With a new year upon us, much of the stress and hullabaloo of the holiday season has now passed. For many brands and businesses, a substantial portion of marketing efforts are focused on the final three months of each year – but there are still a variety of considerations throughout each month of potential marketing efforts.

In 2022 (or any year, for that matter), the best entities plan ahead: calculating what efforts will be needed throughout each month, season and quarter is integral to long-term performance. As such, building a marketing schedule for the year in advance is crucial in achieving most if not all of a brand’s annual goals.

We’ll take a look at the year to come and help you determine what objectives to reach for throughout each portion of 2022.

First Quarter

In many situations, the first three months of every year is a time to reflect on past marketing strategies, analyze data, and see what worked (and what did not). Ultimately, this is also a great time to prepare for the coming year’s efforts, outlining potential new strategies and discarding what did not work previously.

Many brands continue to bombard their audiences with promotions during this time, but many shoppers and audiences in general are burned out. Instead, use this time to embrace marketing techniques that share fun, optimistic, entertaining or otherwise lighthearted content.

Second Quarter

With spring time arriving and people feeling more active, so should your marketing efforts! By pinging your website, mailing list and social media with increasing activity, you can begin building a strong marketing effort for the rest of the year. Many people begin making additional purchases during this time of the year, so tying in relevant seasonal promotions can be an effective strategy.

Do keep in mind that increased outdoor activity by many can lead to a temporary lull in traffic at times. As such, planning your marketing schedule to boost engagement during such a critical time should be a top priority.

Third Quarter

For most brands and businesses, the final months of the year can make or break the success of a marketing campaign. By this point, your marketing schedule may need to pivot more toward upcoming seasonal market research and consumer trends.

Being ready for emerging holiday consumer activities is crucial – and contrary to what some believe, it is not something that can be slapped together last-minute. As such, your end-of-year marketing effort plans should begin getting meaningful attention during this time.

Fourth Quarter

The big hurrah for many, the fourth quarter can be when a large percentage of sales and/or engagements occur online. By planning an aggressive marketing campaign in advance, you can begin to refine these plans more specifically in the final three months.

This is when you can start pinging your website and audiences with upcoming promotions or deals, appealing to consumer pressure points and ultimately setting your brand up for a great ROI in the final months of the year.

Planning ahead is essential to any marketing strategy, and the same is true for your broader efforts. Breaking down your year-long plans into more manageable pieces can help you more effectively execute ads and campaigns in earnest while generating the best possible results. Start planning your 2022 marketing schedule today and be ready throughout the year!