Last updated on March 13th, 2023 at 01:43 pm
A custom promotional calendar is a great way to provide value to a customer while keeping your business front of mind. Despite claims that modern technology has rendered print dead, that is simply not true. Physical calendars, along with notepads, notebooks, handwritten notes and more, are still very prominent in the digital age. Here is why you should be using custom calendars in your marketing strategy if you are not already.
Print is not dead
With the continuing advancements in technology, you have likely heard that “print is dead.” While many communications happen in the digital world, that does not mean print is any less important or significant than it was pre smartphones and tablets. In fact, some people prefer it now more than ever. Smartphones are handy, but nothing beats an old fashioned pen and paper note. In fact, a recent study found that handwriting and drawing engages the brain far more than typing on a keyboard.
Just because all of your devices now contain digital calendars, does not mean there is not a need for physical ones. A study by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) found that 62% of consumers own a promotional calendar and they can generate 850 impressions over their lifetime. Impressions are a great way to measure brand awareness and recognition. The more impressions you can generate, the better!
Business referrals
A physical calendar that someone looks at, likely on a daily basis, will remind them to refer your business to anyone and everyone they talk to. Anytime an associate of theirs asks for a recommendation, you and your business will be top of mind given how often they are exposed to your brand with the calendar stationed on their desk or hanging on the wall. How could they not mention you when sitting there, staring at your calendar while chatting with someone about companies that offer what you offer?
Promote special offers or events
Your marketing tools should do more than just catch someone’s attention. It should also encourage and ultimately lead to them taking your desired action.
Custom calendars allow you to seamlessly offer monthly promotions with new deals your customers won’t want to miss out on. If offering a deal doesn’t make sense for your business, consider offering a monthly tip. Craft your whole calendar around tips to make it an even more useful tool than just simply keeping track of appointments. You can even take it a step further by promoting your own events. Most, if not all, calendars include holiday dates, so why not include important event dates? This will require you to plan out your events a year in advance, but that is not a bad thing either. If you don’t already, it will ensure you are prepared well in advance for all of the events you are hoping to host that year.
Incorporate key products
Of course if you sell goods, you’ll want to include product photos to showcase your best sellers. There is absolutely no reason not to do this, but you’ll want to make sure you do it in a tasteful way. Don’t create a calendar that is clearly just marketing all of your products hoping for a sale. Get creative with the photos you use. If you have the budget, hire a photographer to create some epic lifestyle photos with your products incorporated into them. No one is going to want to hang a calendar full of bland stock product images on their wall. If you don’t have the budget for all new photos, not a problem! You can still get creative with how you design each image and include your product photos in a fun and engaging way.
You do not need to be a professional photographer or graphic designer to create an aesthetically pleasing custom calendar for your marketing strategy. Check out our article How to Make Your Own Calendar for Print.
Pro tip: consult Printivitys expert in-house designers if you are not sure where to start with yours.
Long term exposure
A calendar is a very useful item, and the more useful a marketing item, the more likely someone will hang on to it and use it. So often promo items are thrown in a junk drawer and forgotten for months on end, or even just tossed altogether. More and more people are trying to declutter their lives, but they won’t want to toss something that will benefit them, such as a calendar with helpful tips or coupons. Not only will they hold onto this item, they’ll likely keep it front and center for ease of use, meaning your company’s name and message will be seen over and over again for the next year or so. Some people hang on to calendars ever longer to look back and reference past events.
If you are not incorporating custom calendars into your marketing strategy already, you should strongly consider starting yesterday. With a little strategy and a lot of fun designing, a simple calendar can take you a long way.
Get started with Printivity
If you are ready to get your custom calendar order started, or if you have any questions about the process, your design, etc. contact Prinvitity at 1-877-649-5463.
