Business diary 2027 or marketing planner? Which one does your business need?
Every autumn, thousands of us go looking for a business diary for the new year. And lots of us buy one, fill in the appointments, and still feel like the business isn’t growing. That’s because a diary keeps track of your work. It doesn’t help you get more of it.
What a business diary is for
A business diary holds your appointments, meetings, deadlines and reminders. If you’re a hairdresser, a therapist, a photographer or anyone who books clients in, you need one (or a booking system that does the same job).
It answers the question: what am I doing on Tuesday?
What a marketing planner is for
A marketing planner is for the other side of your business: getting the customers to fill that diary. It answers different questions:
- How much do I want to sell this year?
- What am I selling each month?
- How will I tell people about it?
- What am I posting on social media?
- Is my marketing bringing money in?
Which one do you need?
If you book clients in, you need both. Your diary or booking system for appointments. A marketing planner to make sure those appointment slots are full, especially in your quiet months.
If you don’t book appointments (say you sell products online, or you’re a maker), a marketing planner is probably the one that will make the bigger difference to your year.
If you already have a calendar on your phone for appointments, you may not need a paper diary at all. But your phone calendar won’t plan your marketing for you.
The Awesome Marketing Planner is not an appointment diary. There are no time slots for booking clients. It’s for planning your marketing. Keep your diary or booking system for appointments, and use this to get the customers.
What’s in the Awesome Marketing Planner
I first made the Awesome Marketing Planner for 2017 because I had a diary full of appointments and no plan for getting more. The 2027 printed planner has:
- My 2027 in numbers: your sales target for the year, broken into months
- My 2027 promotions: your sales, launches and offers for the whole year
- 2027 at a glance, plus key dates for the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada and Australia
- A monthly bundle for every month: a month-to-view calendar, what your customers are thinking about, a getting-seen tip, a visibility challenge, your marketing plan, your money plan, your social media plan and your daily cash flow
- Weekly pages with room for every day and your win of the week
- Quarterly check-ins after March, June and September
- Your 2027 review and 2028 at a glance
And it’s more than a book
A diary can’t give you a nudge when you’ve forgotten about your marketing for three weeks. So the 2027 edition is six parts that work together:
- 📖 The printed PlannerA5 hardback in midnight blue with gold foil and a bright pink ribbon.
- 🎓 The Planner PortalMy training videos for every page, so you know exactly what to write.
- 📱 The planner appYour numbers, your cash flow, ideas when you’re stuck, and a marketing streak.
- 👭 The Facebook groupPlan alongside other small business owners using the same planner.
- 👢 The Monday Bum KickAn email from me every Monday morning with one thing to do that week.
- 🖍️ The ExtrasWorksheets, extra resources to print, and a bit of colouring.
It runs January to December 2027, it’s printed to order and posted in December, and pre-orders close on Sunday 8th November.
If you run a salon, a clinic or a studio, you might like the 2027 planner for hairdressers and beauty therapists or the 2027 planner for therapists and wellness practitioners.
Love, Claire x
Your questions
What’s the difference between a business diary and a marketing planner?
A business diary is for appointments and reminders: who you’re seeing and when. A marketing planner is for getting customers: what you’re selling each month, how you’ll tell people, and whether it worked.
Can I use the Awesome Marketing Planner as an appointment diary?
It isn’t designed for that. The weekly pages have room for every day, but there are no time slots for booking clients. If you book appointments, keep your diary or booking system for those.
Is the Awesome Marketing Planner dated?
Yes. It runs from January to December 2027.
When do pre-orders close?
Pre-orders close on Sunday 8th November. Planners are printed to order and posted in December.