The 30 Minute Marketing/Promo Calendar

Fact: Those that have a marketing/promo calendar make more money than those who don't.

Time to make one – approximately 30 minutes.

Supplies Needed

1. 1 Tick-Tock Clock Timer 6.97 (kitchen timer)
2. 1 Planner 5.96
3. 1 Mead Small Desktop Calendar 3.48 (has days left)
4. 1 Poster tape: 4.97 (*for holding of pages – temporarily)
5. 1 G2 – pens: 6.77 (only one needed but these pens are great!)
6. 1 Sharpie pocket highlighters 2.54 (need 3 colors)
7. *1 Post-it notes square 2.97 (extra for thought capture)
8. *1 Post-it notes index card style 5.22 (extra for "Flash of Insight" capture cards)

Step #1 Google Search "Season Start Dates"

This gives you 4 perfect promotion start dates
* Be aware of the Northern and southern hemisphere differences (depending on whom you serve).

Step #2 Google Search "Federal Holidays"

*Search Parameter is Based on serving US clients. Adjust accordingly.
Choose the dates your business recognizes and will celebrate.

Step #3 Open Planner and Highlight Dates

Yellow = Federal Holidays – recognized by your business
Orange = Seasons
Blue = Optional

Step #4 Transfer Dates & Initial Promo Ideas to the Events pages in planner

I suggest doing it this way for simplicity sake.
NOTE: "Genius is making the complicated simple"
1 Start with the 4 Season Start Days (the Orange)
2 Add in the federal Holidays that apply to your business (the Yellow)
3 Then add in additional "optional" promo days you are going to recognize (the Blue)
Note: My Blue Optional promo ideas at this point are: 1) Feb: Valentines Day 2) April: Refer a Friend 3) August: Repeat Refer a Friend 4) Halloween

Congratulations! – this should have taken less than 30 minutes from start to finish

You now have a marketing calendar and promotional outline for your business. Keep this process simple.

The rest of the planner is for you to expand upon your ideas as they come to you.

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What Follows is a Bonus Section for your "follow through" on your promo ideas.

Step # 1 Transfer your promo event page highlights to the mead calendar.

Step #2 Tear the pages out and put the double-sided tape on the back of each page and hang them on a wall.

Step #3 Suggestion – Secure then In Place with "painters tape."

*The Post-It notes are for you to be able to capture your ideas quickly and stick them on the wall of – or in – the event calendar planner and let them "marinate" in your thought process for a bit.

Next week: We'll cover how to craft a promotional campaign quickly – that can be automated – Build it once – let it work for you for years to come (Cost: Zero out of pocket expense for a base system) – stay tuned!