Super Bowl Marketing: How To Market Your Business by the Month
By Tammy M. Ratcliff
Marketing your business can be as easy
as looking at a 12-month calendar. There
is some kind of holiday or sporting event during each month of the year. Even if the
event has nothing to do with your field of expertise, you can still take advantage of it
by using a little creativity. Below are some ideas to get you started.
January
There are two major holidays in the month of January -- New Year's Day and Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day. A brand new year is always a good time to advertise new
products or to have a big sale on them. If you are in the debt consolidation industry,
this is a great time to promote your services since many people go further in to debt
over the holidays. Not all businesses recognize MLK, Jr. Day, but they should. This is
a wonderful opportunity to show that you are an equal-opportunity company that
recognizes the importance of honoring this civil rights leader. For sports enthusiasts,
the Superbowl is right around the corner. Find a way to make connections between
your business and this very popular event. Customers always like to do business
with people whom they feel share a common interest.
February
Of course, the biggest event in February is Valentine's Day. Flower shops and candy
makers are all over this holiday. There is no reason why a mortgage company couldn't
put a little love into their marketing. It should be pretty easy for any company to come
up with some clever advertising around this theme. This month also showcases
Groundhog's Day and President's Day. Offer different discounts for customers based
on what Punxsutawney Phil predicts or special prizes for anyone who can guess how
old the Presidents would be.
March
This month is chocked full of reasons to celebrate. Daylight Savings Time (for those of
us not living in Arizona), St. Patrick's Day, and the First Day of Spring are all good
excuses to market your product. Springtime brings to mind flowers and shamrocks, so
why not use this occasion to advertise the spring-like qualities your industry has to
offer? March is also a huge month for college basketball. Use March Madness to lure
basketball fans to your store or website with bracket contests or other basketball
related scenarios.
April
April Fool's Day is probably the one holiday you should not use in your advertising.
No one likes to be fooled when it come to their money. But if you decide to come up
with a marketing idea for this holiday, make sure the "surprise" is a good one. April
is also the month of Passover, Good Friday, and Easter. While these are technically
religious holidays, there should be no harm in advertising products related to them,
as long as they are handled respectfully.
May
May is another great party month. Even though Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican
celebration, Americans are embracing it more and more each year. This is one holiday
that people from any ethnic origin can associate with, so get creative and use it to
your advantage before your competition does. May also gives us Mother's Day and
Memorial Day. Flowers tend to have a monopoly on these holidays as well, but times
are changing rapidly. People today are looking for new ways to express their feelings.
Perhaps your company has a unique idea they could use. Let them know about it!
May is also the month for high school and college graduation ceremonies. This is
another huge advertising opportunity even if you don't personally know a graduate.
June
The month of June leads us right into the First Day of Summer, Flag Day, and Father's
Day. Besides honoring Dear 'Ole Dad, this is a great time of year to get patriotic. The
Fourth of July is right around the corner so start thinking Red, White, and Blue. The
last few years have put Americans through an emotional ringer. Let your customers
know you are proud to be an American by offering free US flags with every purchase
or by publishing online articles about the importance of supporting our troops. If
there is any way at all to tie your company to patriotism, this is the perfect time to do
so.
July
Since Independence Day comes at the beginning of July, advertising for this holiday
should really begin in June. However, there is no reason you cannot continue a
patriotic theme throughout July as well. Interestingly, there are a number of "bizarre"
holidays in July that could be great to use for marketing purposes. For example, July
6th is National Fried Chicken Day, July 14th is National Nude Day, and July 22nd is
National Ratcatcher's Day. How's that for a variety? Center a marketing idea around
one of these holidays and you will not only educate the public, but possibly create a
new tradition for your company.
August
Everyone knows that August is the month that the kids go back to school. Students
and their parents are notorious for spending lots of money at the beginning of the
school year, so use this opportunity offer discounts on everything from clothing to
book bags to inexpensive furniture and household goods. Almost any company can
create some kind of special deal for students or their parents this month.
September
Come up with some way to honor the workingman this month and you will be all set
for Labor Day. If that doesn't work, there is always Grandparents' Day or the First Day
of Autumn. Anytime there is a special day set-aside for a particular group of people,
companies should try to promote it through their advertising. The recognized group
will definitely appreciate your efforts, and may reward you with new business.
