The way we see it at Thin Pig, there’s a recipe for creating the perfect Thanksgiving Day post, and it comes down to six ingredients. The stakes can seem high. Online activity gets bigger every holiday season, especially on mobile.

The wise folks at wersm "expect online and mobile sales to go through the roof – and it seems the trend has just started to show itself in earnest.”

Still think no one is on their phones during the holidays? Think again. People will be on their devices, whether it’s browsing, connecting, or shopping. They expect to hear a holiday message from you, and they expect it to stand out.

What should that message include? Here’s how Thin Pig would cook it up:

1. Gratitude

Thanking your audience, even in the most basic terms, can go a long way, says Hootsuite: "Personalizing your thanks turns a business-to-consumer interaction into the person-to-person interaction we should all be striving for.”

And as Social Media Today notes, “Thanksgiving's the perfect time to thank them and reward them with a little something special.”

Showing gratitude to your audience is a surefire way to earn more authentic gratitude—and loyalty—from them.

2. Relationship

Your followers love you, otherwise they wouldn’t be following you. So remind them why. Focus on the point where your offering meets your audience. Converse did this quite effectively last year with their simple photo of a well-worn pair of Chucks.

[Converse Facebook post]

In 2013, HBO got clever. They replaced traditional Thanksgiving foods with the chosen indulgences of characters from fan favorite shows, like Carrie from Sex and the City and Bill from True Blood. Makes us wonder what a Game Of Thrones Thanksgiving table would look like...

[HBO Facebook post]

Urban Outfitters shared one of their follower's Instagram posts, which proves Hootsuite’s point that sharing content from fans is more than just good karma.

[Urban Outfitters Instagram]

Want more ways to focus on your relationship with your customers? Social Media Today suggests offering incentives, such as "an exclusive promotion or complimentary content which is usually paid,” as well as feedback, since "it’s an ideal time to reach out to your satisfied customers to ask for some.”

3. Emotion

Didn’t you see Like Water For Chocolate? Every good recipe needs some emotion! And every good brand post gives its audience something to feel, not just something to buy.

GoPro used this heartwarming Thanksgiving moment and they were repaid a few times over with engagement.

[GoPro Instagram]

4. Old Traditions

There are a million and one ways to work the long held aspects of the holiday into your brand image, like Starbucks does with this Instagram photo including turkey, banana bread, and the delights of meal planning (ugh).

[Starbucks Instagram]

5. New Traditions

If you want to keep up with the Joneses of social media for business, consider working Emoji into your Thanksgiving copy. The social nerds at busbud say that “92% of online consumers have used emojis this past year,” and that "76% of American workers use them at work.” But which ones? Well, busbud made that easy too:

6. The Secret Ingredient

You’ve got all the basics. To top it off, you need something unique, special, and unexpected. Getting people to like or comment on your Thanksgiving Day post is one thing. What will make them share it?

For their part, Butterball expanded their beloved Turkey Talk-Line, by adding 24/7 text service for the first time in its 35-year history. But our favorite has to be this GIF from Denny’s:

[Denny’s Twitter GIF]

There you have it. The recipe for the perfect Thanksgiving Day post. Every chef adds their own flavor, based on what they offer and why people love it. So what will be your signature dish this year?

Happy Thanksgiving, readers. We’re thankful every day for you.

The 6-Ingredient Recipe for the Perfect Thanksgiving Day Post