How To Beat the Holiday Social Media Drop-Off: Smart Ways to Keep Your Brand Top of Mind
It’s not just you: social media reach, likes and comments dip every holiday season. In fact, the holiday season is notorious for slumping engagement.
It happens every year. Late November through early January is social media’s “quiet season”: people travel, switch off for family time, and generally spend less time doom-scrolling. But there’s a second, sneakier reason your organic posts are struggling: everyone’s pouring money into ads, and that paid frenzy squeezes the space available for free content.
We’ll explain what’s going on, why paid activity matters to you (even if you’re a service-based firm), and, practical moves you can make now so your socials don’t die a silent, festive death.
What’s actually happening to organic reach:
User Behaviour & Ad Spend Boom
Two things collide over the holiday season.
The first is a shift in audience behaviour. People spend less time on feeds on major holidays (think big family lunches, trips interstate, or switching off entirely). When your audience isn’t around, engagement drops — and algorithms notice.
The second, is ad spend booms. Retailers and big brands pour budgets into social platforms to chase holiday shoppers. More paid content = more competition for the limited space in feeds and Stories. Platforms prioritise paying advertisers and content that sparks quick engagement, so your unpaid post is easy to bury.
Algorithms respond: less engagement means less reach, creating a feedback loop. As one guide explains, with fewer likes and shares in December, platforms “won’t push your content as much” unless you invest in paid promotion.
Why Ads Boom While Organic Socials Drop Off
The holiday seasons see’s big brands gear up for gift-season sales, and the competition for attention spikes. Industry data shows a huge jump in holiday ad spending. For example, a Q3 report from WARC/Marketing Dive found social media ad spend rose 20.2% year-over-year. Retailers in particular flood feeds: Instagram ad spending climbed 18.8% YoY and TikTok a whopping 56.8%.
Even paid search surged. In short, advertisers are doubling down: Neil Patel reports ad impressions jump ~50% over the holidays (click-throughs +100%, conversions +60%)
Social platforms have finite “real estate”, so how many posts, Stories, Reels or sponsored cards they can show to any user in a session. When advertisers bid hard in Q4, the platforms tighten that window. That means:
Higher CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) — advertisers pay more, and platforms happily show paid stuff because it pays their bills.
Organic posts compete with ads for the same eyeballs. If an algorithm sees users are clicking sponsored items more, it nudges organic content down.
Timing matters more than ever. Big ad pushes around Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day dominate feeds. Your calm, helpful post may simply not appear.
Practically: if your business didn’t boost anything this December but your competitors did, you’ll likely see a sharper fall in reach than the market average. And if you stop running paid campaigns in December after doing them all year, you risk losing momentum, platforms can deprioritise your content.
Finding the Opportunity in the Holiday Hustle
Before you hit the panic button, remember holiday season also means lots of consumer spending. People may be offline for family dinner,s but they’re still shopping and often online. With the right approach, the quieter period can be less “no one’s listening” and more “the right people are listening.”
The good news? Your audience is out there on social, looking for ideas, inspiration and deals. We see two big chances for small firms and practices:
Less noise from other small players who simply switch everything off.
High-intent windows (post-Christmas deal hunting, New Year planning) where people are more likely to act — call for a consultation, download a guide, or enquire about a digital product (eg. templates, courses, webinar).
So let’s take a look at some actions you can take now to beat the holiday social drop.
Your To Do Checklist: Organic moves (do these even if you’re on holidays)
Plan a light, consistent schedule. Batch-create content and schedule it. Even one well-crafted post a few times a week keeps your profile active.
Switch to formats that punch above their weight. Reels, Stories and short videos get preferential treatment on most platforms and are more likely to cut through during busy ad periods.
Make content useful & seasonal. Quick legal tips for end-of-year matters, a “how to keep rental properties safe over holidays,” or a short checklist for sellers prepping for summer viewings — things that help people now.
Be human. A sincere thank-you post or a two-line holiday story wins more goodwill (and saves you writing a long sales post).
