5 Summer Social Media Mistakes That Kill Your Engagement
July and August can feel like the “quiet” months for many businesses. Your audience is at the beach, on the patio, or unplugging for a well-earned break, and let’s be honest, so are you!
But here’s the catch: if you disappear completely, your engagement can drop off a cliff. And come fall, you’ll have to work twice as hard to win back your audience’s attention.
The good news? Avoiding a summer slump is totally doable: if you sidestep these 5 common mistakes (and know what to do instead).
1. Going Completely Silent
The Mistake:
The classic: “I’m too busy (or on vacation), so I’ll just stop posting for a few weeks.”
It feels harmless, but the algorithm doesn’t like it when you vanish without warning.
What to Do Instead:
Keep your feed alive with minimum-effort, maximum-value posts.
Schedule evergreen content before you log off.
Repurpose an old post that’s still relevant.
2. Ignoring Seasonal Content
The Mistake:
Posting the same generic promos in July that you posted in January.
Your audience is in summer mode… if your content isn’t, it feels out of sync.
What to Do Instead:
Lean into the season!
Share behind-the-scenes of your summer routine.
Show your team working outdoors, attending events, or celebrating small wins.
Tie offers or posts to summer themes: “Summer Sale,” “Beach Reads,” “Hot Tips for Hot Days.”
Seasonal = relatable, and relatability builds engagement!
3. Not Pre-Scheduling Before Vacation
The Mistake:
Telling yourself: “I’ll just post from my phone while I’m away.” Spoiler: you won’t.
You’ll be in vacation mode… and that’s how it should be.
What to Do Instead:
Batch-create and schedule your posts in advance using tools like Rella, Planoly, or Meta’s built-in scheduler.
Pro tip: Pre-write captions, hashtags, and alt text too. Make it so easy that your future self wants to buy you an ice cream!
4. Forgetting to Engage
The Mistake:
“Post & ghost” is tempting when you’re busy, but ignoring comments or DMs signals the algorithm (and your followers) that you’re MIA.
What to Do Instead:
Set aside 10–15 minutes a few days a week to reply to comments.
Pin thoughtful comments or answer FAQs publicly.
If you can, delegate replies to a trusted team member or your amazing social media manager, like me!
Engagement is a two-way street: keep it moving, even when you’re poolside.
5. Not Using What You Already Have
The Mistake:
Thinking you must create brand-new content when you’re already stretched thin.
What to Do Instead:
Get scrappy and smart:
Reshare a high-performing post from last summer, it’s new to someone!
Post a throwback or behind-the-scenes moment.
Turn FAQs into quick carousels or Reels.
Your archive is a goldmine; tap into it when time is tight.
Summer doesn’t have to kill your momentum, and you don’t have to choose between enjoying the sunshine or showing up online.
Plan ahead. Stay consistent. Keep it seasonal. And when in doubt? Repurpose and relax.