December is when a lot of business owners stop thinking about their socials, and January (or February - how long is your holiday!) is when they feel it. A feed that goes quiet for a month gives people a reason to forget you.
I'm Liz, and I've spent over five years running social media for NZ businesses as a one woman marketing department. These are the six moves I recommend to every client heading into the break. Do them and your accounts keep working while you're toes deep in the sand.
1. Schedule everything before you finish up
Batch your holiday content in one sitting and schedule it before your last working day. Pinterest's holiday content guide makes the same case: most holiday content can be planned ahead, which is the surest way to avoid burnout over the break.
Block out two hours the week before you finish up. Write the captions, load the images and schedule every post through to the second week of January.
I use Meta Business Suite, TikTok Studio and Instagram's own scheduler. The choice is yours, so pick the ones you'll actually open and don't make it harder than it needs to be.
2. Post less, but keep showing up
Two scheduled posts a week is enough to keep your account active over the break. There is less fresh news around and your audience is busy, so a lighter schedule is fine. Going completely dark is the move to avoid.
My go to is one festive or personal post and one useful post each week. The festive one is a thank you to customers or a team photo. The useful one is a tip, a result or a reminder of your holiday hours.
Do more if you can, but don't pile on the pressure. Twice a week is plenty to stay visible.
Stories can be another great way to keep your audience interested. They’re easy to create and upload. Take people behind the scenes of your holiday or reshare relevant past content.
3. Recycle your top five posts in a new format
Your best content from the year will be new to most of your audience, so give it a second life. Don't reinvent the wheel. Open your Insights, find your five strongest posts and remake each one in a different format. A year in review countdown works well, with one top post shared at a time over the break.
Check each one before it goes back out. Old prices, availability and opening hours date quickly.
A few easy remixes:
A carousel becomes a talking Reel.
A Reel becomes a carousel of its key takeaways.
A text post becomes a Story poll.
A client result becomes a short testimonial graphic.
4. Set up an away message with your holiday dates
An away message keeps enquiries warm while you're offline. In Meta Business Suite, open your Inbox, go to Automations, choose Away message, tick Instagram and add your away time. It only sends during the hours you schedule, so enter your holiday dates and not your normal working hours.
Tell people when you're back and when to expect a reply. Here is a message that works:
"Thanks for your message! I'm away until [date] and will reply when I'm back. If you'd like a spot on my 2027 wait list, the form is here: [link]."
Instagram's saved replies are a different tool. They insert a template when you type a shortcut, but you still have to press send. Use the Business Suite away message when you want a true auto reply.
5. Set your own log off hours
Decide when you're online and stick to it. Pick one ten minute window a day to reply to comments and DMs, then log out of the apps for the rest of the break. Scheduled posts make this possible, because they go out without you. You deserve a break!
Planoly's holiday guide also suggests setting log on and log off hours and building in a few days with no social media at all. I agree. Your feed will cope without you for a day, and so will your clients (aren’t they on holiday too?).
6. Share your holiday plans early
Before 2026 closes, post your break dates and holiday hours, then pin that closure date post to the top of your grid. Update your hours on your Facebook Page and Google Business Profile, and create a website pop up with key dates. Give your clients a heads up as well, because people who know when you're back will wait for you.
Then use the quiet to give other small businesses a shoutout, such as a local cafe, a supplier or a client you love working with. It costs nothing and it keeps your feed useful when you have no news of your own.
Planning for 2027?
The 2027 wait list is open. I'm a one woman marketing department for NZ businesses that want ads, content, design and campaigns handled properly, without hiring someone full time. I bring over 15 years of graphic design and more than five years of digital marketing to every client.
My books are full for now, so I'm taking enquiries for the new year. Tell me what your marketing looks like right now and what you'd like it to become: [wait list link].
