There is an timeless saying that goes like this: “Failing to plan means you are planning to fail.” That saying is twice as true when it comes to running a business. See, most business owners will not be able to weather this economic storm simply because they don't have the foggiest clue about what promotions or ads they are going to running in the next week, much less in the next month or year! However, this must change if you are going to survive and thrive in this new economy.
Now, coming up with a twelve month marketing plan may seem like a daunting task, but most of the work is already completed for you. How, you ask? Well, patients are already expecting you to have a special sale or promotion at least once a month, on the major holidays. Therefore, you don't have to recreate the wheel; you can just ride the wave of marketing and advertising messages that are already around that time frame.
While the dates are already set on the calendar, it is still important that you have compelling words and language in your advertisements that reward your patients on that specific holiday. Do NOT run a general advertisement that simply says you have a special offer. Your ads need to match the holiday theme as closely as possible.
The other benefit you receive from creating a yearly marketing calendar is you will gain a feeling of confidence and reassurance because you are not just sitting on your hands, day-in and day-out, waiting for patients to just walk in.
Let's look at a sample twelve month marketing calendar that you could create around monthly U.S. holidays:
January – New Year's
February – Valentine's Day
March – President's Day
April – April Fool's/Easter
May – Mother's Day
June – Father's Day
July – Fourth of July
August – (There are no major U.S. Holidays, so do a Patient Appreciation)
September – Labor Day
October – Halloween
November – Thanksgiving
December – Christmas
