Planning a Year of Seasonal Marketing for a Local Business

Every year the same moments come around: New Year, Easter, the tourist season, Rtveli, back to school. And every year many local businesses remember them two days before, rush a greeting post, and miss the chance to prepare an offer people could actually plan around.

A seasonal plan fixes that. You map the year once, decide which moments matter to your business, and prepare each one a few weeks ahead. This guide gives you a month-by-month overview for Georgia and a simple method to build your own plan.

Why seasonal planning pays off

Seasonal moments are when people are already thinking about buying: gifts, family meals, trips, new clothes, a fresh haircut before a celebration. Posts connected to these moments feel relevant rather than pushy. Planning ahead also means better photos, a thought-out offer and enough time for people to see it before they decide.

The Georgian year at a glance

Winter: December to February

• New Year and Orthodox Christmas (7 January): the biggest season for gifts, sweets, restaurants, beauty services and decorations. Start posting gift ideas and booking reminders in early December.
• Ski season in Gudauri, Bakuriani and Svaneti: key for hotels, rentals, cafés and transport.
• Valentine's Day (14 February): relevant for restaurants, flowers, jewellery and gifts.

Spring: March to May

• Mother's Day (3 March) and 8 March: two gift occasions close together, important for flowers, beauty, cafés and shops.
• Easter: the date changes each year, so check it early. Think about family meals, baking, decorations and the days off around it.
• Independence Day (26 May): a long weekend for many people, with trips and gatherings.
• Spring refresh: new menus, seasonal collections, outdoor terraces opening.

Summer: June to August

• Tourist season: peak months in Batumi, the Black Sea coast and the mountains. Visitors plan before they arrive, so start posting in spring, ideally in English and Russian as well as Georgian.
• Weddings and celebrations: important for restaurants, salons, florists and photographers.
• Mariamoba (28 August): a public holiday and a reason for family gatherings.

Autumn: September to November

• Back to school in September: stationery, clothes, children's haircuts, quick family meals.
• Rtveli, the grape harvest: a natural theme for wineries, guesthouses, restaurants and tours.
• Tbilisoba in autumn: the city festival, a good moment for Tbilisi businesses.
• Giorgoba (23 November): a holiday many families celebrate, followed by the start of the New Year preparations.

You do not need to use every date. Pick the ones that make sense for your customers. For specific post ideas around each holiday, see our article on Georgian holidays for businesses.

Build your plan in four steps

1. List your own seasons. Look at your sales over the past year. When are your busiest and quietest months? A café may slow down in August when locals leave the city, while a guesthouse is full.
2. Choose six to eight key moments. Mix big holidays with your own dates, such as the anniversary of your opening.
3. Decide the goal for each moment. Bookings, pre-orders, gift sales, or simply staying visible with a greeting.
4. Set a start date. Count backwards from each moment and mark when to begin posting.

How far ahead to start

A practical rule of thumb:

• Greeting only: post on the day or the evening before.
• Offer or special menu: announce one to two weeks ahead, then remind two or three times.
• Pre-orders and gift sets: start two to four weeks ahead, because people need time to decide and order.
• Tourist season: start one to three months ahead, because travellers book in advance.

Preparation, such as photos, prices and stock, should start even earlier than the first post.

Do not forget the quiet periods

Seasonal planning is not only about peaks. Quiet months are when consistent posting matters most, because you need to stay visible until the next busy period. Use them for behind-the-scenes posts, tips and loyalty offers for regular customers. Our guide on consistent posting explains why steady presence pays off.

Start this week

• Print a simple year calendar and mark the holidays that matter for your business.
• Add your own busy and quiet months.
• Choose six to eight key moments and write a goal for each.
• Mark start dates for preparation and for the first post.
• Put the next two moments into your content calendar now.

If you prefer not to track dates yourself, SocialAI already knows the Georgian holiday calendar and prepares relevant posts in advance, so you only review and adjust them before they go out.