2. A Content Calendar for Tree Care Companies
TCIA Member Benefit of the Month: December 2016
Introduction & Instructions for Use
A content calendar is a tool that you (and your marketing team) can use to organize your
content marketing strategy. A Content Marketing Calendar for Tree Care Companies will help
you visualize how your content will be published throughout the year, plus provide
suggestions for writing topics and publishing strategies.
What is content marketing? While traditional marketing tactics such as direct mail, paid digital
advertising, and radio ads can be useful, consumers are becoming increasingly savvy at
blocking out these advertising channels. For example, 200 million people now use ad blockers1
- which is bad news for marketers who rely heavily on this advertising strategy.
Content marketing, however, is more palatable for consumers; this tactic requires creating and
distributing relevant and valuable content that your target market actually wants to read, such
as engaging blogs or useful newsletters, for example. Executed correctly, content marketing
can attract, acquire and engage your target audience – and eventually, close a sale.
Sounds good. But what if I can’t write? Don’t worry. As a TCIA member, you may use our
numerous tree care articles as inspiration for your own content. Use the resources in our Press
Room, or contact marketing@tcia.org for assistance. Alternatively, you can always hire a
freelance writer that specializes in your topic, using services such as Writer Access.
How to use this Content Calendar
Each section is divided into seasons, and contains writing topic suggestions based on tree care
services, and major holidays and events that occur during that season. As many tree care
services are offered year-round, we’ve also included a Bonus Content: Year-round! section at
the very end.
Disclaimer: While the content suggestions in this calendar were made to be as generic and broadly
applicable as possible, some of them may not pertain to you depending on the climate you work in, or
the services you offer. Use this document as a source of inspiration for your own customized content
marketing strategy. Contact marketing@tcia.org or (800) 733-2622 with questions, or if you need
help with your content marketing strategy.
1
Source: Content Marketing Institute

3. A Content Calendar for Tree Care Companies
TCIA Member Benefit of the Month: December 2016
Table of Contents
Winter
Marketing Winter Tree Services
Major Winter Holidays & Events
Spring
Marketing Spring Tree Services
Major Spring Holidays & Events
Summer
Marketing Summer Tree Services
Major Summer Holidays & Events
Fall
Marketing Fall Tree Services
Major Fall Holidays & Events
Bonus Content: Year-round!

4. A Content Calendar for Tree Care Companies
TCIA Member Benefit of the Month: December 2016
Winter
A traditionally slow season in tree care, winter is the perfect time to market additional tree
care services – or completely different services entirely! If you’re running your own content
marketing, use the “down time” during the winter to brainstorm new strategies and build up
a reservoir of blog posts for later in the year.
Marketing Winter Tree Services:
Cabling and Bracing: Write a blog post about the importance of cabling and bracing. This
should be done before winter storm season to help support specimen trees, or trees of
concern.
Offer Holiday Decorating Services: To keep revenues flowing and arborists employed, a
growing number of tree care firms have successfully diversified into the holiday-decorating
business. If it’s your first year in the holiday-decorating game, you’ll need to market early
and often to get the word out. TCIA member Lucas Tree Service, for example, typically sends
out renewal notices in September, as most decorating projects begin as early as mid-October.
Try following up with your current tree care clients to gauge their interest in holiday décor
for next year, and throw in a coupon for their first decorating project.
Risk Reduction Pruning: Reminds clients that winter is a great time to have trees inspected
for hazards such as broken branches, hanging branches, and dead limbs. Arborists can easily
see the hazards when there are no leaves. Many companies offer discounts for winter
pruning.
Planning for the New Year: Winter is also a great time to suggest that homeowners start
planning new additions to their yardscape. Write blog posts with landscaping suggestions (as
they relate to tree care) and encourage your customers to share their own ideas.
Start Marketing Spring Services: Do you have a Plant Healthcare (PHC) Program? If so, start
promoting the benefits of a spring PHC program before the first thaw. By the time spring
arrives, your customers will be ready to nurture their trees and plants with your guidance.
Major Winter Holidays & Events:
Christmas Eve & Day (December 24-25)
New Year’s Eve & Day (December 31 - January 1)
Groundhog Day (February 2)
Valentine’s Day (February 14)
President’s Day (Third Monday in February)

5. Spring
As winter thaws into spring, business will start to pick up. This will leave you with less time
to execute your content marketing strategy, so plan ahead with these topic
recommendations.
Marketing Spring Tree Services
Insect Damage (late winter/early spring): Learn the key pests in your area, and know their
life cycles. Use growing degree days based on (for example) March 1st
to help you predict
their activity in the spring. By monitoring key pests, you will be able to time and market
your treatments effectively. Refer to Managing Insects and Mites on Woody Plants: An IPM
Approach (Davison, Raupp) for more specific insect activity.
Mulching: Help your customers mulch during the spring to guard against root damage from
summer heat and drought. Consider offering discounts, or combining it with other spring
tree services listed in this section.
Soil Health: If needed, spring is also a good time to help your customers analyze and improve
their soil health.
Get Ready for Summer: Encourage your customers to install lightning protection during the
spring! This will leave them prepared during the summer, when lightning damage is more
likely to occur.
Major Spring Holidays & Events:
St. Patricks’ Day (March 17)
April Fool’s Day (April 1)
Event Highlight: Arbor Day (Varies by State)
Arbor Day is a holiday that celebrates planting and caring for trees! As a tree care company,
you can capitalize on this by donating your tree care services to a local group in need. Try
coordinating with other local TCIA member companies to work on larger projects; outdoor
museums, schools, public parks, and similar institutions would welcome your expertise.
Document your work with photos, blog articles, and press releases to get earned media for
your tree care company.

