Copyright
(c) 2007-2008 Tammy M. Ratcliff
the Phantom Writers
http://thePhantomWriters.com
Marketing
your business can be as easy as looking at a 12-month calendar. There is some
kind of holiday or sporting event during each month of the year. Even if the event
has nothing to do with your field of expertise, you can still take advantage of
it by using a little creativity. Below are some ideas to get you started.
January
There
are two major holidays in the month of January--New Year's Day and Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day. A brand new year is always a good time to advertise new products
or to have a big sale on them. If you are in the debt consolidation industry,
this is a great time to promote your services since many people go further in
to debt over the holidays. Not all businesses recognize MLK, Jr. Day, but they
should. This is a wonderful opportunity to show that you are an equal-opportunity
company that recognizes the importance of honoring this civil rights leader. For
sports enthusiasts, the Superbowl is right around the corner. Find a way to make
connections between your business and this very popular event. Customers always
like to do business with people whom they feel share a common interest.
February
Of
course, the biggest event in February is Valentine's Day. Flower shops and candy
makers are all over this holiday. There is no reason why a mortgage company couldn't
put a little love into their marketing. It should be pretty easy for any company
to come up with some clever advertising around this theme. This month also showcases
Groundhog's Day and President's Day. Offer different discounts for customers based
on what Punxsutawney Phil predicts or special prizes for anyone who can guess
how old the Presidents would be.
March
This
month is chocked full of reasons to celebrate. Daylight Savings Time (for those
of us not living in Arizona), St. Patrick's Day, and the First Day of Spring are
all good excuses to market your product. Springtime brings to mind flowers and
shamrocks, so why not use this occasion to advertise the spring-like qualities
your industry has to offer? March is also a huge month for college basketball.
Use March Madness to lure basketball fans to your store or website with bracket
contests or other basketball related scenarios.
April
April
Fool's Day is probably the one holiday you should not use in your advertising.
No one likes to be fooled when it come to their money. But if you decide to come
up with a marketing idea for this holiday, make sure the "surprise"
is a good one. April is also the month of Passover, Good Friday, and Easter. While
these are technically religious holidays, there should be no harm in advertising
products related to them, as long as they are handled respectfully.
May
May
is another great party month. Even though Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican celebration,
Americans are embracing it more and more each year. This is one holiday that people
of any race can associate with, so get creative and use it to your advantage before
your competition does. May also gives us Mother's Day and Memorial Day. Flowers
tend to have a monopoly on these holidays as well, but times are changing rapidly.
People today are looking for new ways to express their feelings. Perhaps your
company has a unique idea they could use. Let them know about it! May is also
the month for high school and college graduation ceremonies. This is another huge
advertising opportunity even if you don't personally know a graduate.
June
The
month of June leads us right into the First Day of Summer, Flag Day, and Father's
Day. Besides honoring Dear 'Ole Dad, this is a great time of year to get patriotic.
The Fourth of July is right around the corner so start thinking Red, White, and
Blue. The last few years have put Americans through an emotional ringer. Let your
customers know you are proud to be an American by offering free US flags with
every purchase or by publishing online articles about the importance of supporting
our troops. If there is any way at all to tie your company to patriotism, this
is the perfect time to do so.
July
Since
Independence Day comes at the beginning of July, advertising for this holiday
should really begin in June. However, there is no reason you cannot continue a
patriotic theme throughout July as well. Interestingly, there are a number of
"bizarre" holidays in July that could be great to use for marketing
purposes. For example, July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day, July 14th is National
Nude Day, and July 22nd is National Ratcatcher's Day. How's that for a variety?
Center a marketing idea around one of these holidays and you will not only educate
the public, but possibly create a new tradition for your company.
August
Everyone
knows that August is the month that the kids go back to school. Students and their
parents are notorious for spending lots of money at the beginning of the school
year, so use this opportunity offer discounts on everything from clothing to book
bags to inexpensive furniture and household goods. Almost any company can create
some kind of special deal for students or their parents this month.
September
Come
up with some way to honor the workingman this month and you will be all set for
Labor Day. If that doesn't work, there is always Grandparents' Day or the First
Day of Autumn. Anytime there is a special day set-aside for a particular group
of people, companies should try to promote it through their advertising. The recognized
group will definitely appreciate your efforts, and may reward you with new business.
October
Baseball
is said to be America's favorite pastime, so in October be prepared to do some
World Series based marketing. Sporting goods stores are obviously going to promote
their baseball products at this time, but other companies can get into the spirit
too. For instance, a company that sells insurance could advertise travel insurance
for fans that are going to the game. Halloween is also a great theme to market
around. This holiday appeals to kids and parents alike so there are multitudes
of ways to approach this scheme.
November
Once
again it is Daylight Savings Time for almost all of the United States. Elections
are held during this month, Veterans are honored, and turkeys are carved. This
month is split between politics and thankfulness. This may be a prime time for
showing genuine customer appreciation in some way.
December
The
last month of the calendar brings the most celebrations of the year--Hanukkah,
Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years Eve. People are primed to spend money so make
sure they know who you are and what you do or sell. Online article marketing is
a very effective way to do this, but there are other options as well.
Final
Thoughts...
If you use article marketing to promote your
business, or if you use any kind of print media, do keep lead-times in mind.
If
you are looking to get an article into a print magazine, most of those magazines
run on a three- to six-month lead-time for content. What that means to you is
that the publisher must approve your Thanksgiving article no later than August,
in order to make the deadline for the November issue of the magazine.
If
you are trying to use article marketing to promote your online business, lead-time
is also a consideration to keep in mind. While some online publications will use
your article within just a few days of having received it from you, most online
publications run on a 30- to 90-day lead-time for the articles that they publish.
No
matter how you choose to market your business, do not hesitate to make use of
that calendar on your desk. It could be the best marketing tool you have ever
used.
