The end of the year is coming up fast. First, it’s all fall vibes including pumpkin spice and turkeys and the next thing you know, Mariah Carey is playing on repeat and you’re working on your final “Holiday Gift Guide” sitting under the glow of your Christmas tree.

Before you get overwhelmed and start thinking “I’ll just deal with it in January”... let’s take a break. A solid year-end social media strategy sets you up for success and way less chaos in the new year.

So grab your eggnog, and let’s wrap up your year like the organized CEO you intend to be.

Section 1: Audit Your 2025 Social Media Performance

You can’t grow if you don’t acknowledge where you’ve been.

You should be reviewing your 2025 statistics:

• Engagement rates

• Follower growth

• Reach and impressions

• Clicks and conversions

• Which posts popped off

• Which posts flopped

This review gives you a chance to see exactly what resonated with your audience, which formats (short-form video, carousels, memes) earned a top spot, and you will see where to level up or change direction.

Your 2025 social media audit highlights your wins, shows your failures, and gives you the recipe to a smarter social media strategy for the new year.

Section 2: Celebrate Wins and Lessons

Now it’s time to build your 2025 Highlight Reel.

Think:

• Big milestone moments

• Viral posts

• Your fav customer stories

Post a recap, celebrate your business’s growth, all while giving your audience a behind-the-scenes look. People love a transparent, reflective moment at the end of the year.

Section 3: Plan Your Content Calendar for Q1 2026

First, start by mapping your Q1 content. Focus on early-year themes:

• New Year’s goals

• Fresh starts

• Productivity

• Self-improvement

Q1 is for relatable and actionable posts.

Also, repurpose your content. Work smarter, not harder in the New Year. Turn old content into:

• New reels

• Carousels

• Blog posts

• Emails

• Short-from video

• Graphics

This is your time to experiment. Q1 is your playground. Try out:

• New video formats

• New aesthetic directions

• New CTAs

• New hooks

• New posting schedule

Run tester campaigns to see what sticks before you fully commit.

Section 4: Engage Your Audience in December

December is NOT the time to sit back, it’s the time to interact.

Here’s how to build maximum engagement in the last month:

🎁 Contest & Giveaways

Everyone loves free stuff, so use giveaways to increase reach, engagement, and brand visibility.

📝 Polls & Quizzes

People love tapping buttons. Ask fun, seasonal questions like:

• “When do you open presents…”

• “Elf or Home Alone?”

• “What is your 2026 resolution?”

🗣️ UGC Prompts

Encourage followers to share:

• Holiday decor

• Their favorite holiday sweater

• Festive moments

• Their fave product from your shop this year

⁉️ Fill-in-the-Blank Posts

• “My favorite part of the holidays is __”

• “In 2026, I want to __”

Engagement with minimal effort? Yes!

Section 5: Why a Year-End Strategy Really Matters

This isn’t busy work. A year-end strategy helps you:

• Analyze what worked (and what didn’t)

• Realign your goals for 2026

• Adapt new trends & algorithm shifts

• Build a stronger foundation for the new year

• Increase audience engagement

It’s not only planning, it’s positioning yourself for growth while everyone is still cleaning up wrapping paper off their floors.

Conclusion: Finish Strong, Start Fresh

You’ve done the work. Now it’s time to reflect, refine, and reset. If you intentionally plan in December, you won’t be scrambling in January.

If it all feels too much and you want help building your year end strategy. Schedule a social media check-in with Raid Media Management. Let’s make 2026 your highest-performing year yet.