When to Start Planning
First things first: This is a guideline, not a to-do list. The things we’ll cover here are purely for your brainstorming benefit and our aim is to help you think seasonally in terms of your unique brand opportunities.
Whether it’s January or June, now is a great time to think long-term so your customers are surprised and delighted by a highly-anticipated and well-executed marketing campaign.
Make a Plan
Begin by thinking about your product or brand in terms of one year. Maybe the need for your product rises and falls with the seasons, or maybe it’s evergreen all year long. Regardless, understanding your brand’s seasonality is extremely beneficial for your campaign’s cadence and when you schedule important messages to go out.
Customer Mindset
Now that you’ve thought about the natural calendar for your product or brand, you also need to consider your target audience and the times when they’ll be making important decisions or purchases. For example, if you’re marketing to college students, you’ll want to incorporate the school schedule into your campaign plans. And the same goes for the parents who have kids in school.
Start Here
Using the ideas you’ve come up with in the previous sections, you’re now ready to take a look at the dates we think every marketer should be aware of. Use this to plan campaigns long-term and make sure your current strategies remain relevant.
The following infographic is a reference guide that includes seasonal themes and annual holidays to jumpstart your brainstorming. Save it for future planning sessions, then scroll down to read a thorough breakdown and accompanying examples for each month of the year.
