We talk a lot about consistency with thought leadership – and for good reason. Consistent blog posting, LinkedIn sharing, newsletter emailing, and other efforts all go towards cultivating a loyal following. It’s about showing up where your audience needs you. It also doesn’t hurt that regular posting can really help your LinkedIn algorithm. 

Tackling consistency over the holiday break is important to consider now, in the early part of the month. But it doesn’t have to be a source of stress or require days of work to prepare. Here are our top four tips for managing your comms strategically so that you don’t lose momentum while you take a well-deserved holiday.

1. Don’t bail on LinkedIn.

Remember that just because you might be taking an extended holiday at the beach, many of your readers won’t be doing the same. In fact, globally, LinkedIn actually sees some of the best engagement rates of the year over the holiday period. While some of your audience likely won’t see what you post after December 23rd, keeping up the content for the ones who will is important.

LinkedIn also penalises long breaks from engaging on the platform! It’s important to maintain at least 2 posts per week to avoid losing traction on the site when you return in January. Commenting and interacting is also helpful in this regard, but don’t burn yourself out on your holiday. If you can, log in for short periods of time when it works for you over the summer to check on your posts and reply to comments. Even doing this twice over the break will help you maintain priority in the algorithm.

Content creators, as LinkedIn describes them, post at least once in a 3 month period – and this group only accounts for 5% of all 810 million users every year. While LinkedIn can often feel like a rather noisy space, don’t forget that even if you’re just posting semi-regularly, you’re still well ahead of the curve. 

Add to that the tendency for thought leaders to stop posting as soon as they leave the office, and it makes for a pretty incredible window of opportunity for those who stay consistent.

2. Share your reflections.

If you find yourself nervous to get personal or vulnerable in your content, you’re not alone. Naturally, sharing anything beyond your business, your practical ideas, and your expertise can feel a little exposing.

But when it comes to audience-building, embracing the vulnerability is so valuable. Don’t forget that people follow thought leaders (as opposed to just the big businesses) because they offer a more personal, authentic perspective. 

The end of the year offers a very natural opportunity to leverage your voice. 

If you’re wondering what a reflective piece of content could look like, here are a few examples:

• A recap newsletter bringing together highlights from previous content in the year
• A post thanking your followers and sharing any milestones gained throughout the year
• Revamp your brand story to reflect where you are currently. Share this across your channels explaining how you’ve morphed and grown since your last brand story
• An email that celebrates feedback you’ve received from readers
• A post with a sneak peek into what you’re looking forward to in the new year

3. Pay attention to timing.

While you want to ensure your LinkedIn stays lively through the holidays, it’s not the best time to send out long-form content. 

Aim to send out blogs, articles, emails, and newsletters in the first three weeks of December and the last two weeks of January. Sending something out is important – especially if you have built some consistency throughout the rest of the year – but consider what kind of mindset your readers will be in at the time.

4. Leverage past content.

If this is all starting to sound like a whole lot of work just as your schedule starts to overflow, don’t worry. The good news about holiday posting is that it makes for a great time to revisit writing that you’ve shared before.

Leveraging not only saves you drafting and editing time – it also ensures that newer readers in your community see important concepts that they might have missed in the past.

Here are a few simple ways to streamline and leverage for posting:

• Review a blog from several months before and pull out the key messages into a LinkedIn post.
• Find a past post that received high engagement – share it again with a simple introduction about why it was received so well.
• Pull out a quote from a past email or newsletter. Transform this into a post.
• Look at previous testimonials or pieces of feedback you’ve received this year. Pick two to share again – you can also use this as an opportunity to thank your clients!

Remember, building thought leadership isn’t just about showing up; it’s about being a dependable source of insight. Consistency over the holiday period can feel like more work than it’s worth – but it’s actually an opportunity to leverage a quiet time of year, maintain your engagement, and demonstrate your commitment to your audience. 

Looking for individualised feedback about your thought leadership content strategy? Get in touch with us to book a game plan call.