How to Handle Social Media Over the Christmas Shutdown (Without Burning Out)
The New Zealand summer shutdown is sacred.
For two to three weeks between Christmas and New Year, most of the country clocks off, fires up the barbecue, and heads to the bach. Your suppliers shut down. Your clients disappear. Even your most dedicated team members are (rightfully) thinking about anything but work.
Yet here you are in mid-November, staring at your social media calendar for December and January, wondering: do I just... stop posting? Do I wing it? Do I schedule a bunch of content and hope for the best?
If you're a business owner juggling everything yourself, or a marketing manager trying to keep all the plates spinning, the summer shutdown can feel like just another thing on an already overwhelming to-do list.
Here's the reality: your social media needs to keep going over the break – but you don't need to be chained to your laptop on Boxing Day to make it happen. Whether you're planning to handle this yourself this year or you're realising it might be time to get some help, here's what actually needs to happen.
Why You Can't Just Ghost Your Audience (Even When Everyone's on Holiday)
Let's address the elephant in the room: does anyone even care about social media over Christmas?
The data says yes – but differently than you might think.
While overall engagement can dip slightly during the holidays, social media usage actually increases. People are scrolling while waiting for the roast to cook, killing time at the airport, or winding down after a big day with family at the bach. In fact, Instagram and TikTok see some of their highest daily active user rates during holiday periods.
But here's the difference: your audience isn't looking for hard sells or corporate announcements. They want content that feels light, human, and genuinely useful or entertaining.
The brands that win over the break aren't the ones posting sales every day. They're the ones that stay present without being pushy, helpful without being demanding, and consistent without burning out their team.
The Smart Approach: Batch, Schedule, and Automate (Easier Said Than Done)
The secret to a stress-free Christmas break? Do the work now, so you don't have to do it later.
In theory, it's simple. In practice? When you're also trying to close out the year's financials, manage end-of-year projects, coordinate team leave, and somehow find time to buy Christmas presents, "just batch your content" can feel laughably unrealistic. Research shows that 68% of employees report decreased concentration during the weeks leading up to major holidays (Dynamic HR Consultancy, 2024), and in NZ where most businesses shut down for 2-3 weeks, the pressure to wrap everything up is even more intense.
But here's what needs to happen – whether you tackle it yourself, delegate it to someone on your team, or bring in outside help:
1. Decide Your Posting Schedule (And Lower Your Expectations)
First things first: you don't need to maintain your usual cadence over the break. In fact, you probably shouldn't.
Aim for 2-3 posts per week across your main platforms during the shutdown period. This keeps you visible without overwhelming your (also on holiday) audience or creating unnecessary work.
For most NZ businesses, that means scheduling:
Week of Christmas (23-29 Dec): 2 posts maximum – keep them light and festive
New Year week (30 Dec-5 Jan): 2-3 posts – reflective, forward-looking, or useful
Back-to-work week (6-12 Jan): Ramp back up to your normal schedule
2. Create Your Content Now (The Bit That Takes Longer Than You Think)
If you're doing this yourself, block out two full afternoons before mid-December to create everything you'll need. And we mean full afternoons – not "I'll squeeze it in between meetings."
This includes:
Visual content:
Holiday greeting graphics (Canva templates will be your friend here)
Year-in-review highlights (pull those photos now while you remember where they are)
"See you in 2026" messaging
Any product/service showcases you want to run
Behind-the-scenes team photos (grab these at your Christmas function!)
Written content:
All captions drafted and saved somewhere you won't lose them
Relevant hashtags researched (yes, this matters)
Any links or CTAs prepared and tested
We get it: If you're reading this thinking, "I don't have two full afternoons to spare in December," you're not alone. Most business owners and marketing managers don't. This is often the point where smart businesses realise that outsourcing their social media isn't a luxury – it's a way to actually enjoy their summer break.
3. Schedule Everything Before You Leave
Use a scheduling tool (Meta Business Suite, Metricool, Hootsuite, or whatever you're comfortable with) to queue up every single post before your shutdown begins.
Set them to go live at optimal times for your audience – which, during the holidays, tends to be mid-morning (10-11am) when people are having their first coffee of the day, or early evening (7-9pm) when they're winding down.
Critical: Give yourself a buffer. If your shutdown starts December 20th, have everything scheduled by December 18th at the latest. This gives you time to handle any last-minute hiccups.
