Making the most of customized calendars should be top on your list when ordering business calendars. Many companies have customized business calendars, but fewer use them to their greatest potential. Promotional calendars cost the business money to print. Therefore, it is essential to get the best return on your investment.

Making the most of customized calendars means drawing attention and bringing customers to your business. There are several ways that companies can use promo calendars to attract more customers. Making your calendar stand out from other business calendars is essential. When considering how you can make the most of custom business calendars, keep in mind the following:

1. Business calendars are most beneficial when people frequently view them.

2. It is important to reach the most people possible with your promotional calendars.

3. Customers should have a need or desire for your customized business calendars.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Give customers options for viewing your business calendars

Do not stick to one kind of business calendar. Give your customers the option of personalized desk calendars, personalized pocket calendars, and personalized wall calendars. In this way, customers can choose the type of calendar that they will use the most. The more the calendar is used, the more people view it, and the more advertisement you receive from it.

I recommend: US Imprints offers 13-month desk calendars. Order post-up sticky back calendars from Spectrum Advertising. Both companies also have other sizes and selections.

Make your custom business calendars useful to customers

Add something to your calendar that makes customers ask for it. One way to make customers desire your promo calendars is to add coupons and special discounts to it. Include a section in your business calendar where customers can clip out coupons for savings, rather than having to tear coupons out of each month's page.

I recommend: Far From Boring offers coupon calendars. Superior Promos also sells coupon calendars. Both companies offer a selection in size and style.

Create business calendars customers will want to share

If your customized calendars are attractive and useful, customers will want to share them with others. This in return creates more advertisement for the business and potential new customers. Promotional pocket calendars often are the best idea for gift-giving because they are portable and useful. Create an attractive cover and add something unique inside that people will feel good about giving. Quotes, recipes, and everyday tips are good add-ins.

I recommend: Dgiline sells promotional recipe calendars. Calendar World offers imprinted calendars with famous quotes from presidents.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When making the most of customized calendars, think of things that you would want from a calendar. An auto shop owner might include pictures of racing cars and coupons for oil changes, for example. Design a calendar that you would like to receive and your customers will like it, too.

Giving away calendars to customers (or prospective ones) is a great way to keep your company's name in the spotlight 365 days a year. But since it's such cost-effective advertising, many companies do it; you need a calendar that stands out in either form or function, so yours won't be thrown straight into the round file.

A calendar that is used by customers will:

1. Also advertise to your customer's customers if it's prominently displayed
2. Remind customers of important business-related dates or promotions
3. Provide a means to deliver coupons or other advertising
4. Create a tradition if the calendar is unique. Every year you want customers to eagerly await YOUR calendar.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pick your format

Calendars come in many styles: wall hangers, weekly planners, desk cubes, keyboard stickers, refrigerator magnets. Pick a style you think your customers will want to keep in view.

I recommend: Branders sells customized giveaways for business and its online store is a good place to scan the variety of calendars.

Do it yourself

Use desktop software to create a professional look yourself.

I recommend: See a comparison of the major calendar-creation software packages at TopTenReviews.Take a quick course in calendar design from Graphics.com .

Order from a promotions company

If you want to go with a basic design and stock photography, ordering from a promotions company may be the easiest and cost-effective route.

I recommend: Companies such as 4imprint and ValueCalendars.com provide calendar templates and photographs for you to choose from.

Get 'em printed

You can get end-to-end service from printers, starting with design help.

I recommend: digilabs offers free design software and discounts for ordering in bulk. My1Stop lets you design using their templates or their design team will create to your specs.Both companies take orders online and ship in a few days.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider hiring a local photographer. The photographer may also do design or will know somebody who does to make the graphics look great as well.
• •  Instead of stock photos or pictures of your town in different seasons, putting your employees in the calendar is a great way to generate publicity and get the whole company involved. Keep it fun but tasteful.
• •  Free gifting. Encourage customers to give the calendar away to their customers.
• •  Check out the competition. See what they're doing and make your calendar stand out.
• •  Keep it functional. Make sure there's enough space to write notes and mark important dates.