6. A Content Calendar for Tree Care Companies
TCIA Member Benefit of the Month: December 2016
Summer
Summer presents unique challenges for tree care practitioners. While the warm weather can
aid tree growth, environmental stressors such as drought, storms, and even lightning can
damage an otherwise healthy tree. When creating content for this season, be sure to educate
your customers about preventive treatments for their trees, warning signs for tree health
issues, and any safety concerns that may arise during this busy season.
Marketing Summer Tree Services
Tree Risk Assessments: Summer is a great time to do tree risk assessments for your clients.
Mulch: Summer is also a good time to mulch (again); this will help guard against the summer
heat and drought.
Soil Health: Encourage your customers to improve soil health, especially moisture
management, during the summer.
Drought Stress: Depending on where you operate, local trees may be susceptible to drought
stress. Early summer is the perfect time to encourage your customers to take proactive
measures against a potential drought. Publish blogs about drought warning signs and
recommended treatments.
Preparing for Fall: Remind clients that fall is a great time to plant trees if you offer planting
services.
Major Summer Holidays & Events:
Independence Day (July 4)
Labor Day (First Monday of September)
Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
Saluting Branches (Date varies)
Event Highlight: Saluting Branches – At the end of the summer months is Saluting Branches,
an annual event created by TCIA member Rainbow Treecare. Saluting Branches is a non-
profit organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring American veterans by making
their final resting places a safe and beautiful environment for all who visit. With your help,
Saluting Branches can contribute an annual donation of more than 8,000 hours of tree care
services in one day to veteran cemeteries throughout the United States.

7. A Content Calendar for Tree Care Companies
TCIA Member Benefit of the Month: December 2016
Fall
Once the summer rush is over, it’s time to start focusing on fall tree care services! While
several of these tree care services are specific to fall, some of them also involve helping your
clients prepare for the harsh winter ahead.
Marketing Fall Tree Services
Winter Safety and Prepping: If your clients have evergreens, now is the time to water them
in anticipation of winter.
Sell Firewood: If you have the equipment and a market for selling firewood, why not sell a
few cords? In colder climates, many start stocking up in the early fall, so if you’re interested
in making a little extra money with this venture, plan ahead. Or, if you’re feeling
philanthropic, give the firewood to a local wood bank, which serve elderly, low-income and
disabled individuals. In some cases, you can receive a tax write-off by donating wood and/or
gear to your local wood bank.
Improve Soil Health: Fall is also a great time to encourage your clients to improve their soil
health, if needed. It is important that the soil is in its best shape possible going into the cold
winter months.
Halloween Décor: Like winter holiday décor, Halloween outdoor décor is starting to become
a profitable niche for tree care companies. Consider offering this service, if you’re so
outfitted.
Major Holidays & Events:
Halloween (October 31)
Veterans Day (November 11)
Thanksgiving (Fourth Thursday in November)
Event Highlight: National NeighborWoods Month – Organized by the Arbor Day
Foundation, October is National NeighborWoods Months, an annual campaign to plant and
care for community trees. Each year, tens of thousands of volunteers participate, and so can
you! Use this an another opportunity to give back to your community and earn media.

8. A Content Calendar for Tree Care Companies
TCIA Member Benefit of the Month: December 2016
Bonus Content: Year-round!
As you know, there are many tree care practices that should be implemented year-round!
These writing topic suggestions can help you create great stock articles that can be published
during a creative dry spell.
Marketing Year-round Tree Services
Pruning: Tell your customers you don’t want to wait until a tree becomes a “problem tree” –
you need to prune proactively! There are many different reasons to prune and each needs to
be coordinated with tree age, health seasonality and presence of pests (insects/disease).
The best time to remove hazardous trees or branches is immediately.
Tree Removal: Tree removal services can, and should, be scheduled throughout the year!
This is especially true if the tree is a hazard. Before or after a major storm is a popular time
for tree removal requests. Market your services accordingly by monitoring the weather, and
distributing a storm advisory press release or even door hangars in your local market while a
major storm is still big news.
Cabling and Bracing: Write a blog post about the importance of cabling and bracing. This
should be done before storm season to help support specimen trees, or trees of concern. Keep
in mind that spring is tornado season, summer is microburst season, fall is hurricane season
and winter is ice storm season in different parts of the country.
The Final Word: Topical Content Marketing Tips
If you take the time to market your services, you will stand out as an industry professional,
and not a fly-by-night outfit. A great way to stay relevant throughout the year is to monitor
trends in the industry (and the news in general). Use Google Alerts to stay up-to-date on the
latest news pertaining to keywords of your choice, or follow popular industry hashtags on
social media sites (EX: Twitter) to keep apprised. TCIA, for example, participates in #treechat
every Tuesday at 2 p.m. to discuss the hottest topics in the industry. Feel free to stop by and
join the conversation!