Your marketing initiatives need structure and organization to be successful. A marketing calendar is the key to effective planning, and this guide will show you how to build one that meets your needs.
The first step is understanding what a marketing calendar is and what it should include. Then, you’ll need to gather all the information you need to create your calendar. After that, it’s time to put everything together! Finally, we’ll go over some tips for building your marketing calendar.
Let’s get started!
What Is A Marketing Calendar?
A marketing calendar is a schedule that details the times and dates for specific marketing activities. This can include social media posts and email campaigns to print ads and trade show appearances.
By creating a marketing calendar, businesses can ensure that their marketing efforts are well-coordinated and that they are making the most of opportunities throughout the year.
In addition, a marketing calendar can help businesses to track their progress and measure the results of their campaigns. As such, it is an essential tool for any business that is serious about its marketing efforts.
Why Should I Use a Marketing Calendar?
A marketing calendar is essential for any business that wants to promote its products or services.
- By planning and scheduling your marketing activities in advance, you can ensure that your campaigns are well-coordinated and aligned with your overall business goals.
- In addition, a marketing calendar can help you track progress and measure results, so you can adjust your strategy as needed.
- Perhaps most importantly, a marketing calendar can keep you organized and on track, saving you valuable time and energy.
How To Build a Marketing Calendar
A marketing calendar is a key tool for any business. It helps you plan and track all your marketing activities, so you can see what’s working and what’s not.
However, building a marketing calendar can be tricky – there are many factors to consider. So how do you do it? Here are tips to help you get started.
Choose your tools
Various marketing calendar software programs are available, so it’s important to choose one that will fit well with how you like to work.
Consider features like scheduling capabilities, team collaboration features, and reporting tools. Crosscap’s marketing calendar software has the features to help you successfully build a marketing calendar.
Determine How long You’re Planning For
First, determine how long you’re planning for. Are you looking to create a quarterly calendar or an annual one? This will help you decide how granular you need to be in your planning. It may make sense for some companies to plan their promotional activities a year in advance.
If your event is huge and you need to coordinate with many different vendors, you may need that much time to prepare everything. Doing so lets you see the big picture of the campaigns and promotions you could run throughout the year.
Ideally, plan quarterly, as this gives you a good amount of lead time but leaves room for unforeseen events. This is a good plan if you want to have time to carry out campaigns while also pausing four times a year to evaluate your schedule and make adjustments as needed.
You’ll have the most leeway in your marketing schedule if you plan it out one month at a time, which is also the shortest option. It also makes your company more nimble, allowing you to more quickly capitalize on trending topics by developing campaigns around them—the monthly time commitment for future planning increases, which can become cumbersome.
Determine Your Marketing Initiatives and Marketing Channels
Next, identify the key marketing initiatives you want to include in your calendar. These could include product launches, trade shows, and social media campaigns.
For each initiative, note the start and end date and any milestones that need to be achieved along the way.
Then, determine which channels you’ll use to promote each initiative. Will you rely on paid advertising, or will you focus on organic tactics like SEO and content marketing? Again, make sure that each channel is aligned with your business goals.
Finally, create a timeline for each initiative. This will help you stay on track and ensure that your campaigns are seamlessly executed. By following these steps, you can build a comprehensive marketing calendar that will keep your campaigns organized and on track.
Different Tiers Should Be Given To Different Campaigns
Assigning a tier to each campaign you plan to conduct might help you estimate how much time and resources will be required. Using a tiered system, such as the one shown below, is straightforward.
Tier 1
The first tier of campaigns your company will conduct will be the most ambitious ones. This could be annual sales, Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials, or introducing new products.
Your entire staff will be involved in these initiatives, and you will use all of your current channels to reach out to participants.
Tier 2
Tier 2 launches are less ambitious than Tier 1 launches; hence they don’t need as much resources and preparation time overall.
Tier 3
Tier 3 initiatives are those of a more manageable size and scope, requiring a reasonable degree of preparation and management. These may be limited to just one of your marketing platforms or span several; either way, you’ll only need a week or two to plan them out.
Tier 4
Tier 4 launches, which can be as simple as a few social media posts to mark a special occasion or as elaborate as a series of emails to tell a story, can be prepared quickly.
Conclusion
As you can see, a ton of great benefits come from using a marketing calendar. Not only will it help to keep your team organized and on task, but it will also allow you to track your progress and ensure that you are meeting your goals.
Now is the perfect time to start if you still need to use a marketing calendar in your business. Consider all of the benefits discussed in this article and try implementing a calendar into your marketing strategy today.
