I know it’s only the beginning of August, but the excitement for the school year is starting to creep up on me (even as I’m drafting this on the beach😜).

Back when I started my business well over a decade ago, I would always get excited for the busy season to start up after the summer. Getting ready for the final quarter of the business year sort of reminded me of when you were little and got excited for a new bookbag full of school supplies.

When I became a parent and started sending B off to pre-school, it became a really crazy time of the year for me. And I ended up starting the Back To School, Back To Business challenge on Instagram as a way to start slow and get ready BEFORE the busy season.

Over the next few weeks, for subscribers of The Social Media Minute Newsletter, I’ll be sending a weekly email with some small and vital tasks with tips on how to make them shine for your online presence.

Not on the list? You can download my free checklist right here, and that will add you to the newsletter for weekly emails that will walk you through ways to boost your social media presence in minutes. (Subscribers, it’s already in your inbox 😉)

But this post is for everyone who’s ready to set aside an afternoon and get it all done at once. So bookmark it if you’re not ready to get started; otherwise, let’s jump in!

Why It’s Important To Update Ahead of the Business New Year

Think about how someone actually finds you. Maybe a friend mentioned you. Maybe someone tagged your business in a post. Maybe they searched on Google.

Either way, the first thing they do is click on your available social media profiles. They’re trying to find out:

Is this business still open?
What do they actually do?
Can they help me?
How do I get in touch?

If those answers aren't easy to find, a lot of people will just move on to your competitor instead.

We spend so much time thinking about what to post next that we forget to check the foundation we set up at the beginning.

Your Profiles

Your profile is usually the first thing a new customer sees, even before they visit your website. If it's out of date, people start asking questions about whether you're still open or what you actually do. Take a few minutes to look at it with fresh eyes.

Take a look at your profile photo and make sure it still looks like you today.
Check your cover photo to be sure it isn't promoting something from years ago.
Read your bio and confirm it says what you do, who you help, and how to reach you.
Make sure your email, phone number, and location are all current.
Look through your pinned posts and story highlights for anything outdated or no longer relevant.

Your Website

Your website often does the real talking and sales work after your social media gets someone's attention and makes them click on a link over to your website. If the information is outdated or a link doesn't work, people won't dig around or open a browser to find your page. They'll just move on if it’s not easy for them. Take a look at your website:

Make sure your services page matches what you actually offer right now.
Click through your pricing or booking links to confirm they go to the right place.
Test every link in your bio to make sure it still works.
Check that your contact form or contact page has your current info.
Pull up your website on your phone to make sure it looks and works fine.

Your Content

Fall brings a lot of themes you can use all at once: back to school, Thanksgiving, and the start of the holiday run-up. Taking a few minutes now to think through your themes means you're not scrambling for ideas once things get busy. Here is some pre-planning I like to do:

Think through a rough idea of your themes for fall, like school, Thanksgiving, or the holiday run-up.
Note any key dates or events you want to plan content around.
Make a list of photos or videos you'll want to capture ahead of time, so you're not scrambling later.
Look back at old posts you might want to revisit or repost now that they're relevant again.

Your Email List

Your email list is one of the easiest ways to stay in touch with people who already know you. If it's been a while since you've sent anything, a quick update keeps you top of mind before the busy season gets started.

Send a quick update to your list, even if it's been a while.
Confirm your sign-up link or form still works.
Decide on a rough plan for how often you'll send through the fall.

Your Online Community

The people already commenting, messaging, and leaving reviews are ALWAYS your warmest leads. A summer backlog of unanswered messages can make a business look less active than it actually is or like you don’t care. Make time to catch up:

Reply to any comments or messages that piled up over the summer.
Give a thank-you or response to any reviews on Facebook or Google.
Check any accounts you started and forgot about, so nothing looks abandoned.

Your Numbers

Before the busy season hits, it helps to know exactly where things stand on social media and in your marketing efforts in general. A few minutes now can save a LOT of stress in Q4.

Look at your profiles and write down where your numbers are at. Any metric that’s important to you.
Figure out what’s working and what’s not based on how many people are engaging with your content.
Check your accounting so you have a clear idea of how much marketing you need to do.
Note anything that needs attention before Q4.

Your Space

A cluttered workspace makes it harder to feel ready for a busy season. Getting your space in order before things pick up gives you room to actually think and plan.

Clean up your desk and workspace so it's ready to go.
File your paperwork instead of letting it pile up next to your workspace.
Organize your digital files and folders. I like to empty my downloads folder and sort anything I need to keep.
Back up your computer and make sure your digital files are sorted.

Your Supplies and Logistics

The busy season runs a lot smoother when the back-end stuff is handled ahead of time. Taking care of them now means one less thing to worry about later.

Restock anything you'll need for the busy season.

Make sure any licenses, permits, or insurance renewals are up to date.

Schedule staffing or contractor help if you need it. This is also a great time to bring in a social media consultant.

Summer is one of the best times to do all this behind-the-scenes work. Things slow down juuuust enough to finally work ON your business instead of IN it. Before September brings new clients, fall events, and holiday planning, give your online presence a quick refresh.

If you want a second set of eyes on your profile before the fall rush, I'm booking summer profile check-ins now. Send me an email at kerra@kasocialmedia.ca to book yours.

The 2026 Back To Business Summer Challenge Is Here