Are you kicking yourself for missing out on Christmas advent calendar or 12 days of Christmas countdown?
If so this podcast episode is for you.
It’s all about forward planning for 2023 so you can get ahead of yourself and make sure you’re maximising every opportunity.
So you can link the product or service you offer to seasonal content and bring more sales to your business.
It’s a really simple method, and it will mean you go into 2023 feeling ahead of the game.
Listen in on the player link below or carry on reading the key points as a blog.
How to start your plan
The first step is to write down all the products you sell or your key services.
Then get a diary or calendar and look at the months of the year.
When are the key times people need your thing?
For example, pet sitting in summer, warm coats in winter, support preparing for fireworks at the start of autumn, Christmas gifts in winter.
Then work at least three months backwards.
This means you won’t be caught out when the key times people need your thing come around, you’ll have created your content months in advance.
Next, have a look at the pet holidays
Are there any awareness days that link to what you do?
For example, there’s Pet Anxiety Month in March. If you’re a dog trainer, this is something you could create a campaign around.
If you sell space awareness products like Sarah Jones from My Anxious Dog, this is a key time for your campaign.
If you make plug ins to help with anxiety, again, you’re going to want to capitalise on this date.
If you work with Senior Pets, and you want to find which days to create content around simply Google things like ‘Senior Pet Month’ or ‘National Arthritis Week.’
Then think about what you’re going to actually do.
Are you going to create a new product or package?
Like Fireworks course or Recall course for people taking dogs on holidays and wanting to know they’ll come back?
Then think about how you’re going to promote it. Blogs, podcasts, lives, videos, emails, maybe a free workshop or challenge?
Your blog, podcast or vlog would start warming people up on the topic in the weeks and months before your challenge or workshop.
Then there would be the email sign up campaign and social media posts. Maybe you might pitch to the press as well?
All this needs factoring in at least 90 days ahead.
If you can manage to get this done as early as possible you’re setting yourself up for success.
How to use your plan
Map out your year, and think about the big events you have to factor in. Things like Crufts, any events you’re at like DogFest or the Family Pet Show.
New products you’re bringing out, or awards you’re nominated for.
These are all things you want to make some noise about, so you get more eyes and ears on your work.
Break down your plan into quarters, then months. Before the beginning of each quarter, ideally the month before, look at your plan.
My Pets Get Visible members have been working in their Q1 goals in December.
Keep going back to your plan so you don’t miss anything and the earlier you can get your ducks in a row the better!
Want to make sure you keep on top of your marketing for 2025?
My Pets Get Visible membership is the place to be with a library full of resources on blogging, pitching, writing press releases, working with influencers, email marketing and lots more.
It’s just £30 a month and you can learn more in this post:
Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you.
There’s also the Your Pet Business Content Planner and Companion.
It’s been designed to:
- Help you feel inspired with practical content ideas and awareness days so that you always know what to share with your audience.
- Pick you up when things feel overwhelming with ‘words for when’ coaching tools so that you can stay motivated and overcome blocks.
- Keep you on track with your goals without guilt if you miss a week so that you can move forward at your own pace.
Find out more about the planner here: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/product/pet-business-content-planner/
If you found this episode helpful, you might like Creating meaningful social media with Aileen Stevenson, Your invitation to my Pets Get Visible mini-membership, How to start a pet blog or How to start a podcast for your pet business.
