for me to get a broader view of exactly what type of content Jello is publishing, how often, and how well each post performs.

With Socialinsider, I can do this in just a few steps. First, I add Jello’s social profile to my dashboard.

Then, I switch over to the Posts tab, I use the manual search function to filter for posts mentioning “Thanksgiving,” or other specific queries tied to the holiday, and then I can instantly see all the content Jello has published containing that query.

This makes it easy for me to spot trends: which creative Thanksgiving social media posts got the most engagement, what formats Jello leaned into (like video vs. carousel), and how their audience responded.

Additionally, based on the historical data you've got in your subscription, you can extend this type of analysis over multiple years and understand what strategies your competitors have leveraged over multiple years and which ones were the most effective.

Final thoughts

For me, the most successful Thanksgiving social media posts are the ones that combine genuine inspiration with a clear sense of community.

By analyzing what leading brands are doing—whether it’s a fun challenge, a behind-the-scenes prep video, or a special product launch—and using tools like Socialinsider to track, search, and benchmark those posts, I give myself a real competitive edge.