To post, or not to post – that is the question. Whether ’tis more relaxing to log off of social media completely, or find pockets of time to share content while on vacation. That’s the Shakespeare, right? Regardless, we’re here to help answer it.
Everyone loves a vacation. We all work too hard and deserve a little time to rest. Whether you’re planning the family getaway to end all family getaways or a cozy staycation with your dog, the importance of some time off cannot be understated. But one aspect that often goes unconsidered is what to do about your social media. If you’re a content creator, the question gets extra hard. Can you take a vacation from the extra money you earn on your platform? What will happen to your engagement if you stop posting? Should you tell your audience where you’ll be?
Much like the Roman Senate on March 15th 44 BC, it’s a bit of a free for all. And there’s quite a bit to think about before you check out. In this article, we’ll cover the most importance pieces of managing your social media while you’re on vacation.
But Really, Should You Post? 🤔
While we’d recommend taking a break wholesale, not everyone finds it relaxing to just leave their profiles for a week. And for those of you actively trying to grow your audience, it might not be wise to. Consider your goals for vacation and the location. If you’re camping, you may not have reliable wi-fi. If you’re at a gorgeous beachside resort you may have better wi-fi – and you may want to share a few pics of the view! When deciding how to manage your socials on vacation, be sure to think about the access you’ll have to reliable internet.
So let’s say you do have access to internet and you want to keep up your posting schedule. There are a couple of ways you can still share content with your audience while getting some time away.
Post Manually ⏲️
The most accessible way is to log in each day and post the content yourself. You can drop in, post your content, and log right back out again. It shouldn’t take you more than 2 or 3 minutes, and maybe you can share a few things to your story while you’re on. 5 minutes a day at most and you’re still in your followers’ FYP. The downside? You have to remember to log on each day and make the post. And if you’re at aforementioned beachside resort, you may already be a few drinks in and not thinking about the time or your socials. This is still a viable option, but you’ll just have to find some way to remind yourself of it each day.
Schedule in Advance 🗓️
If you don’t want to rely on yourself to post content each day, try creating and scheduling it in advance. Some platforms will let you plan and schedule posts right in the app. All you have to do is set a date and time, and it will post regardless of if you remember it. Do some digging and see if your platform allows you to schedule content ahead of time. If not, do some research into third-party platforms that let you schedule your content. You may be perfectly in time for a free trial!
If neither of these will work for you, that’s fine. Just unplug for a while.
Tell Your Followers 📣
If you’ve been working hard to build a platform, you’ve probably got an audience that you want to connect with. You can’t leave them hanging. If you’re planning to step away from social media for a little bit, tell them in advance. If people think you’re still there and everything is normal, they’re going to get frustrated when you stop responding. Similarly, if they’re used to someone connecting with them, they may get worried when your channels go silent.
So before you leave (a week or 2 in advance should be enough!) make a special post to let your audience know that you won’t be online. You don’t have to tell them where you’re going or even that you’re taking a vacation but do say how long you expect to be gone. To make sure everyone sees it, try pinning it to the tip-top of your profile. That way anyone who comes to your page can see you’re offline for a while.
Keep Your Safety In Mine 🦺
It’s up to you to decide if you want to tell your audience that you’ll be gone. If you’re pretty open with where you live, you may not want to let them know that you won’t be there. While most of your audience might be well-intentioned, there’s no guarantee they all will be. Likewise, if you’re worried about someone finding you while you’re on vacation, it’s best to not tell them where you’re going.
When it comes to social media, your safety should always be a priority. Share what you’re comfortable with – and don’t think you owe your audience more than that. You can’t relax if you’re constantly worried!
Look for Headaches 😵
Before you unplug, sit down and try to think of a few potential issues that could arise while you’re gone. Don’t stress about them or invent catastrophes, but try to anticipate issues and create solutions before they arise. Somethings you can probably nip in the bud ahead of time: if you’re collabing with a creator and think they may reach out while you’re gone, send a quick message to let them know you’ll be on vacation.
Most of your issues can probably be dealt with when you return. Still, try to anticipate what they are and how you’ll handle them before you leave. If you think of any problems that may arise, it’s likely they’ll be small-scale, easy to handle. But having a plan for what you’ll do or say just in case will make your return even smoother.
If You’re Extra Worried… 😰
If you run a big platform and intend to continue posting throughout your vacation, consider having a person check your socials each day. They don’t have to log into your account: you’re mostly looking for someone to check your recent posts and see if there’s an emergency. And by “emergency”, we mean emergency. A mean comment or low likes don’t qualify as an emergency. We’re talking scandals, secrets, and the news that the (star-crossed) love of your life is about to marry some prince named Paris. Big things.
Which, very likely, will not happen. The vast majority of creators do not need a point person, and even those that do will not see something bad happen while they’re gone. But if having someone checking your page will make you feel better, go for it.
Plan Your Return Posts 📝
The last thing you’ll want to do after a vacation (besides unpacking) is decide what to post. Try to plan out a few things you can share once you’re back online. They don’t have to be big, grand things or even posts you know every detail about. Just an idea of what you want to post will be super helpful. To make it even easier, consider sharing some snapshots from your vacation! Your audience will love seeing what you got up to, and it keeps the process more manageable for you.
Get Caught Up ✉️
A lot can happen in a few days. Sit down to look at your follower count (celebrate if it grew, shrug it off if it didn’t), respond to a couple of new comments, and check your DMs. Maybe a couple witches messaged saying you were about to become the Thane of Cador or a brand wants to team up for a sponsorship. You won’t know unless you spend some time plugging back in!
The Biggest Thing 🏆
Make sure that, no matter what, you’re enjoying your vacation. If checking social every day will help you enjoy your vacation and not tire you out, then do that! If you’d rather ignore your phone and platform for the whole week, that’s great too. The point is that you should be doing things you love that will help you unwind. You don’t get many days off, and if social media will fill them with unwanted stress or obligation, cast it aside. Your account will still be there when you get back.
