Simplx Blog

Top Dollar Days: An Internet Marketing Calendar
Has a holiday ever snuck right up on you and left you frantically searching a convenience store looking for “just the right thing” for your loved one? In the end, you buy that cheap felt stocking stuffed with waxy chocolates because that´s all there is left.

That´s the same feeling you get when you hit a top-dollar Internet day and realize that you didn´t think of starting your marketing efforts until it was a little too late to attract traffic to your site.

If you´re like me and you´re not yet familiar with the rhythm of Internet marketing and sales, I´ve got great news! Our marketing experts have come up with a calendar to help you know when to begin marketing efforts in order to take advantage of top-dollar days. The Top-Dollar Day calendar tells you when to begin marketing efforts for holidays, as well as for ten other days that are typically high-sales days on the Internet.

Following the Calendar
As you follow the calendar, please keep in mind two considerations:

Review/Optimization Dates: Days that suggest an analysis or review should take considerably longer than one day. We´ve only pointed out a good starting date.

Website Marketing Start Dates: Days that suggest a starting date for marketing for a sale is the date that you should have the marketing complete and implemented. For example, we suggest Jan 13 as the day to begin marketing on your website. This means that your marketing efforts should be full force on your website on this date. You should begin preparing to launch days or weeks in advance.
Top Dollar Day Calendar

* Starred items will take more than one day to complete.

January
Jan 8: Begin Back to School Campaign on eBay
Jan 10: *Conduct an analysis of the competition (websites, marketing efforts, etc.)
Jan 13: Begin Valentine´s marketing on website
Jan 28: Start Valentine´s PPC (pay per click) promotion

Februrary

Feb 1: Send Super Bowl email with special offer
Feb 7: *Optimize/Review your home page and landing pages
Feb 9: Valentine´s promotional email
Feb 11: Last day to ship for Valentine´s Day
Feb 13: Begin Presidents Day sale
Feb 14: Valentine´s Day
Feb 15: End Valentine´s Day promotion
Feb 16: Send Presidents Day promotion email
Feb 18: President´s Day
Feb 21: Begin Spring shopping season on eBay

March
March 1: *Optimize/Review your website copy
March 7: Begin St. Patrick´s Day Sale on website
March 8: Send St. Patrick´s Day promotional email
March 11: Begin Easter sale on website
March 17: St. Patrick´s Day
March 18: Send Easter promotional email
March 23: Easter Sunday March 31: Begin Summer PPC campaign (for summer product retailers)

April

April 1: April Fool´s Day
April 4: *Optimize/Review your order process
April 5: Send Spring promotional email
April 18: *Optimize/Review your email capture process and how it relates to your contact list
April 25: Begin Mother´s Day sale on website
April 26: Send Mother´s Day promotional email

May
May 2: *Review/Optimize product pricing
May 8: Last day to order for Mother´s Day
May 11: Mother´s Day
May 13: Begin Summer PPC Campaign (for traditional retailers)
May 16: Begin Memorial Day sale on website
May 17: Send Memorial Day promotional email
May 26: Memorial Day

June

June 3: *Review PPC campaigns
June 7: Begin Father´s Day sale on website
June 11: Send Father´s Day promotional email
June 15: Father´s Day
June 20: *Review/Optimize natural search engine strategy
June 27: Begin Independence Day sale
June 28: Send Independence Day promotional email
June 30: End Summer PPC program (for summer product retailers)

July
July 4: Independence Day
July 11: *Begin implementing a linking campaign
July 18: *Pursue site credibility indicators
July 25: *Optimize/Review email campaign

August

August 1: *Begin planning Holiday marketing
August 2: *Review 2004 sales data (in prep for Holidays)
August 5: Start Back-to-School PPC promotion
August 9: *Explore alternative marketing channels
August 10: Start Back to School sale
August 12: Send Back to School promotion email
August 22: End Summer PPC campaign (for traditional retailers)
August 24: Begin Labor Day sale on website
August 26: Send Labor Day promotional email

September
September 1: Labor Day
September 6: *Review/Optimize customer service & fulfillment
September 23: End Back-to-School PPC promotion
September 30: Begin Halloween PPC campaign

October

October 3: Begin Columbus Day sale
October 4: Send Columbus Day email
October 13: Columbus Day
October 31: Halloween

November
November 1: End Halloween PPC promotion
November 7: *Review Holiday promotions
November 11: Veterans Day
November 14: Begin Holiday Theme on website
November 17: Start Holiday PPC campaign
November 22: Send early bird Holiday shopping email
November 23: Increase PPC bids for Christmas (Thanksgiving Day)
November 25: #1 Top Dollar Day
November 26: #9 Top Dollar Day

December
December 13: #5 Top Dollar Day
December 16: Send holiday promotion email
December 19: #8 Top Dollar Day
December 20: Lower PPC bids for Christmas, #2 Top Dollar Day
December 21: #7 Top Dollar Day
December 22: Last day to order for Christmas, #6 Top Dollar Day
December 23: #4 Top Dollar Day
December 24: Christmas Eve promotion on website.
December 25: Christmas
December 26: #3 Top Dollar Day
December 27: Send End-of-Year sale email; #10 Top Dollar Day

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