Planning Ahead To Prepare Your Business For The Holidays: Schedule Social Media Content And Organize Client Communications So You Can Enjoy Stress-Free Time Off This Holiday Season

You’re Ready For A Holiday But Is Your Business?

Are you planning to take some time off over the holidays? I know I am.

I love social media. But, I also love putting my phone down and leaning into the season. So, I started a new tradition for myself. Every year, I delete my Instagram app and close my office door for at least 7 whole days to be present for myself and my family.

It’s A M A Z I N G. 👏🏻

Preparing your business for the holidays doesn’t have to be hard. All it takes is a plan, some creativity, and a little organization. Stepping back to enjoy some rest and holiday fun is totally worth the effort. But, you don’t want to ghost your clients and social media followers – past, present OR future. (See what I did there? A little Christmas Carol reference to ease you into this holiday-themed blog!)

 Knowing you’ve got content planned and scheduled ahead of time will make putting down your phone easy. And, with crystal clear client communication you can enjoy your holidays with confidence. Here are some tips to get your business ready for some time off this holiday season.

Give Your Audience The Gift Of Your Presence Over The Holidays (Even If You’re Not Around!)

 Pop quiz! Why do people follow you on social or sign up for your mailing list?

 Easy. Because they love tuning in to see (and hear) what you have to share. So, don’t leave them hanging when you take a holiday break. Plan your content in advance and keep those connections strong.

Part of preparing your business for time off is coming up with ways to stay connected with your audience. Your holiday marketing strategy shouldn’t end the day you sign off for your break. You might be putting your phone down for a few days to sample the nog, but that doesn’t mean your audience is! 💡

 Do yourself a favour and make sure to plan social posts and an email or two to carry you through your time off. That way, you can keep serving your audience engaging (and purposeful) content while you kick back with your family in your matching holiday PJs.

 Skip The Stress + Schedule Your Holiday Content Ahead Of Time

 When you plan early, you give yourself a chance to be creative without the stress of a looming deadline. So, get organized and create some strategic holiday content sooner rather than later.

• Check your analytics to see what types of content your audience is looking for.
• Take a look at last year’s holiday content to see what performed well.
• Get clear on the purpose of your holiday posts. (Whether you’re promoting an end-of-the-year offer or looking to get personal )

Once you know what you want to share with your followers or subscribers, it’s time to make some magic! Break out the holiday décor and snap some festive photos. Put on some seasonal tunes and write those captions. And then, schedule it! 

 Some of my favourite scheduling tools for social are Plann, Later, Planoly, and Facebook’s Creator Studio. And, if you’re creating content for your mailing list this holiday season, I recommend FloDesk and ConvertKit. They’re easy to use and offer lots of gorgeous, easy-to-customize templates.

 It’s Your Holiday And You Can Post If You Want To!

 Just because you’re taking some time off to relax and eat way too many holiday treats doesn’t mean you can’t leave a little room for spontaneous posting on your social! If you feel inspired, pop into your stories or film a fun reel.

 Scheduling your posts ahead of time takes the stress out of showing up on social. But, just because you don’t have to post, doesn’t mean you can’t!

Do Your Clients Know About Your Holiday Plans? (Psssst! They Should!)

 Planning social content to go out while you’re taking a few days off is an important part of preparing your business for time off this holiday season. But, if you’re a small business owner, then you know there’s more to running a business than creating content. Before you sign out to deck the halls, you’ve got to take care of your existing clients and make sure new leads aren’t left hanging. Remember, communication is key!

 ➡️ Put a notice in your email footer

 Give everyone a heads up about your planned holiday break.  Add a short and sweet notice to your email footer a few weeks ahead of time.

 ➡️ Write a fun & festive Out-Of-Office email reply

 Schedule your OOO message to send as an automatic response to any emails that come in while you’re away. Have fun with it and make sure your message tells people how long you’ll be away, when you’ll be back and when they can expect to hear from you. If you’re working with a team, you could also include the contact information for a colleague who can take care of your clients while you’re away from your desk.

 ➡️ Add an OOO note to your social profile bios

 It only takes a few seconds to do and it’s worth it! Let your audience know you’re stepping away. They want you to enjoy the holidays, too.

 ➡️ Set up message auto-responses for Facebook & Instagram

 Don’t forget to set up a little OOO auto-response for your social media accounts. And, set yourself a reminder to include checking your DMs when you get back to your office.

 When you’re planning time off, clear communication with your clients and social media audience is key. It helps to set realistic expectations and to build trust. It also makes your clients feel taken care of–and that’s always a win!

Prepare Your Business For The Holidays So You Can Rock Around The Christmas Tree (Or Curl Up With A Good Book #YouDoYou) 

The holidays are the perfect time for an extended social media break. And, with some planning (and scheduling!) you can enjoy the “ding dong” of jingle bells instead of notifications from your social apps. 

 Start early, plan and schedule your social content and communicate clearly with your clients about your time off. When you prepare your business for the holidays well, you’ll be able to enjoy a stress-free break knowing things are running smoothly while you’re away. 

 P.S. If you need help planning fun and strategic content for the holiday season, explore Social Kat services here!