4. Set Up Auto-Responses for DMs and Comments
Most platforms now allow you to set up automated responses for direct messages. Use this feature to let people know:
You're on a summer break
When you'll be back
How to reach you for genuine emergencies (if applicable)
That you'll respond to all messages when you return
Keep it warm and human:
"Thanks for reaching out! We're currently on our summer break recharging the batteries and will be back in the office on [DATE]. We'll reply to all messages then. If you need immediate help, check out [RESOURCE]. Otherwise, enjoy the sunshine and we'll chat soon!"
What to Actually Post (The Content Strategy Bit)
Now that you know when and how to schedule, let's talk about what actually works during the Christmas break.
Content That Performs Well Over the Holidays:
1. Holiday greetings and thank-yous. Keep them genuine, not overly corporate. A simple "Thanks for an amazing 2025 – see you in the new year!" with a team photo beats a generic stock image every time.
2. Year-in-review content. Share highlights, milestones, favourite moments, or client wins from the past year. This content tends to get good engagement because it's naturally shareable and nostalgic.
3. Behind-the-scenes and team content. People love seeing the humans behind the brand. Share photos from your Christmas function, introduce team members, or show how you're spending the break.
4. Useful, evergreen tips. Educational content that's relevant year-round performs well because people are actually in "learning mode" during downtime.
5. Low-key promos (if relevant). If you're a product-based business, Boxing Day or New Year sales content obviously makes sense. For service-based businesses, consider soft launches or "early bird" offers for the new year that don't require immediate action.
Content to Avoid:
Don't post anything that requires urgent action. Your audience is on holiday too, and they don't want homework.
Skip the heavy topics. Politics, serious industry debates, or anything remotely controversial can wait until February.
Avoid anything time-sensitive. If your shutdown runs longer than expected or someone's away with no signal, you don't want critical business updates going out unmonitored.
Setting Boundaries: What If Something Goes Wrong?
Sometimes things happen during the break that need addressing on social media.
Before you leave, decide:
Who (if anyone) is monitoring accounts over the break
What constitutes a genuine emergency that needs immediate response
How you'll handle negative comments or customer complaints that come in
For most small-to-medium NZ businesses, the answer is: nobody monitors, and everything waits until you're back. And that's okay.
Set expectations clearly in your auto-responses and final posts before the break. Most people are incredibly understanding – they're on holiday too.
If you do need to monitor: Assign one person, limit it to 15 minutes per day maximum, and only respond to genuine emergencies. Everything else can wait.
January: Easing Back In (Not Hitting the Ground Running)
When you return in January, resist the urge to ramp up to full speed right away.
Your first week back should ease your audience (and yourself) back into normal programming.
Post content that:
Welcomes everyone back
Shares fresh goals or intentions for the year
Acknowledges the transition period ("Anyone else still in holiday mode?")
Offers genuine value without asking for much in return
Use January as a runway to build momentum.
Your Pre-Shutdown Checklist (And When to Call in Help)
Two weeks before your Christmas break, everything below needs to be done:
✅ Content created – All posts written, images designed, videos edited
✅ Everything scheduled – Every post queued up through mid-January
✅ Auto-responses set & checked – DMs and comments have friendly automated replies
✅ Emergency plan decided – You know who (if anyone) is monitoring and when
✅ Out-of-office messaging updated – Email, phone, website, and social bios all consistent
✅ Team briefed – Everyone knows the plan and what's expected
✅ Final posts done – "See you in 2026!" content is live
And then? Close the laptop. Put down your phone. Go to the beach.
Here's the honest question: Looking at this checklist, do you have the time, expertise, and energy to get it all done?
If you're a business owner who's already stretched thin, or a marketing manager juggling ten other priorities, it's okay to admit this is too much. The businesses that come to us in November aren't failing at social media – they're succeeding at recognising what's worth their time and what isn't.
Your social media doesn't need to be perfect over the Christmas break. It just needs to be present, strategic, and genuinely light.
The goal isn't to go viral in the middle of summer. It's to maintain the relationship you've built with your audience, so when everyone returns in January (and business picks back up), you're still top of mind.
For some businesses, that means blocking out time in December to do this work yourself. For others, it means recognising that your time is better spent elsewhere – on strategy, on clients, on the parts of your business only you can do.
The businesses that get this right aren't necessarily the ones doing it all themselves. They're the ones who understand the difference between busy work and strategic work, and who know when to bring in specialists who live and breathe this stuff.
If you're reading this and feeling overwhelmed, that's not a failure. That's a sign you're ready for a different approach.
Wondering if it's time to hand your social media over to someone who actually has the time and expertise to do it properly? At Daring Digital, we specialise in social media management for ambitious NZ businesses who are done with the DIY struggle. We handle everything from strategy to content creation to monitoring accounts – so you can actually enjoy your summer shutdown.
Let's chat about taking social media off your plate in 2026.
