Business Promotional Calendars For 2018

Here is a riddle for you:

You see me every day, I sort of hang around. I never speak but always communicate. I track time but am timeless. What am I?

The answer to that riddle is probably the most basic promotional tool there is—printed calendars customized for your business. They sit on the customer’s desk every hour of the day, every day of the week and are looked at frequently. There are several types of calendars that you can use for your business; which is best is based solely on your business and what you are looking to give to your customers.

There are certain things you can do that will save money on your calendar, as well as generate more business from your custom business calendars. With the creation of digital full color printing, you can print full color calendars for your business in low quantities for a very affordable price.

Some businesses like to use generic calendars, but these have a limited effectiveness. Promotionally you only get a small space for your name and phone number. Other businesses like a calendar that is more customized. The generic calendars for business are cheap to buy and are not as effective as a calendar that is more customized.

The area in which most businesses will fail with business calendars is they put little thought in them and buy something that is cookie cutter generic. A generic calendar is okay and it at least gives you a mechanism to put your name and phone number on it. But taking the easy way out will cause you to miss a huge opportunity to improve relationships, build customer loyalty with your customers and drive future sales in your door.

What are the basic types of printed promotional calendars and how can your business use them to your benefit?

1.  Month-at-a-glance flip calendar. (Usually one month per page.)

• Businesses can mark special promotions in each month.
• Allows you room for tear off coupons at the bottom.
• Highly customizable.

2.  Year-at-a-glance calendar.

• Very useful for on-the-go customers.
• You can print on the back of calendar and include helpful tips or product information.
• Standard sizes 8.5 x 11 and 5.5 x 8.5.

3.  Large desk calendar.

• Good tool for promoting monthly promotions.
• Because it is large and is on the desk it has massive daily promotional value.

  Click Here For Pricing On Custom Calendars

Tips for getting the most out of your calendar:

1. Determine appropriate calendar cycle. Your promotional offering may not be aligned with your accounting tracking. In the US, promotional calendars generally run from January through December but you can also have a 13^th month as well.
2. Incorporate seasonality as it relates to promotional offerings. For most businesses, this means spring, summer, fall and winter. Determine what options make sense for your business. Do you have seasonal sales? Have fun with it, put your CEO’s birthday on the calendar and offer a “bosses birthday special”.
3. Add relevant annual events and holidays. Choose events that resonate with your customers. Use holidays to promote specific products. For example, create a Valentine’s Day promotion and offer 10% off all reorders this day to show your customer appreciation day.
4. Monitor the competition. Often by seeing what your competition is doing, you can counter their promotion with one of your own. This keeps you from getting caught flat-footed and losing sales each year.
5. Create schedule of promotions. One thing about printing a calendar for your business is that it will force you to think ahead and plan some promotions. Promotional planning is the most left out activity for small and medium businesses, yet if a small business wants to grow to the next level it has to be strategized and done. A promotional called will help your business do this.
6. Incorporate merchandise and related seasonal offerings. Create a buzz for a new product. Maximize your promotional effort by including product photographs on your calendar. This takes a little more time and effort but is well worth it.
7. Schedule related social media activity. A printed calendar is an excellent off-line promotional tool to promote online media. Social media is a valuable tool today; the biggest challenge is to get people to follow you. Include tips and ideas on your calendar and direct them to your website for more information or to follow you on your social media platforms.
8. Include QR codes on your calendar directing people to a landing page to download a coupon or simply to send them to your website.

Printed calendars can be a good traffic builder for your business. They are one of the most used and often most overlooked promotional tool available to you. Wilson Printing USA can help you decide which type of calendar is best for your business and create an effective calendar to drive sales year round.

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