Calendars - Make each day count

Creating and distributing a calendar is a great way to stay in front of consumers.  Their shelf life is a year long and they are continually being referenced.  The downside to a calendar is fairly obvious…they are relatively expensive.  There is no need to dance around the 600 lb gorilla in the room. Compared to other types of print marketing a calendar can be costly.  But it isn’t fair to compare the cost of a postcard with that of a calendar when not only will the results be different, the goals of the two products are different.  Your choice of sending out a calendar should be determined by what you can accomplish with your investment in this tool.  Decide what you want to accomplish with your advertising and marketing dollars and determine if a calendar is a good decision for your business.

This article isn’t about how to make a beautiful calendar or how to design a calendar that will capture the imagination of your customers, that’s another article.  If you are looking to make a beautiful calendar, consult a great graphic artist who can work with you on creating an end product you will be proud to give out.  However, if you think that a calendar might be a good investment, here are a few things you can do to maximize your ROI:

Check, double check and check again.  Nothing takes away the value of a calendar more swiftly than having wrong dates.  You would think this is the first thing that is checked, but people just naturally assume that the dates are correct.  I saw a calendar that forgot about Leap Year, so everyday following February 28th was off by a day.  It was still a pretty calendar, but it got tossed – nobody wants an incorrect calendar.  So just like the directions on a bottle of shampoo (lather, rinse, repeat) you should check, double check and check again.   Here is a helpful hint: Have someone who has never seen your calendar go over it for mistakes before you send it to the printer.  You have seen the calendar too many times to be objective in your viewing.

Give each month a value.  If your business is the type where you can offer coupons for your products and services, offer them on your calendar.  Have at least two for each month that are only good for that month and perforate them so that they can be removed from the calendar without destroying the calendar.

Mark the date.  Along with all Federal Holidays, add any local holidays or festivals to your calendar if it is only being handed out locally.  More importantly, plan your business events such as sales and specials for the next year so that you can include them on the calendar.  Sure, your widget sale isn’t as important as the 4th of July, but it still has value and your customers (and potential customers) will have a heads up to what is happening at your business.

Don’t be cheap.  With your prices, cheap can be a great tool, but with your calendar don’t use cheap materials.  Use at least 100# gloss text paper for the inside and I would go with a 14pt paper stock for the cover.  Your calendar has to last for a whole year.  If it falls apart in September, 25% of the value of your calendar could be lost.

Your calendar can be a great tool, but take advantage of all it can offer to maximize your investment. Let us show you how you can get the big bang for your buck.

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