Believe it or not, the number of active social media users has surpassed 2.5 billion. And this number is expected to rise exponentially over the coming years.
People spend a lot of time on different social media platforms such as Quora, Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, and many others. This leads them to spend a great deal of their time on such platforms.
Businesses, big and small alike, make use of these platforms by running effective social media marketing to engage the audience and reel them in so they can benefit from it.
However, no matter how crowded the online space gets, there’s always room for mistakes. Marketers often commit them unintentionally in the hopes of making a good brand appearance.
In an attempt to stand out, it’s not unusual for marketers to make such mistakes.
But social media is different; it’s not like writing a blog and scheduling it so it ranks on Google. Social media can be unforgiving, and if you keep making the same mistake, you will eventually see your following dwindle by the day. It’s not just social posting; the same applies to social media campaigns.
8 Common Mistakes Should Avoid When Launching a Social Media Campaign
Here are eight common mistakes you must avoid when it comes to launching a social media campaign:
1. Set SMART Social Media Goals
Without clear goals and guidelines, social media campaigns are bound to fail. Thus, it is critical to create a proper roadmap before making the campaigns live. You can start by defining your objectives, which should be SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Therefore, set your SMART goal today and increase your chances of success!
Tom Jauncey, Head Nerd at Nautilus Marketing.
2. Failing To Have A Crisis Communication Plan
One common mistake to avoid when launching a social media campaign is failing to have a crisis communication plan in place. Often, marketers are taken aback by negative comments or unexpected issues because they are not prepared. This results in delayed responses that can ruin both the success of the campaign and the overall reputation of the brand itself. Without a solid, proactive plan, minor problems may quickly become major crises that ruin brand trust and credibility.
Ensure you don’t make this error by crafting an all-encompassing crisis communication plan before initiating any campaigns on social media platforms. First, identify potential crisis scenarios that could affect your brand, ranging from product recalls to bad publicity. Clearly state how these should be monitored, responded to, or escalated upon occurrence and establish what steps should be taken during each phase. For commonly known problems, develop a list of pre-approved responses so that every team member can react quickly and uniformly. Thus controlling the overall narrative while minimizing damage.
In addition, a dedicated crisis management team well-trained in handling delicate scenarios should be created. The members of this team must be equipped with the necessary tools for effective decision-making. By planning for possible crises, you can navigate through them smoothly without compromising your brand’s image, even during difficult times. Having a well-prepared team can help ensure that what could’ve been a disaster can be transformed into an opportunity for people to see how strong and committed your company is to achieving excellence.
Brian Lim, Founder & CEO, EmazingLights, iHeartRaves & INTO THE AM.
3. Relying Too Much on Generative AI
When launching a social media campaign, these days it can be very beneficial to avoid using generative AI to create your content. While these tools can help you create content faster and with less effort, they can often be a hindrance. One reason for this is that people have become far more attuned to what AI-generated content looks like.
So if people recognize it in your social media campaign that could result in sowing a seed of distrust and disconnect between you and your audience, which you never want. Another reason is that AI-generated content often ranks lower when it comes to SEO. So, if you are hoping to boost your SEO with your campaign. It could end up having the opposite effect.
Edward Tian, CEO, GPTZero
4. Not Being Authentic
One common mistake brands make when launching social media campaigns is not being authentic to their brand voice. As a founder of an agency focused on results-driven Facebook ads. I’ve seen many companies adopt an overly salesy tone in their social content that turns off audiences. For example, I once worked with a women’s athleisure brand. Their social posts came across as overly promotional with headlines like “40% off everything this weekend only”. This damaged their aspirational brand image. We helped them pivot to lifestyle content highlighting real customers and staff using the product.
Engagement skyrocketed as audiences connected with the brand’s authentic story. Sales also increased by over 20% as new customers were drawn to the brand’s genuine social presence. The key is staying true to your brand values on social media. Don’t just push sales messages. Share behind-the-scenes content, highlight your team, and build real connections. Social media should reflect what your brand stands for. When you get this right, audiences become loyal fans and customers for life.
