If you’re thinking about celebrating your company’s business anniversary, be smart in harnessing the promotional power of this essential marketing strategy. Avoid Big Mistake #1 that companies make in planning and executing business anniversary promotional campaigns: Waiting Too Long.

Some companies celebrate their anniversaries on a single day; other companies celebrate  the entire year. Transforming a business anniversary into a “sell”-abration takes advanced planning. Devote at least 3 to 6 months to preparing for a single-day “sell”-abration and at least 12 months to preparing for a yearlong “sell”-abration that launches in January and concludes in December.

Each milestone anniversary happens only once in the lifetime of a business. Companies that wait too long to plan squander the promotional opportunities the anniversary offers. Procrastinators then face crunch time — trying to do something for the business anniversary before the clock runs out on the anniversary year.

Keep such last-minute business anniversary promotional campaigns simple. For example, send handwritten thank-you notes to customers, expressing appreciation for their loyalty over the years. A modest, easy-to-execute customer appreciation initiative is better than doing nothing at all. Just don’t expect the same spectacular results that a business anniversary promotional campaign would yield with sufficient lead-time for strategic planning and execution.

Blogger  Bio: Pauline Bartel, M.A., is President and Chief Creative Officer of
Bartel Communications, Inc., an award-winning corporate communications firm,
specializing in marketing, public relations and business anniversary consulting
services. The firm  created “The Bartel Years™” and “The Bartel Years 200™,” rosters of business  anniversary symbols to inspire two centuries of business anniversary
“sell”-abrations. Download free copies of “The Bartel Years™” and the special
report “The Top 10 Business Anniversary Ideas for SELL-abrating Your Business
Anniversary” at this link: http://www.paulinebartel.com/services/corporate-services/business-anniversary-consulting