October
Baseball is said to be America's favorite pastime, so in October be prepared to do
some World Series based marketing. Sporting goods stores are obviously going to
promote their baseball products at this time, but other companies can get into the
spirit too. For instance, a company that sells insurance could advertise travel
insurance for fans that are going to the game. Halloween is also a great theme to
market around. This holiday appeals to kids and parents alike so there are multitudes
of ways to approach this scheme.
November
Once again it is Daylight Savings Time for almost all of the United States. Elections
are held during this month, Veterans are honored, and turkeys are carved. This month
is split between politics and thankfulness. This may be a prime time for showing
genuine customer appreciation in some way.
December
The last month of the calendar brings the most celebrations of the year -- Hanukkah,
Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years Eve. People are primed to spend money so
make sure they know who you are and what you do or sell. Online article marketing
is a very effective way to do this, but there are other options as well.
Final Thoughts...
If you use article marketing to promote your business, or if you use any kind of print
media, do keep lead-times in mind.
If you are looking to get an article into a print magazine, most of those magazines run
on a three- to six-month lead-time for content. What that means to you is that the
publisher must approve your Thanksgiving article no later than August, in order
to make the deadline for the November issue of the magazine.
If you are trying to use article marketing to promote your online business, lead-time
is also a consideration to keep in mind. While some online publications will use your
article within just a few days of having received it from you, most online
publications run on a 30- to 90-day lead-time for the articles that they publish.
No matter how you choose to market your business, do not hesitate to make use of
that calendar on your desk. It could be the best marketing tool you have ever used.
Meet the writer:
Tammy M. Ratcliff, The Phantom Writers . Stop throwing your money away on
Ineffective Article Marketing Campaigns! Learn the Secrets of writing reprint articles
that can generate thousands of dollars in new sales. The techniques shared
in The Phantom Writers $37 ebook could even help you to get more effective articles
from your ghost writers. Get your own copy of "Article Marketing For Traffic, Sales
and Profit" today.
By Tammy M. Ratcliff
Marketing your business can be as easy
as looking at a 12-month calendar. There
is some kind of holiday or sporting event during each month of the year. Even if the
event has nothing to do with your field of expertise, you can still take advantage of it
by using a little creativity. Below are some ideas to get you started.
January
There are two major holidays in the month of January -- New Year's Day and Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day. A brand new year is always a good time to advertise new
products or to have a big sale on them. If you are in the debt consolidation industry,
this is a great time to promote your services since many people go further in to debt
over the holidays. Not all businesses recognize MLK, Jr. Day, but they should. This is
a wonderful opportunity to show that you are an equal-opportunity company that
recognizes the importance of honoring this civil rights leader. For sports enthusiasts,
the Superbowl is right around the corner. Find a way to make connections between
your business and this very popular event. Customers always like to do business
with people whom they feel share a common interest.
February
Of course, the biggest event in February is Valentine's Day. Flower shops and candy
makers are all over this holiday. There is no reason why a mortgage company couldn't
put a little love into their marketing. It should be pretty easy for any company to come
up with some clever advertising around this theme. This month also showcases
Groundhog's Day and President's Day. Offer different discounts for customers based
on what Punxsutawney Phil predicts or special prizes for anyone who can guess how
old the Presidents would be.
March
This month is chocked full of reasons to celebrate. Daylight Savings Time (for those of
us not living in Arizona), St. Patrick's Day, and the First Day of Spring are all good
excuses to market your product. Springtime brings to mind flowers and shamrocks, so
why not use this occasion to advertise the spring-like qualities your industry has to
offer? March is also a huge month for college basketball. Use March Madness to lure
basketball fans to your store or website with bracket contests or other basketball
related scenarios.
April
April Fool's Day is probably the one holiday you should not use in your advertising.
No one likes to be fooled when it come to their money. But if you decide to come up
with a marketing idea for this holiday, make sure the "surprise" is a good one. April
is also the month of Passover, Good Friday, and Easter. While these are technically
religious holidays, there should be no harm in advertising products related to them,
as long as they are handled respectfully.
