The spring socialising challenge: 7 days to build a social marketing habit

It happened again last week. Another customer at the Brewtown Farmers Market asked me about when dahlias would be available to buy.

I found myself explaining the cycle of growing dahlias—dividing tubers, planting, growing, and bloom times in our local conditions. She was genuinely surprised that it took so much effort and time and left feeling more excited (and not disappointed at all) that she'd have to wait another 5 months before our first dahlias will be available for sale.

As I drove home from the market reflecting on the day's business, I realised the dahlia chat was one of those natural marketing conversations that feel effortless when they happen spontaneously. But ask me to recreate that same interaction intentionally—say, by posting about dahlia varieties on social media—and suddenly it feels forced and uncomfortable.

The difference? In that spontaneous moment, I wasn't trying to promote my business. I was simply sharing knowledge with someone who was curious. There was no agenda, no pressure to convert her into a customer, just genuine enthusiasm for something I know well.

It was a powerful reminder that social marketing isn't about forcing yourself into uncomfortable situations, but about practising the skills you already have in slightly more intentional ways.

In this post, you'll discover:

• How to turn natural conversations into sustainable marketing habits

• Seven daily practices that build on skills you already have

• Why spring timing makes developing social marketing habits easier

• Simple ways to make everyday interactions work harder for your business

Why spring is perfect for building social marketing habits

September in the Southern Hemisphere offers something unique for flower farmers wanting to develop more intentional business socialising: endless natural conversation starters. Your seedlings are emerging, planning decisions are being made, and there's genuine excitement about what the season might bring.

This seasonal energy provides perfect material for developing social marketing habits because you're not manufacturing content or forcing promotional conversations. You're simply being more systematic about sharing what's actually happening in your growing space during one of the most dynamic times of the year.

People are naturally curious about spring preparations. They want to know what you're planting, why you chose certain varieties, how you time your sowings. This curiosity creates natural opportunities to share your expertise and passion while building the habit of talking about your business more intentionally.

The habit formation approach

Building sustainable social marketing practices works like developing any other habit—through consistent, small actions rather than occasional big efforts. Just as you wouldn’t plant a whole field without preparing the soil first, you don’t need to jump into constant posting. Small steps build strong roots.

The key is creating regular practices that feel natural and build on each other. Each time you intentionally share something about your business and receive a positive response, you're strengthening the neural pathways that make business socialising feel more automatic and less effortful.

The 7-day spring socialising habit builder

This challenge is designed to help you develop more intentional social marketing practices using the natural energy and content of spring preparation season. Each day builds on the previous one, starting with simple documentation and gradually increasing intentionality.

Day 1: Notice and document interesting moments

Take a quick photo of something happening in your growing space — seedlings, soil prep, or seed packets you’re excited about. Add one sentence on why it matters.

Why this works: Trains you to see everyday work as marketable moments.

Day 2: Share one spring moment with context

Post yesterday’s photo (or take a new one) and add why it matters for your season or customers.

Why this works: Context transforms a snapshot into a story.

Day 3: Respond publicly to one question

Next time someone asks about your flowers or timing, share your answer where others can see it too.

Why this works: One answer educates many.

Day 4: Share the story behind one variety choice

Pick one flower variety and explain why you grow it — fragrance, vase life, colour, or problem it solves.

Why this works: Variety stories show expertise and value.

Day 5: Connect current work to future customer benefit

Share something you’re doing now (succession planting, early sowing) and explain how it benefits customers later.

Why this works: Shows how your behind-the-scenes work benefits them.

Day 6: Create conversation around preferences

Ask something light: “Favourite spring colour combo?” or “Pastels or brights for weddings?”

Why this works:  Builds engagement and gives insights.

Day 7: Share seasonal availability with timing context

Let people know what’s coming into season and when: “Dahlias planted now will be ready from January.

Why this works: Sets expectations and builds trust.

Making these habits stick

The goal of this challenge isn't to create seven new daily tasks for yourself. It's to develop the habit of being more intentional about the business socialising you're probably already doing somewhat naturally.

After completing the challenge, identify which activities felt most natural and sustainable. Those are the ones to build into your regular routine. The activities that felt forced or time-consuming don't need to become ongoing practices.

