Today we are going to be diving into my favourite topic and a must have for your business! The marketing calendar!
Having a marketing calendar in my business and for my clients has been huge because it allows you to plan.
Plan out what your quarterly goals are, your yearly goals, include your launches so that when they do come around you are prepared for them, you have created a content strategy leading up to them, warmed up your audience to the thought of being supported by you so that they are more successful, more informative and more profitable.
It also allows helps you not to feel the overwhelm in how you are showing up.
I am the person that if I don’t have a strategy planned out and I wake up knowing I need to post my mind will go blank. So creating a strategy in advance really supports me in ensuring I am showing up consistently.
I would likely also go off topic, not focus on the aspects that build my business and then what is the point of showing up if you aren’t creating content that supports your business. The results won’t be there, you will start to feel like you are spending all this time and getting no results and then quit.
And if you quit then you don’t use social media, your audience doesn’t build that like know and trust and you can never gain the sales you are hoping for online.
There are different types of marketing calendars to choose from.
The paper book kind which I have always been partial to because I love a good note pad with colours, stickers, scribble. It gets me excited to write out my plans which is probably why I love scribbling my ideas out.
I have bought the paper version for years and have always loved the idea of it BUT there are a few downfalls that I want to list out here so you are aware.
My perfectionist personality doesn’t want to mess up the beautiful paper
What if i change the dates and then everything has to shift
you have to physically have it with you which i find hard when travelling to have this extra calendar booklet with me every time I am not working from home.
I don’t use it… those books aren’t cheap so if I am not using it then what is the point?
If you use then AMAZING!! I’m not saying I don’t love them because I have bought them year after year BUT they do have some limitations.
Then there is the Digital Version.
I was pretty unimpressed with this for years also. It doesn’t have the same appeal as writing it all down scribble style and there is no stickers!
But wow does it have some benefits.
There are plenty of versions but what i find works best for me is to use Trello.
It’s free so that is a big perk.
I can create a calendar version in Trello so I can map out my week, month and even quarter with launch goals.
It’s drag and drop so if things adjust then I can easily drag the dates over.
I can add my 3 posts for the day in Trello
It’s digital so I can take it everywhere! I just need my phone or my computer to access it.
I can write out EVERYTHING Caption included in Trello so it can really plan in advance if I like.
It keeps you really organized if you use it correctly.
No matter what version you use, it can even be one of those larger desk calendars!
Start by adding your BIG dates to the calendar.
That means adding the launch dates for your course, mentorship, whatever it is your are launching. Those BIG launches that create a lot of lead up.
If it’s a product then add in the dates that your product hits the warehouse, the time it takes to photograph the product and then the date you want to launch.
So then 1 you have the images mapped out to be part of your launch and then you can add in what your customer sees. When do they get the sneak peeks, when do they get to see the product try on, when does the email campaign begin, is there a countdown, will you add in Q&A.
Having a marketing calendar helps you take those big dates and then work backwards. It helps your audience get warmed up to the product or service. It gets them thinking about how that product or service will help their lives or make them feel. So that when you do offer that product or service they are ready!
It allows you to create a marketing campaign that converts when you map it out.
Then when you aren’t in campaign launch mode you can create content that keeps inviting your audience into your community. Welcoming them so when you go back into campaign mode they already have fallen in love with your brand, business and offerings.
The beauty of a marketing calendar is it supports you in staying on top of your content so you are always building that LIKE KNOW AND TRUST aspect with everythign you do. So when you are ready to put a product or service out there your audience is ready.
It helps you to be consistent
it takes away the stress and overwhelm of having to show up
AND it helps you create your content in bulk so that you aren’t feeling stressed every single day to show up.
It also takes away the stress of inviting your audience to work with you. When you show up intentially your audince is already warm to who you are, what you do and how they could potentially work with you.
The invite doesn’t feel so heavy and stressful beause even when you are in maintence mode (aka not launching something) you are always inviting them to be part of the community, grab that freebie you are offering, reply to a comment in your post or engage in your stories. That invite is already there even without you knowing it.
My challenge to you after learnign about yoru marketing calendar is which will you use? A digital or a paper. No matter what let’s pick one today and order it or sign up. Then start putting in those BIG DATES and work your way backwards filling in the launch campaign and then the maintence days. Always keeping your audience, their transformation and why they need this productin mind.
Next weeks podcast we are going to be talking all about REELS and why they are so important to your growth on social media, plus all the ins and outs of creating reels that will grow your business!
So make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and we will see you there! Until then remember that it is your time to sparkle, shine and have social success!