The holiday period is socially intense; emotions run higher, routines loosen, and when people log off work, they log straight onto their socials. They’re scrolling for inspiration, brain rot, something to help navigate family tensions, or distraction. This means more time online: posting, commenting, sharing and reacting, not just with their friends and community, but to brands.
But the problem is, as the feeds get noisier, the brand offices close up, teams thin out, and response times slow down so when things go wrong, who is there to fix it?
As brand guardians, ensuring their communities don’t undo the amazing work they’ve done all year during the Holiday season. As it’s the season of giving, we’re sharing our top tips on how to maintain presence, ensure communities feel safe, supported, and well managed over the festive period, before your teams head off into the hols.
Thanks to our brilliant social media managers working in retail, automotive, FMCG, travel, and mental health sectors for these community-saving tips.
Think social safety, think SANTA:
Safety
With many people off work, but being very online, community wellbeing is the top priority, and it helps protect your brand reputation too. Use insights to create a bespoke holiday plan that includes the right cover, tools, key contacts, and escalation plan to proactively keep your community safe and attended to.
Automation
Tech tools can take the pressure off your team and help you to be responsive to your community’s needs. Consider using auto-hide settings to catch inappropriate or harmful language or turn on Social Listening to alert you to crisis key words that need immediate attention or escalation.
Navigation
Managed expectations help reduce frustrations from amping up online. Make it clear and simple for your community to find the right support if your normal cover is reduced. From urgent assistance routes to when to expect a response, helpful holiday period guidance should be up-to-date and easy to find.
Timeliness
Irritating inconveniences such as delayed deliveries, missed flights, or car troubles, can rapidly turn your brand into the Grinch who stole Christmas when it happens during the festive season. Be prepared to react quickly or adapt your usual support options to save your followers from Noël hell and you will be rewarded in long-term loyalty.
Attention
Presence is a present, at Christmas and all year round. So it’s important to still provide an authentic community management service to help people feel valued. While technology can help with efficiencies and protections, it can’t substitute the community connection and care provided by a genuine human. Your brand depends on people, so let them depend on you too.
Finally, think about you and your teams too. While Christmas is magical for many, it may not be the ‘most wonderful time of year’ for everyone. Take care of yourself, and look out for others. As you’re scrolling this festive season, remember social media is often a highlight reel, but it can expose us to harmful content too. Prioritise your peace by setting screen time limits, taking breaks from the digital noise, and making space for connecting IRL. Some time offline might be the best gift you could give yourself this year.
Is your team heading off for Christmas? How to keep your socials safe when everyone else is online and your team aren’t.
Think SANTA…
Safety
Create a bespoke holiday plan using insights that includes the right cover, tools, key contacts, and escalation plan so if something happens no one is left wondering what to do.
Automation
Tech tools can take the pressure off your team. Consider auto-hide settings to catch inappropriate or harmful language or turn on Social Listening to alert you to crisis key words that need attention or escalation.
Navigation
If you’re not online to speak to your audience, tell them where they can find you. Managed expectations = reduced frustrations. Make it clear where support can be found, from urgent assistance routes to when to expect a response.
Timeliness
Irritating inconveniences such as delayed deliveries, missed flights, or car troubles, can rapidly turn your brand into the Grinch who stole Christmas. Prepare statements to allow quick reactions or how to adapt usual support options.
Attention
While technology can help with efficiencies and protections, it can’t substitute the community connection and care provided by a genuine human. Presence is a present at Christmas and all year round so make sure you don’t let your CM go dark for the whole holiday.