Nevertheless, they have to have beautiful colors that can catch anyone's attention and human interest that will tug at their heartstrings.



Filling Your Calendars

1. Photographs are a good starting point. Plan your calendars around them. Take photographs of how your product can benefit your clients throughout the changing season. Get quality images by:

• Hiring a professional photographer. They may be expensive, but they are an investment. High quality output is important to keep your calendars on the customers' wall.

• If a professional photographer is too much for your budget, settle for the next best thing: an aspiring professional. Go to art schools and look for a photography student, or look for photography clubs, and hire an enthusiast. They should be willing to charge less than the pro photographer, but will give their full attention to the project.

• Download photographs from the internet. If commissioning a photographer is still too expensive, just look for stock photos online. They usually charge royalty fees, but they are cheaper than commissioning a project.

2. Cartoons or illustrations are also interesting to place in your calendars. Create a story. Begin it up every month that will then build up to a bigger story your customers will love to read again and again. Or you can render your character in different and even thematic portraits.

Dress them up like a superhero or someone who just emerged from the 50's or the 80's. Through all this, I'm sure you can find a way to incorporate and build up your business in the story.

• Start with an interesting character your clients can relate to. Everyday life can be interesting from an angle. Try “a day in the life of…” story of a fictional person who uses your products or perhaps “a day in the life of…” a dedicated employee.

• Same as the advice on hiring a professional photographer, you may hire a professional illustrator. Or again, you may hire an art student. The concept behind the cartoon should determine the lifestyles of the consumers you want to address.

• There are downloadable clip art galleries in the internet. Some of them are free, while the others may charge a royalty. You can use these illustrations but make sure you are consistent with your style for the rest of the month.

•Remember, the calendar should have a monthly concept that can exist independently, but supports each other when taken as a whole. Consistency should be observed in your calendars.

There are many creative ways to come up with good calendar designs. Just keep your target clients focused in your mind. Think of what is interesting to them. Avoid narcissistic illustrations of your company logo or product shots. Promotional calendars are self-serving, but they shouldn't be boring. Clients are looking for ways your products can benefit them and this is what you should reflect.

Calendar printing is a good promotional item. Find the perfect illustrations to fill the pages and reap the benefits of advertising the whole year round.