4 Tips For Taking A Social Media Break This Christmas (Without Hurting Your Business)

With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, are you starting to worry about how you’ll juggle your business’ social media accounts whilst you take some much needed time off?

Unlike other tasks that can be set aside and picked up again when you get back, social media marketing doesn’t just stop. It requires a consistent presence and regular monitoring. However, taking a proper break is essential and can make all the difference to your energy, creativity levels and mental health. So, what should you do when you don’t want to be glued to a screen all over Christmas?

I’m here to give you four top tips for taking a step back from social media during your winter break without sacrificing your business. Of course, this advice can be applied to any holiday, whether it’s a summer holiday or an impromptu getaway. So, add these top tips to your pre-holiday to-do list and get ready to enjoy a break that’s free from the stresses of social media:

1. Schedule in advance

By planning your content in advance and using a tool to schedule social media posts for specific times and dates in the future, you can ensure you still have content going out consistently, even while you’re away. I’m sure this is something you may have considered before now, but if you’re new to scheduling, I’d recommend the following tools:

Buffer - If you’re a smaller business looking for something quick and easy to use, Buffer is a great choice.
Hootsuite - Founded in 2008, Hootsuite is one of the original schedulers and helps to keep all your posts in one place.
Later - Well known as a favourite for Instagram scheduling, it can also schedule posts to all the main social media platforms. It’s a very visual tool which is a key advantage.
Canva - If you use Canva for image creation, you’ll be happy to know they have recently added an exciting new feature! This enables you to schedule your social media content right from their Canva editor!
Built-in Schedulers - You can even schedule content directly through some of the social media platforms themselves, such as Twitter. Via Facebook Publishing Tools, you can schedule Facebook and Instagram posts. Unfortunately, LinkedIn doesn’t currently offer this functionality.

The above tools are generally free, but some can be upgraded for additional features. Many paid tools are also available if you’re looking for something more advanced, such as ContentCal and AgoraPulse. However, those listed above are an excellent starting point.

2. Handle community management in bulk

If you are going away or taking some time off, the goal is quality time with your friends and family, right? The last thing you (and they) want is for you to be dipping in and out of your phone or laptop all day to respond to questions and comments. That being said, community management is crucial, and leaving messages unanswered could negatively impact your business.

Try putting a slot of time aside each day, either in the mornings or in the evenings, to respond to all questions and comments in one go. That might mean giving a slower response time than you’re used to, but it’s certainly better than not responding at all.

If you want to unplug completely, though, then maybe the next option is the way to go.

3. Bring in some outside help

Your other solution for handling community management is to bring in outside help.

If you’re an employee looking after your company’s social media, look for someone else within the organisation who can take over while you are on annual leave. Of course, when it comes to Christmas, no one will want to be working the entire time. So you may decide to take it in turns each year or share the workload between you. This ensures you’re not managing social media all the time.

In cases where there isn’t anyone else (or at least anyone who can help), outsourcing to a freelancer might be the best option for you.

Hire an experienced social media manager who can look after your community for you, and you’ll get the best of both worlds - peace of mind that your channels are in safe hands and the freedom to take time off without the added stress.

(And, importantly, it’ll keep your friends and family happy and give you the break you need from your screen).

A mobile phone with a blank screen — (Photo by Yahdi Romelo on Unsplash)

4. Be open and clear

If your business is small and hiring outside help isn’t an option, just be open with your community about where you are.

We all need a break from time to time, and we all understand the importance of taking a step back from work to really enjoy those special moments in between.

As long as you clearly state how long you’ll be away and when you’ll be back, your community will feel considered, and they should understand.

You should also communicate that same message to key clients (and colleagues/management, depending on your situation) to let them know how they can reach you in a social media emergency.

Be sure to clarify what an emergency is (you don’t want them contacting you over every little thing) and what steps they should take if something happens.

The bottom line here is that your business won’t fall to pieces if you can’t be around to engage on social media for a week or two. Just be sure to take advantage of the tools available to you so that you can prepare in advance and cut down on how much work is required when you’re away.

Do you have any more useful tips to add? Let me know over on my social media channels.

Have a lovely break!