So, this is Christmas. It’s the end of the year, and with that, comes the end of year social media activities. Whether you’re branding your social media with Christmas colours, or reporting your wins for the year, or scheduling content, there are heaps of thing to keep on top of. Here’s your survival guide to help you out before you sign off from work for the year and set up the Christmas tree.

Your Christmas Cover Images

It’s always a bit of fun to add the holiday cheer to your social media channels. Whether you’re creating a Christmas competition or campaign, or just a single post to celebrate Christmas, it’s always fun to deck the halls with Christmas online. Updating your avatar and cover images with a little Christmas flavour can be a cute way to get into the festive season.
When you switch your social channels to your Christmas-themes images, don’t forget to save your originals so you can switch them back when you return in January!
PROTIP: Save your originals somewhere obvious like your desktop and pop a reminder in your calendar for when you return to the office you can easily switch them over as soon as you get back.

Want more ideas on where you can add some Christmas magic across your social channels? Check out: [INFOGRAPHIC] 13 Ways to Scrub up Your Facebook Page

The end of year report

For some people, one of the hardest things to do with social media is to show success. Social media’s real forte is building a community to re-engage customers with your brand long term, so for some companies, it might be harder to track ROI than a more direct sales path (such as a Google AdWords).
However, having a clear idea of what your marketing goals are with your social media, and a monthly report you can use to compare progress, makes it a lot easier when the end of year reporting comes around.

Scheduling Scramble

For many businesses who shutdown over Christmas, it’s a race to schedule enough content over the break to keep engaging your audience.
Another option is to scale back the number of posts you create (which isn’t a bad trick for moderation anyway!), but you can also recycle content from last year which was successful, or mid year which is evergreen, then just reserve it. Simply export your social posts for that month in Facebook, and rank the data by engagement or clickthroughs to see the content which performed best.
If you’re also preparing content into January, you might find my 2020 Key Dates calendar a handy reference to ensure you’ve got ideas to keep you going!
PROTIP: If you use a social media scheduling tool, check if there is a bulk upload function, like this one in Hootsuite. It’s a lifesaver!

Christmas competitions

For those running Christmas competitions, it can be a brilliant opportunity for your brand to be seen by people outside of your usual audience especially if it’s shared or promoted. But it’s essential that you ensure your competitions are up to scratch in terms of their design (and the law!) so that when you close and draw the competition in the new year, you’re not left with a crisis you need to manage.
Check out the article covering the Four Mistakes You Need to Avoid When Running Competitions on Social Media and How to Run a Headache-Free Competition on Instagram.

Related: 5 Minutes With: A Social Media Competition Expert

Take a break

It’s essential for everyone to relax, take a break and unwind over the holiday period – even those who manage social media pages! Just because social doesn’t sleep – doesn’t mean you can’t. Organising a plan for how you’re going to manage your social media over the holidays is essential, whether you’re locking your page, checking in once a week, or hiring experts to cover it for you. Get it sorted before the holiday season is in full swing.
It’s also useful to think about how you’re going to plan your new year so you’ve got balance in your days, whether it’s tips to prevent burnout, or how to work more productively.
Now you’ve got your social media checklist sorted – the only list you need to worry about now is whether you’re on Santa’s good list – or naughty list!
Merry Christmas!

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2021 Key Dates Calendar

Looking for a listing of key dates, fun events and holidays to help you plan your social media content for 2021? This dates listing covers everything from Australian public holidays, silly days, sporting events and award shows from January through til December 2021.

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Want to work with Rachel?

Rachel Beaney is a writer and social media content specialist, helping businesses connect with their audiences.

She’s worked with local, national and global companies, in addition to not-for-profits and government bodies. She loves helping businesses tell their stories with creative and data-driven solutions.

She is based in Sydney, Australia.

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