• Focus on what flows: If sharing variety stories feels natural, make that a regular part of your communication. If explaining seasonal timing came easily, prioritise that type of educational content.

• Adapt what works partially: If daily sharing felt like too much but weekly sharing seemed manageable, adjust the frequency. If photo-taking worked but writing felt difficult, focus more on visual sharing.

• Drop what doesn't fit: If asking questions for engagement feels awkward, you don't need to make it a regular practice. If certain platforms or methods feel uncomfortable, choose different channels.

The seasonal rhythm advantage

One reason this habit-building approach works well in spring is that your seasonal rhythm provides natural content throughout the year. Spring's planning and planting energy gives way to summer's growth and harvest activity, then autumn's reflection and preparation for the next cycle.

This means once you develop the habit of sharing seasonally relevant content, you don't need to manufacture things to talk about. Your natural work rhythm provides material for social marketing throughout the year.

As each season brings its own activities and challenges, you'll have natural opportunities to demonstrate expertise, share timing information, explain variety choices, and connect your work to customer benefits.

Building systems that support the habits

Sustainable social marketing habits need simple systems to support them. After completing the challenge, consider which small systems would make your new habits easier to maintain:

• Documentation system: Maybe it's keeping your phone handy for photos, or setting aside five minutes each morning to notice something worth sharing.

• Content planning: Perhaps it's jotting down variety stories as you plant them, or keeping a simple list of seasonal timing explanations you can share.

• Response preparation: It might be thinking through common questions people ask and having thoughtful answers ready.

• Platform choices: Deciding which one or two channels work best for your communication style and customer base.

The key is creating systems that make social marketing feel like a natural extension of your work rather than an additional burden on top of it.

Why small, consistent actions work better than big gestures

Dramatic social marketing efforts—launching a podcast, hosting events, creating elaborate content—might seem impressive, but small, regular actions build more reliable habits and often create better business results.

Each time you intentionally share something about your work and receive positive feedback, you're reinforcing the habit pattern. These small positive experiences accumulate over time, making business socialising feel more automatic and less effortful.

Regular, small sharing also keeps you visible to your audience without overwhelming them. People can follow along with your seasonal rhythm and start to anticipate what you'll have available when.

The compound effect of intentional socialising

The magic of these small habits is how they compound over time. Each story, update, and insight adds up to a clear picture of your business — one that attracts customers who value local, seasonal flowers.

People start to understand not just what you grow, but how and why you grow it. They begin to value your timing, appreciate your variety choices, and trust your recommendations. This understanding makes them more likely to become loyal customers who plan around your seasons rather than expecting constant availability.

What makes this approach sustainable

Unlike social marketing approaches that require constant content creation or high-energy promotional activities, habit-based social marketing works with your natural rhythm rather than against it.

You're not trying to maintain artificial enthusiasm or create personality-based content. You're simply being more systematic about sharing the genuine knowledge and seasonal activities that are already part of your work.

This approach is sustainable because it's based on authenticity rather than performance. You don't need to be "on" all the time—you just need to be more intentional about sharing what you're already doing and learning.

Your social marketing foundation

The conversations you already have naturally—like my dahlia chat at the farmers market—prove you have the skills for effective social marketing. The challenge is simply making those skills more intentional and systematic.

Your seasonal flower knowledge, growing experience, and genuine enthusiasm for beautiful blooms are exactly what people want to hear about. This challenge helps you develop the habit of sharing that knowledge more strategically while keeping it feeling natural and authentic.

You don’t need to become someone different to market your flowers. Just be more intentional about sharing what you already know and love.

Because the best social marketing grows one small conversation at a time.

Which habit feels most worth developing?

Is it getting better at noticing the interesting moments in your daily work? Connecting your growing activities to customer benefits? Or being more systematic about sharing seasonal availability and timing?

Start with the habit that feels most natural to your current routine, then build from there. Sustainable social marketing grows one intentional conversation at a time.

Written by: Julie Treanor - Owner of The Pickery and co-creator of The Floral Business Activator. A seasonal flower grower who learned that the best social marketing happens when you're more intentional about the natural conversations you're already having.
Follow Julie on Instagram @thepickery