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How to Create a Countdown Marketing Calendar

Just like there are reverse dictionaries,calendar for these. In fact, I use green
there is a reason to create a count downcolor  paper  to  print  out  the  calendar.
calendar. A count down calendar starts with
Franklin Covey's philosophy, "start with the
end  in  mind."
If you don't want to create your own, visit
your local office supply store, they have
countdown calendars available for purchase
The biggest advantage to a countdown calendar(blank  planning  books).
is that it makes you think and focus harder
as  well  as  makes  the  planning  easier.
A third way to complete a countdown calendar
would  be  to  complete  it in a linear form.
First, you write down the exact results you
want or expect. Let's say you have a
teleclass, seminar, speaking engagement you
are delivering on X date. This becomes yourDay 21: Speaking event results I desire --
D-day -- sort of speaking. It may be end ofdescribe  those  results.
the event planning, however, it can also be
the beginning of your follow-up plan. For
simplicity sake, let us stop at the D-day
point.Day  20: Get  handouts  printed  at Kinko's.
Now you can prepare a count down calendar inDay 19: Write and send out reminder e-mail
several ways. One way would be to use ato  organizer.
calendar with the days of the month filled
in. You mark down the D-day and then you
back  track  from  there  to  today.
To  Day  1: Today.
Count down the days until __________. Number
of  marketing  days  to  go until __________.Again, if you have a reoccurring countdown,
like teleclasses, you can create a linear
countdown calendar like the one above.
Eventually you will see a consistent pattern
Example: Count down days until seminar. 20of  to-dos.
marketing  days  to  go  until  seminar.
At that point, don't stop doing this with the
Any doesn't matter which calendar method youthinking you have it down pat and you don't
use, you will need to write down yourneed to. This will jump up and bite you in
measurements or your mini-results that willthe assets fairly quickly by bogging down
deliver the end results you want. I use theyour mind and making you wonder if you are
pivoting question, "What is it going to takemissing something. If that occurs, jump back
to..." to get my thinking moving in the rightinto the habit, it is a great one to have.
direction. I like to think through and writeEven if it is frustrating because it takes
these on the back of my calendars. Thisthinking  time.
gives me a bird's eye view for that
particular commitment that my software does
not  provide.
Once you have your count down calendar
completed then you can enter it into your
automatic reminder calendar, like Outlook or
Another way would be to use a blank form likeAct. This will track all your deadlines,
this with the appropriate number of days ingoals, and projects. You will have a
between. Then cross out the days that youseparate count down calendar for each
will do any marketing -- say Sundays or daysone.Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional
filled with other requirements. For myMarketing & Writing Coach, specializes in
teleclass programs, my D-day back to Day 1 isproduct development, Internet writing and
always 3 weeks, so I have created a regularmarketing, nonfiction, training.



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