A calendar is an excellent tools for spreading brand awareness. It’s cheap, practical, and more often than not it’ll get used. 

So following on from last week’s post (where we shared some of our favourite calendar designs), we thought we’d offer some tips on how to get the most out of calendars as promotional tools. 

Aesthetics

Before anything else, we need to know how to make calendars look and feel good. 

A good starting point is to simply look at existing calendars that are well designed. Whether browsing through shops or looking online, getting a good idea of what’s already out there and what works can be really helpful. 

Aside from this, it also needs to encapsulate your existing brand. Ideally, your calendar’s aesthetic should be recognisable to anyone familiar with your brand. Maybe it features the same fonts or the same colour scheme. 

Whatever the case, aim to align your calendar with your brand. 

 Content

The next thing to consider is what’s inside your calendar. This can be tricky, as it often entails incorporating subtle advertisements whilst trying to avoid being overbearing.   

If you sell physical products, for example, you might try to feature them creatively throughout the calendar. To do this effectively, perhaps you might align each of your products with a month of the year, creatively explaining how and why the two go together. 

Equally, if you offer a service, maybe you could give monthly hints and tips related to that service.

The secret to good calendar content is twofold: first and foremost it needs to be an attractive and functional calendarin its own right. Secondly it needs to incorporate elements of your brand in a creative, appealing, yet subtle way. 

By doing this properly not only are you giving away a nice calendar, but you’re also securing a twelve-month advertising campaign. So it’s a win-win for everyone! 

Extras

Sometimes people like to do more with calendars than simply tick-off the days. And with a bit of creativity, there are lots of things you can do with a bit of well thought-out design.

One simple and easy-to-implement idea is to leave a bit of white space on each page for notes. Everybody needs to take notes from time-to-time, and by providing a space for ideas and jottings you’re offering more utility and therefore more value. 

If your budget allows, you can even add in physical extras such as marker pens or sticky labels.  

Creation

Next is how to physically put a calendar together. 

The first tip: always try to go with a bespoke printing option. Many printers will offer an all-inclusive package. But often their designs will feature stock imagery with your logo imposed over the top, which probably won’t be relevant to your brand. So when in doubt, go bespoke. 

It’s important to note that going with a printer for the full service isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just that it’s potentially not the best option for getting the most out of a branded calendar. Don’t forget, the point of this kind of marketing is to really show off your company. You’re showcasing the quality of your brand. 

It’s also important to make sure that, on a physical level, your calendar is nice and sturdy. You want to show that you’ve put time and effort into it, and you want people to use it. So it’s always a safe bet to have it printed on strong, quality materials.  

With all that said, the best approach is to always enlist the help of a professional designer. This is an essential element of putting together a great calendar. A designer has the eye, the experience, and the understanding necessary to create something that succeeds both functionally and aesthetically.      

Promotional tools to boost your brand 

For more on promotional design, read through our guide on how to create the perfect business card. Or, for some creative inspiration, take a look at these fantastic direct mail campaigns.