The New Year is now upon us and many businesses have already coordinated their marketing strategies for the next twelve months. From strategic door-drops of promotional leaflets and flyers, to sending out online newsletters and exclusive offers to mailing lists, each month will have a specific aim and will need a different approach to meet targets. This two-part guide outlines a basic suggestion for promotional activity in the first half of 2013 with major holidays noted and preparation for the future included.

There are many advantages to using small, compact marketing flyers to promote a new product, service or offer, and this is a cost-effective route that many companies choose to go down when they need quick and simple promotional solutions.

In such difficult economic times, it is more important than ever for businesses and companies to get people into their stores, taking advantage of their offers and paying for their services. There are many ways in which this can be done, but one of the most popular is hosting an event; be it an open day, a fete or a special sale, these occasions can get customers through the door and reaching for their wallets at a time when everyone's personal economy needs a boost.

A call to action is a vital aspect of any marketing or promotional campaign. Defined in basic terms as an ‘objective which a company would like potential users to complete', a call to action provides focus to a certain area of a business, a way to measure success and a direction for customers.