Low tech. Old hat. You've heard it all. With smart phones expected to reach 50% market penetration this year, surely the paper calendar is a dying breed.
Not really. Even if appointment reminders are finding their way onto our electronic friends, there's plenty of functionality and value in printed calendars. Here are a few tips to getting the most from these popular promotions.
- You don't have to start with January (or even December). Catch your target off guard by sending your calendar some other time of the year. Tie it to a key event, and you have built-in reminders for the rest of the year.
- Add value. Coupons are a great way to make a calendar worth keeping around month after month.
- Tell a story. Charities and non-profits love this method of telling their message with a chapter a month, but it can work just as well for any kind of business.
- Make use of the multiple imprint spaces. From empty date blocks to the inside covers to the margins for each month, there is a lot of space on a calendar that can be decorated. Find a different message for each of them, or tie them all together to tell your story. (Burma Shave?)
- Use QR codes. These two-dimensional bar codes that are read by the camera on a smart phone can take your target wherever you want to take them. They're a perfect fit for those idle spaces on your calendar.
- Use as a yearly incentive. Instead of mailing the calendar, mail a notice or postcard to your targets, inviting them into your place of business to pick up the calendar. This works especially well for insurance agents in obtaining annual reviews, or auto dealers who might otherwise only see prospects every few years.
- Employ beautiful photography. Cell phones will never compete with the images you can present on a calendar. Just one more reason that people glance at a calendar several times every day.