Engage fast. If someone comments or DMs, reply. The algorithm rewards interaction, especially during quieter months. Engage with others to build
Show love to your referrers, clients and partners. This is golden and wildly underrated. Spend 10–15 minutes a day commenting on posts from referral partners (brokers, agents, allied professionals), past clients, or businesses you collaborate with. Not only does it boost your own visibility, but it also strengthens relationships — and the algorithm sees you as active, which helps your own posts get pushed further.
Your To Do Checklist: Paid moves (lightweight & sensible)
Retargeting > cold reach. Retarget people who’ve visited your website, watched your videos, opened your emails, or engaged with your posts. Warm audiences convert far better during the holiday period.
Run a lead magnet. A short, high-value resource (checklist, cheat sheet, “things to know before settlement in summer”) promoted with a small ad spend can build a strong list ready for January follow-up.
Consider running actual paid ads — not just boosts.
If you have a service, product, consultation or downloadable resource, this is the moment to run proper campaigns on Meta or Google. Holiday ad spend is high, but so is buyer intent.
Meta ads are great for brand awareness, social proof, warm-audience retargeting, and quick lead generation.
Google Ads capture people actively searching for solutions — perfect for lawyers, conveyancers and real estate agencies where intent matters.
Even a small, capped budget can keep you top of mind while competitors go quiet.
Budgeting Quick Guide (for those who ask “how much?”)
We’re pragmatic: you don’t need to be Amazon-sized to win. We generally recommend a starting budget in the order of AUD $30-50 per day for a service-business ad campaign in Australia. That gives enough daily spend to gather meaningful data, generate a handful of leads, and stay competitive — without blowing the budget.
Measure the Right Things
Don’t compare December to October. Compare December this year vs December last year (year-over-year). Track:
Leads and calls generated from social
Click-throughs to your website or landing page
Cost per lead for paid campaigns
If your page gets fewer likes but you’ve got steady leads coming from a boosted checklist — that’s a win.
Bottom Line
The holiday season rearranges attention — and ad budgets are a big part of that. By leaning into a mix of smart organic content, light paid boosts, and Boxing Day or New Year, New Me opportunism, you can keep visibility and even capture high-intent clients while others switch off.
While some of your competitors hit pause over the holidays, that drop-off actually works in your favour. Less noise means your content lands harder — and if they don’t switch off, you risk falling behind when everyone starts planning their 2026 strategies.
Also, People are still searching for services, templates, and “get organised for next year” resources, so staying visible now gives you a clear head start.
If your social media goes quiet over Christmas, your brand becomes forgettable at the exact moment your audience is finally slowing down long enough to notice you. If you want to stay top of mind while everyone else switches off, it’s time to rethink your holiday content and visibility strategy.
At Zenovate, we help professional service firms stay present, consistent and client-ready over the holidays with smart, simple marketing that runs even when you are on break. Book your free 15-minute strategy call today and make this your strongest holiday season yet.
Written By Zenovate Marketing Team
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
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Engagement dips because your audience is offline more often—spending time with family, traveling, or simply switching off. On top of that, increased holiday ad spend by big brands pushes organic content further down in feeds.
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Absolutely. Even light, consistent posting keeps your brand visible. While many competitors switch off, your content has a better chance to stand out, especially if it’s useful, seasonal, or human-focused.
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Not necessarily huge amounts, but a small, targeted spend can make a big difference. Retargeting warm audiences or promoting a lead magnet helps you stay in front of the right people without breaking the bank.
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Short videos, Stories, Reels, or bite-sized helpful tips work best. Content that’s seasonal, practical, or human (like thank-you messages) gets higher engagement even when feeds are crowded with paid ads.
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Focus on outcomes that matter: leads generated, website clicks, ad conversions, or email sign-ups. A drop in likes isn’t a failure if your content is driving real business results.
DISCLAIMER: This article is general information only and cannot be regarded as legal, financial or accounting advice as it does not take into account your personal circumstances. For tailored advice, please contact us. PS – congratulations if you have read this far, you must love legal disclaimers or are a sucker for punishment.