We work in an ever-changing industry, which can feel chaotic, but if you step back far enough, orderly patterns start to emerge. While each 12-month cycle features new versions, upgrades or groundbreaking innovations, many core elements stay the same, especially around seasonal and chronological milestones. At my CI business, Livewire, we’ve mapped these occasions, holidays, and seasons with corresponding marketing campaign recommendations. Since I’ve never seen another content calendar in our space, I wanted to share ours so you can use it as you see fit:
January
- Campaign: New Year, New Tech
- Focus: Promote smart home installations as a way to start fresh while maximizing safety, security, comfort, and convenience.
- Content Ideas:
- Predictions for the year ahead
- Blog post on using smart home technology to stick with New Year’s resolutions
- Film social media testimonials from customers about their holiday installations for use in future campaigns.
- Email marketing featuring special offers on Super Bowl home theater setups
February
- Campaign: Love Your Smart Home
- Focus: Highlight romantic lighting scenes or entertainment setups for Valentine’s Day.
- Content Ideas:
- Video tutorials on creating the perfect ambiance with smart lighting
- Videos building excitement for Spring just around the corner showcasing outdoor lighting, sound, and TV options
Also by Henry Clifford: Embracing the Power of Positivity
March
- Campaign: Spring Forward with Technology
- Focus: Emphasize upgrades like outdoor living, smart thermostats, and energy-efficient systems to prepare for warmer weather.
- Content Ideas:
- Blog posts on energy savings
- Social media campaign on spring cleaning
- Tech maintenance tips focused on outdoor technology and educating customers about the 3-to-5-year life cycle of their systems
April
- Campaign: Earth Day Innovations
- Focus: Promote eco-friendly technology solutions like energy monitoring, smart irrigation, and circadian rhythm lighting.
- Content Ideas:
- Eco-friendly tech tips
- Partnerships with local green initiatives for special promotions
- Videos showing how smart lighting and HVAC can produce big savings on energy bills
May
- Campaign: Prep Your Home for Summer
- Focus: Focus on outdoor entertainment systems and lighting as summer approaches.
- Content Ideas:
- How-to guides on setting up outdoor speakers
- Promotional discounts for HVAC controls
- Mother’s Day video showcasing moms in your company
June
- Campaign: Dads & Grads
- Focus: Highlight perfect tech gifts for dads, such as smart meat temperature probes or home automation systems.
- Content Ideas:
- Gift guides
- Customer stories featuring before and after installation images.
July
- Campaign: Independence Day Innovations
- Focus: Promote patriotic-themed installations or specials on American-made tech products.
- Content Ideas:
- Blog post on supporting local tech manufacturers
- Social media contest for the best Independence Day home setup
- Video showcasing how to use outdoor lighting for patriotic red, white, and blue accents
Also by Henry Clifford: Learning From Lego
August
- Campaign: Back to School Smart Home Safety
- Focus: Focus on security systems and smart locks for families preparing for the school year.
- Content Ideas:
- Tips for keeping homes secure
- Promotions on installations of security cameras and smart locks
- Videos showcasing customer testimonials about how security tech helped problem solve thorny challenges
September
- Campaign: Fall for New Tech
- Focus: Introduce new technology launches typically happening in the fall (CEDIA Expo, etc.); focus on upgrading home offices.
- Content Ideas:
- Overview of new tech on the market
- Special offers on home office setups
- Video highlighting the importance of properly installed and secured WI-FI network
October
- Campaign: Tech-or-Treat
- Focus: Halloween-themed promotions on spooky smart home tricks like automated lighting and sound effects.
- Content Ideas:
- DIY tutorials for Halloween home tech decorations
- Customer contest for best tech-themed Halloween decor
- Share a curated Halloween playlist for clients to download
November
- Campaign: Thankful for Tech
- Focus: Thanksgiving promotions, emphasizing family and convenience with multi-room audio systems and smart kitchens.
- Content Ideas:
- Recipes integrated with smart kitchen tech
- Customer stories focused on holiday gatherings enhanced by technology
- Giving Tuesday and Small Business Thursday social media posts
December
- Campaign: Holiday Home Makeover
- Focus: Promote gift installations like home theaters, smart lights, and more for the holiday season.
- Content Ideas:
- Holiday buying guides
- End-of-year recap of tech trends and predictions for next year
There are a ton of tools out there offering content calendar templates from companies like Monday.com, Hubspot, and Asana. Don’t get hung up on software, just commit to using your calendar to plan all email, blog, social media, and video content. Staring at it will bug you and induce nausea. That nausea will inspire you to fire up the marketing machine. Commit to updating it each year and be flexible enough to adapt around seismic events that might upend your schedule. Just remember the cheezy admonition “Semper Gumby” (always flexible).
What are you doing in your business to market your products and services metronomically?
Stay frosty, and see you in the field.