Chase Chappell, Founder, Chappell Digital, Sirge
5. Allocate Sufficient Ad Budget
A limited budget makes it difficult to leverage a full-funnel strategy. When funds are tight, reaching and engaging prospective customers at every stage of the buying journey becomes challenging. This hinders the overall efficiency of conversion-focused campaigns and means missing out on important opportunities. A low ad budget limits your ability to experiment with different strategies and test various creatives and audiences to determine what works best.
Eventually, you will end up with poor outcomes at a higher cost. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to how much you should spend on social media campaigns. I always prefer starting with at least one-quarter of my target revenue as the ad budget. For example, if my target revenue from the campaign is $10,000, my ad budget would be $2,500. I then distribute this budget across different platforms depending on where my target audience is most active.
Dan Ben-Nun, Founder & CEO, Adspace
6. Not Having A Well-defined Audience And Content Strategy
One mistake I often see is launching a social campaign without a well-defined audience and content strategy. You must know who you want to reach and what will resonate with them. For example, when consulting for a craft whiskey brand, we focused on influencers and lifestyle content. We positioned the brand as an aspirational product for urban socialites. The content highlighted cocktail recipes, nightlife hotspots, and influencer events. This precision targeting fueled rapid growth.
Conversely, for an organic baby food company, we targeted millennial moms concerned with nutrition. We shared parenting tips, kid-friendly recipes, and product giveaways. Within months, social referrals became their top customer acquisition channel. The keys are researching your audience, aligning content, and choosing platforms that match their interests. Stay active in communities where they spend time. Measure, optimize, and pivot fast based on data. With the right social strategy, you can build highly engaged communities and drive real business impact.
Cameron Gawley, Co-Founder & CGO, Arrival
7. Prioritizing Quantity Over Quality
Don’t make the mistake of prioritizing quantity over quality with your social media content. Just because you post a ton of content doesn’t mean you will automatically have more success because you’ll be reaching more people. A lot of times, posting too much can have negative results, with people becoming jaded with your content or even becoming distrustful of your motives. So, focus instead on quality posting to establish credibility, expertise, and a relationship with your audience.
Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO, Lawn Love
8. Assuming What Works With Others Will Work For You Too
One common mistake to avoid when launching a social media campaign is assuming that what works for others will work for you. Early in Premier Staff’s journey, we made the costly error of mimicking the social media strategies of larger, established brands without considering our unique position and audience.
We once launched a campaign inspired by a successful luxury car brand’s approach, featuring sleek, minimalist posts with little context. The result? Crickets. Our audience of event planners and luxury brands was left confused and unengaged. We quickly realized that while our clients appreciated elegance. They also craved behind-the-scenes glimpses and practical insights into our services.
This misstep taught us the importance of authenticity and knowing our audience. We pivoted to sharing more relatable content – like time-lapse videos of our team setting up for a Golden Globes after-party or tips on choosing the right staff for a product launch. This approach not only resonated with our audience but also showcased our expertise in a way that stock images never could.
The lesson? Your social media strategy should be as unique as your business. Don’t be afraid to let your brand’s personality shine through, even in the luxury sector. It’s not just about looking good. It’s about connecting genuinely with your audience.
Daniel Meursing, CEO & Founder, Premier Staff
Conclusion: Don’t Make the Same Mistake Twice!
Whether starting out with your first social media marketing campaign or you’re a seasoned player. You’re bound to make mistakes occasionally. And it’s totally fine because you’re not an AI-powered chatbot. You’re a human and it can happen to anyone.
It’s most likely that once you make a mistake, you should not repeat it under any circumstance.
Success in social media can come quickly. However, if you fail to manage it or keep making the same mistakes repeatedly, you may reverse the consequences.
If you don’t want your followership to dwindle and you want to sustain your online credibility all the while bringing more positive customers and creating more engagement, avoid these mistakes for good.
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