Writing a Silly-Season Trading Hours Notice People Actually Read
Every December, a hundred businesses post some version of "As the silly season approaches, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on what a wonderful year it's been, and to let you know a little about our upcoming break..." by the time the reader gets to the actual dates, three paragraphs in, they've already stopped reading. 💖 The businesses that avoid a flood of "are you open today?" messages over the break are the ones who put the dates first and the sentiment second.
What most businesses get wrong
The classic mistake is burying the useful information under the friendly tone. A trading hours notice isn't the place for a full reflection on the year — that's a milestone email or a social caption, and it belongs somewhere else. Customers scanning a notice want one thing: can I get what I need, and when. The second mistake is only posting it once, in one place — usually a single social post that gets buried within a day. The third, and most damaging, is forgetting to update Google Business Profile's actual holiday hours field, which means Google can show the wrong hours (or "open now" when you're not) regardless of what your website says.
- Line one — the dates, plainly: "We're closed from [date] to [date], reopening [date]." No preamble before this line.
- Line two — what still works while closed, if anything: online orders still processing, voicemail checked periodically, urgent contact option, or simply "nothing will be actioned until we're back."
- Line three — the human sentence: one short, warm line about the break or the year — this is where the personality goes, after the facts, not instead of them.
- Line four — the call to action: "Need something before we close? Get in touch by [date]" if there's a cut-off for orders or bookings.
- Google Business Profile — special hours set correctly, not just a post
- Website banner or homepage note
- Email signature, added at least a week before closing
- One pinned social post, plus a reminder post the week of closing
- Autoresponder on email and, if used, SMS
How to actually get this out on time
Set a date two to three weeks before closing to draft and post the notice everywhere at once — treat it as a single task with a checklist, not five separate ones spread across the month. Update Google Business Profile's special hours feature directly (not just a post) since that's what shows in Maps and search results regardless of your website. Set a reminder for the week before closing to repost or re-pin the notice, since the first version will have scrolled out of view by then. Set your email and SMS autoresponders the same day you post everywhere else, so nothing's forgotten in the last-minute rush.
Mistakes to avoid
- Burying the actual dates under festive preamble
- Posting the notice only once, in only one channel
- Forgetting to set Google Business Profile's special hours, leaving Google showing incorrect hours
- No clear cut-off date for last orders or bookings before the break
- No reopening date, leaving customers unsure when to come back
- Setting it and forgetting it — no reminder post the week the closure actually starts
Frequently asked questions
How early should we post our trading hours notice?
Two to three weeks ahead for the first post, with a reminder in the final week. Earlier than that and it risks being forgotten by the time it matters; later and you risk missing customers who plan ahead, particularly for bookings or orders with a cut-off date.
Do we really need to update Google Business Profile separately?
Yes — this is the step most businesses skip, and it matters because Google can display incorrect hours (including "open now") independently of anything on your own website or social channels if the special hours field isn't set.
Should we say why we're closing, or just the dates?
The dates matter more than the reason for most audiences — a brief, warm line is enough ("taking a well-earned break with family"). It depends on your brand voice and relationship with customers; some businesses do fine with just the facts, and over-explaining isn't necessary.
What if our closure dates aren't confirmed yet when we want to start planning content?
Draft and design the notice template now with placeholders, and lock the dates as early as you reasonably can — the template above takes minutes to finalise once dates are set, so there's no reason to wait on the writing itself.
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