Before you start planning your marketing activities, identify your overall goals. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, drive sales, or launch a new product? Your goals will shape the content and timing of your marketing campaigns.

Determine the time frame your marketing calendar will cover. Most marketing calendars are created annually, but you can also break it down by quarter, month, or even week, depending on your needs.

Mark important dates on your calendar, such as holidays, industry events, product launches, and company milestones. These dates will serve as anchor points for your marketing campaigns.

Determine the overarching themes or topics for each month or quarter based on your goals and key dates. For example, if you run an e-commerce business, you might have themes like "Christmas Gift Guide" for December or "Summer Sale" or 'The Holiday Edit" for July.

Outline the specific content and marketing activities for each campaign. This may include blog posts, social media posts, email newsletters and advertising campaigns. Make note of the channels you'll use and the messaging for each piece of content.

Share the marketing calendar with your marketing and PR team members to ensure everyone is aligned on goals, timelines, and responsibilities. Encourage collaboration and feedback throughout the planning process. We recommend organising this as a table in a working google sheet - this way you can share it with your wider team and track each other's updates, amends, notes and ideas.

Regularly review your marketing calendar to track progress and evaluate the performance of your campaigns. Make adjustments as needed based on emerging trends, changes in your industry, or shifts in your business goals.

While it's important to have a structured plan in place, remember to remain flexible and responsive to changes in the market or unforeseen circumstances. Your marketing calendar should be a guide, not a rigid framework.