Using customized calendars is one of the many ways that businesses advertise. At the beginning of each year, many companies print calendars featuring their business name and logo. They give out the calendars as gifts to their customers.

There are several options for how you choose to use your logo calendars. Some companies simply use them as tokens of appreciation. Other businesses use calendars for advertising, promoting special services or products. In some cases, the customized business calendars simply draw attention to your company.

1. What is the purpose of your business calendar?

2. What part does your business calendar play in advertising?

3. What style of business calendars are you ordering?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use your promotional calendars to feature your staff

Some businesses do not offer a product. If you own a service company, you will want to use your calendar to promote the expertise of your employees. Place the name and picture of your employees on the calendar, a different employee for each month. Adding a brief description of each employee's experience or expertise under the picture is a plus, along with contact information.

I recommend: Use Keep and Share software to create your own business calendar. Add your employee digital photos as desired. Custom Built Calendars offers personalized wall calendars, personalized desk calendars, and personalized pocket calendars.

Promote your product in your custom business calendars

Use your business calendar to encourage viewers to buy your product. On the calendar, display a creative picture of your product or your product in use. It's always a plus if the picture is eye-catching, such as using babies and animals in pictures to gain attention. For example, if you sell clothing, dress a dog up in your attire and add a cute slogan. If you sell tractors, use a picture of a toddler in overalls driving your tractor.

I recommend: Use Vista Print to design a unique calendar for your business. Value Calendars offers custom options for promotional calendar printing.

Use your promo calendars for continuous advertisement

People remember what they see or hear often; use promotional calendars that customers will view frequently. People view pocket calendars and small desk calendars most often, so have these calendars printed with your company logo. Because customers carry them in their pocket or purse to record important events, they'll see your company name each time they check their calendars.

I recommend: Order promotional Pocket calendars from 4 Imprint. Calendars Now also sells business imprinted pocket calendars.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When thinking about using your customized calendars, draw a sketch or outline of your idea. Discuss your idea with employees and get suggestions from the calendar company. Get several different perspectives before you invest in printing the calendars to ensure you send out the correct message with your logo calendar.

Customized Calendars are a positive marketing tool for many businesses. Customized business calendars can be printed using graphic design, business logos and photos of company employees, and are a popular form of advertising. Promotional calendars may also include discounts or coupons. In addition, they are low cost, great for building brand recognition, and offer a full year of ad exposure.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Customized calendars and promotional calendars

Customized calendars are tailored to promote a particular type of business. They can be used for advertising, promotional needs, or as a tool to connect with clients.

I recommend: ChristiaNet provides information and ideas for creating customized calendars. Promoz.com gives presentation tips for promotional calendars and advice on how to use them as promotional items.

Desk, wall, pocket or engagement calendars

There are many calendar styles that can be customized as promotional calendars. Wall calendars tend to be the most popular. Business clients, however, might appreciate a desk or pocket calendar. As a general rule of thumb, you should purchase the nicest style you can afford since customers are more likely to use a quality promotional item.

I recommend: Calendars.com sells wall, desk and engagement calendars.

Promotional campaign

A promotional campaign is a series of advertisements and marketing strategies that are set to run for a specific amount of time. A promotional campaign can be combined with promotional calendars, as businesses can set up promotions month by month.

I recommend: Flying Solo gives advice on how to start and run a successful promotional campaign.

Advertising layout

Advertising layout refers to the communication of a concept or idea through visual elements such as headlines, illustration, words, phrases and images. Some promotional calendar services can keep an advertising layout on file to use year after year.

I recommend: Calendars Now answers frequently asked questions about customized calendars and advertising layout.

Promo screen calendars

A promo screen calendar markets a business by promoting a company's website and logo with a calendar program using a customer's desktop wallpaper. The software can change the calendar each month giving exposure to the business all year.

I recommend: Screen Calendar describes a promo screen calendar, its promotional benefits, how it is used and how to customize the desktop calendar.

Photo calendar

For marketers who want the maximum amount of creative control, there is the photo calendar. These products take photos supplied by the client and compile them into a glossy calendar.

I recommend: DigiLabs puts together photo calendars.