The “Home Alone” Guide to Holiday Marketing: Don’t Leave Your Business Defenseless

It’s December. The most wonderful time of the year, right? You want to be sipping eggnog, wrapping presents, and debating whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie. (For the record: It absolutely is, and we will die on this hill).

What you don’t want to be doing is glued to your laptop sending manual emails on Christmas Eve, or panic-posting on Instagram because you forgot it’s Tuesday. You want a break. You need a break.

But here’s the scary part that keeps business owners awake at night: If you completely ghost your audience for two weeks, you’re leaving your house wide open.

Your competitors—let’s call them the “Wet Bandits”—are still out there. They’re lurking in the neighborhood (Google search results), looking for the dark houses. They are looking for customers who feel neglected, questions that go unanswered, and businesses that look like they’ve shut down. And if you aren’t careful, they’ll clean you out while you’re waiting for Santa.

So, how do you protect your house without actually being in the house? You do exactly what Kevin McCallister did. You set up traps.

In marketing, these aren’t flying paint cans or heated doorknobs (liability issues, you know?). They’re automations and foundational systems. Here is your battle plan for a stress-free, secure holiday season that keeps your leads warm while you stay cool.

Trap #1: The “Flying Paint Cans” (Automated Email Campaigns)

Remember how satisfying it was when Marv and Harry walked right into those paint cans on the stairs? That’s exactly what a good automated email sequence does.It hits your target right on the nose, automatically, with perfect timing.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is going silent during the holidays. Don’t wait until the last minute to write your holiday greeting. Use Email Marketing to schedule your entire holiday sequence now.

• The “Happy Holidays” Email: Schedule it for the morning of the 24th or 25th.
• The “End of Year” Sale: Have it ready to launch on the 26th while you’re still eating leftovers.
• The Auto-Responder: This is crucial. Set up an automated reply for incoming leads that says, “We’re currently eating cookies and fighting over the remote, but we received your message and will hit you back on Jan 2nd.”

Why it works: You maintain communication and nurture leads while you sleep. As we mentioned in our foundation guide, email is your private line to your customers. Keep it open, even when the office is closed.

Trap #2: The “Cardboard Cutout Party” (Local SEO & Google Business Profile)

Remember the scene where Kevin uses cardboard cutouts on a toy train to make it look like a crowded party is happening inside? He fooled the bandits into thinking the house was bustling with activity.

You need to do the same thing with your Local SEO.

Even if your physical doors are closed, your digital doors must look open and inviting.

• Update Your Hours: Nothing angers a customer more than driving to a store that Google said was “Open” only to find a locked door. Update your “Special Hours” on your Google Business Profile ASAP.
• Schedule Google Posts: Use the “Updates” feature to schedule posts throughout the break. Share a photo of your team, a holiday wish, or a reminder of your January services.
• Q&A Monitoring: Ensure you have alerts set up so if someone asks a question on your profile, you (or your agency) get notified instantly.

Why it works: It signals to Google (and potential customers) that your business is alive, active, and professional. It keeps the lights on digitally, so the “Wet Bandits” move on to an easier target.

Trap #3: The “Micro Machines” (Social Media Scheduling)

Kevin used Micro Machines at the bottom of the stairs to trip up the bad guys. You can use scheduling tools to trip up the algorithm.

The holidays are prime scrolling time. People are bored at family gatherings, hiding in the bathroom, avoiding political conversations with uncles… They are checking Instagram and Facebook constantly. You need to be there. But you absolutely should not be posting live.

Batch create your content right now. Plan your posts for the next three weeks and schedule them all out using Social Media Management tools.

• Tip: Schedule interactive content (polls, questions like “What’s the worst gift you ever got?”) to keep engagement high without you needing to write long captions.

Why it works: Your feed stays active, and you stay top-of-mind, all while you’re actually spending time with your family (or hiding in the bathroom yourself).

Keep the Change, Ya Filthy Animal

You deserve a break. You’ve worked hard all year. But your business deserves to be secure.

By setting up these “traps”—your automated emails, your active Local SEO profile, and your scheduled social posts—you can defend your turf against the Wet Bandits and start 2026 fresh, rested, and ahead of the game.

And if you need help setting up the traps? Call us. We’re the “Old Man Marley” with the shovel—we’ve got your back when things get slippery.