Franchise Foresight: Planning Your Marketing Calendar Like a Retail Pro

As a franchise owner it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations and let marketing fall by the wayside. But just like the savvy retailers who start stocking hot cross buns the day after Christmas, successful franchisees who understand the power of planning ahead definitely get ahead.

When you adopt a proactive approach and map out your marketing activities in advance, you can avoid last-minute scrambles that put pressure on your team as well as maximising your customer reach, and ultimately drive greater success for your business.

Retailers are masters of pre-planning and seasonal marketing and they understand the importance of capitalising on key events and holidays throughout the year.

Think about the promotional campaigns that dominate the retail landscape: back-to-school sales in January, Valentine’s Day displays in February, Mother’s Day promotions in May, EOFY sales in June, and the Christmas frenzy that kicks off in October (or even earlier!). These campaigns aren’t haphazard; they are carefully planned and executed months in advance.

Why Planning Matters for Franchisees

When you proactively plan your marketing calendar, you can:

• Give yourself and your team time to get creative and dream up interactive events or experiences for customers, ensuring your marketing efforts have the greatest impact.
• Be proactive rather than reactive, ensuring you’re always one step ahead of the competition and your team knows what’s happening well ahead of your promotional activities.
• Create consistent messaging. A well-planned marketing calendar ensures consistent customer communication throughout the year.
• Reduce stress and save time. Planning your marketing eliminates last-minute panic and allows you to allocate your time and resources effectively.

Creating Your Franchise Marketing Calendar

So, how can you create a marketing calendar that delivers results? Here are some key steps:

1. Identify key dates and events: Start by marking down important dates relevant to your franchise, location, offering and target audience. Consider national holidays, local events, school terms, and industry-specific events. Remember to factor in the seasons and Australian-specific dates that your customers will be most engaged with.
2. Brainstorm themed campaigns: Develop creative marketing campaigns around these key dates with your team. For example, a fitness franchise could launch a “New Year, New You” campaign in January, a beauty salon could offer Valentine’s Day pamper packages, and a tutoring service could promote “Back to School” specials. Food franchises can easily tap into Mothers Day, Australia Day and BBQ season with special offers and promotions. You can even tap into the more unusual days, like Chocolate Day, Left-handers Day, or wellness focused Are You Ok Day and also charitable days such as Yellow Ribbon Day. You can find these on goole and websites such as https://www.daysoftheyear.com.
   
3. Plan your content: Outline the types of content you’ll create to support your campaigns. This could include social media posts, blog articles, email newsletters, local partnerships, or in-store promotions. You can introduce seasonal based loyalty or ‘friend-get-friend’ campaigns such s bring a mate BBQ evenings or school holiday events.
4. Allocate resources: Determine the budget and resources you’ll need to execute your campaigns. This includes staff time, marketing materials, and advertising spend.
5. Schedule and implement: Use a calendar or scheduling tool to map out your marketing activities and assign deadlines. This ensures that everything stays on track and nothing falls through the cracks and can be as simple as a whiteboard or cardboard planner on the wall in the staff room.

Monthly Marketing Inspiration

To get you started, here are some potential themes and ideas for each month:

• January: New Year, New You; Back to School/Work; Summer Sales
• February: Valentine’s Day; Health & Wellbeing;
• March: End of Summer Sales; Local Community Events
• April: Easter Promotions; School Holiday Activities; Autumn Offers
• May: Mother’s Day; Small Business Month;
• June: EOFY Sales; Winter Warmers;
• July: School Holidays; Tax Time Promotions;
• August: New Product Launches; Wellness Focus;
• September: Father’s Day; Spring Sales;
• October: Halloween; Pre-Christmas Promotions;
• November: Black Friday Sales; Christmas Shopping;
• December: Christmas & New Year; Holiday Season Offers;

Of course, you should always check with head office to see what they have planned for the company marketing efforts, but there’s nothing stopping you offering your ideas to them, and maybe they can even help you roll out your plan!

By taking a leaf out of the retailer’s playbook and embracing proactive planning, you can elevate your marketing efforts and drive greater success to make customers more aware of you and your offerings. A well-planned marketing calendar is your roadmap to consistent customer engagement, increased brand awareness, and ultimately, a thriving franchise business.

You can download a Marketing Action Planner to help you Here: https:// yourbrandtruenorth.com/map

Lauren Clemett is a Keynote speaker, International award-winning Neurobranding specialist and best selling author with over 25 years brand management experience. Lauren shares how to overcome overwhelm and lead with direction, purpose and meaning, making marketing your professional services a walk in the park!
www.yourbrandtruenorth.com