May
May is another great party month. Even though Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican
celebration, Americans are embracing it more and more each year. This is one holiday
that people from any ethnic origin can associate with, so get creative and use it to
your advantage before your competition does. May also gives us Mother's Day and
Memorial Day. Flowers tend to have a monopoly on these holidays as well, but times
are changing rapidly. People today are looking for new ways to express their feelings.
Perhaps your company has a unique idea they could use. Let them know about it!
May is also the month for high school and college graduation ceremonies. This is
another huge advertising opportunity even if you don't personally know a graduate.
June
The month of June leads us right into the First Day of Summer, Flag Day, and Father's
Day. Besides honoring Dear 'Ole Dad, this is a great time of year to get patriotic. The
Fourth of July is right around the corner so start thinking Red, White, and Blue. The
last few years have put Americans through an emotional ringer. Let your customers
know you are proud to be an American by offering free US flags with every purchase
or by publishing online articles about the importance of supporting our troops. If
there is any way at all to tie your company to patriotism, this is the perfect time to do
so.
July
Since Independence Day comes at the beginning of July, advertising for this holiday
should really begin in June. However, there is no reason you cannot continue a
patriotic theme throughout July as well. Interestingly, there are a number of "bizarre"
holidays in July that could be great to use for marketing purposes. For example, July
6th is National Fried Chicken Day, July 14th is National Nude Day, and July 22nd is
National Ratcatcher's Day. How's that for a variety? Center a marketing idea around
one of these holidays and you will not only educate the public, but possibly create a
new tradition for your company.
August
Everyone knows that August is the month that the kids go back to school. Students
and their parents are notorious for spending lots of money at the beginning of the
school year, so use this opportunity offer discounts on everything from clothing to
book bags to inexpensive furniture and household goods. Almost any company can
create some kind of special deal for students or their parents this month.
September
Come up with some way to honor the workingman this month and you will be all set
for Labor Day. If that doesn't work, there is always Grandparents' Day or the First Day
of Autumn. Anytime there is a special day set-aside for a particular group of people,
companies should try to promote it through their advertising. The recognized group
will definitely appreciate your efforts, and may reward you with new business.
October
Baseball is said to be America's favorite pastime, so in October be prepared to do
some World Series based marketing. Sporting goods stores are obviously going to
promote their baseball products at this time, but other companies can get into the
spirit too. For instance, a company that sells insurance could advertise travel
insurance for fans that are going to the game. Halloween is also a great theme to
market around. This holiday appeals to kids and parents alike so there are multitudes
of ways to approach this scheme.
November
Once again it is Daylight Savings Time for almost all of the United States. Elections
are held during this month, Veterans are honored, and turkeys are carved. This month
is split between politics and thankfulness. This may be a prime time for showing
genuine customer appreciation in some way.
December
The last month of the calendar brings the most celebrations of the year -- Hanukkah,
Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years Eve. People are primed to spend money so
make sure they know who you are and what you do or sell. Online article marketing
is a very effective way to do this, but there are other options as well.
Final Thoughts...
If you use article marketing to promote your business, or if you use any kind of print
media, do keep lead-times in mind.
If you are looking to get an article into a print magazine, most of those magazines run
on a three- to six-month lead-time for content. What that means to you is that the
publisher must approve your Thanksgiving article no later than August, in order
to make the deadline for the November issue of the magazine.
If you are trying to use article marketing to promote your online business, lead-time
is also a consideration to keep in mind. While some online publications will use your
article within just a few days of having received it from you, most online
publications run on a 30- to 90-day lead-time for the articles that they publish.
No matter how you choose to market your business, do not hesitate to make use of
that calendar on your desk. It could be the best marketing tool you have ever used.
Meet the writer:
Tammy M. Ratcliff, The Phantom Writers . Stop throwing your money away on
Ineffective Article Marketing Campaigns! Learn the Secrets of writing reprint articles
that can generate thousands of dollars in new sales. The techniques shared
in The Phantom Writers $37 ebook could even help you to get more effective articles
from your ghost writers. Get your own copy of "Article Marketing For Traffic, Sales
and Profit" today.
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