Planning around the seasons that matter to you
Marketing calendars list every holiday and awareness day, which tempts small teams into posting about occasions that have nothing to do with what they sell.
Three dates, planned properly, beat forty acknowledged.
Choose your three#
Look at last year's sales by month and find the peaks. Those are your seasons, whatever the marketing calendar says. A garden centre and an accountant have almost nothing in common except that both know exactly which months pay for the year.
If your sales are flat across the year, your seasons are your own events — a launch, an anniversary, a restock. Invent them deliberately rather than borrowing someone else's.
Plan backwards from the date#
| Weeks before | What happens |
|---|---|
| Six | Decide the offer and what must be produced |
| Four | Film and write everything; nothing produced in the final week |
| Two | Warm-up content: the problem, the story, the making |
| One | The offer, clearly, more than once |
| During | Answer questions fast; this is when replies decide sales |
| After | One thank-you, one result post, one page of notes for next year |
The final week is for selling, not making#
- Everything should already be filmed, written and scheduled.
- Keep two spare posts for the thing you did not anticipate.
- Clear the inbox daily — response speed is worth more than any extra post.
- Do not launch anything new operationally in the same week.
Write next year's notes while it is fresh#
One page, the week after: what sold, what was ignored, what nearly broke, and what you would start earlier. Next year that page saves a fortnight, and it is the only reason a seasonal campaign gets easier rather than merely repeated.
Frequently asked questions
Should we post about every holiday?
No. Posting about occasions unrelated to what you sell dilutes the account and teaches followers to skip you.
How far ahead should a seasonal campaign start?
Six weeks of planning, four of production, two of warm-up for most small teams.
What if we missed the planning window?
Run a smaller version well rather than a big one badly. A rushed campaign mostly generates operational problems.
seasonal campaignsocial media campaign planningholiday marketingblack friday socialcampaign calendar
