As a small online business, you’re bound to struggle with social media. The good news is that you’re not alone. In fact, 93% of small businesses struggle in this area.

Building a social media campaign requires careful planning and execution. There are plenty of pitfalls and errors to avoid though. If you’re not careful, you could quickly be on a sinking ship.

We know you don’t want that, but how do you succeed across all social media platforms? In this article, we’ll help guide you so that you’re set for a rock-solid social media campaign.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.

1. Inadequate Target Audience Research

You won’t get very far without first defining your target audience. Your aim is to get to know them inside and out.

What makes them tick? What do they want?

Building a social media campaign starts with identifying your audience’s demographics, interests, and online behaviors. If you fail to do this, your campaign will fall flat resulting in low engagement and minimal conversions.

Strive to get a leg up on the competition by leveraging social media platforms. Gain insights into the analytics and tailor your content accordingly.

2. Lack of Clear Objectives

Another error to avoid when building a social media campaign is launching without a purpose or direction. Without a clear objective, the challenge to measure success along the way will be that much more difficult.

To address this set S.M.A.R.T. goalsspecific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Do your objectives align with your overall marketing strategy?

Here are some objectives you may want to start with:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Driving website traffic
• Generating leads

Go with what is most pressing. If something isn’t working, you can always course correct.

3. Ignoring Platform Specificity

Social media platforms perform differently. You don’t want to apply what you do on TikTok to Threads, for example.

Don’t be lazy in your approach your team is better than that. This can lead to wasted resources and invective communication.

Instead, focus on the strengths of each platform. What are its demographics, content formats, and engagement patterns? Your social media posts should feel organic and fresh on each platform. This is a surefire way to resonate with your target audience no matter where you are on the web.

4. Inconsistent Branding

Your social media posts should have consistent branding. Clearly define your tone of voice. What visual elements and key messages do you want to include in marking your businesses online?

Remember that your reaching out to actual people, so you want to make sure your brand is something they can sink their teeth into.

5. Lack of Engaging Content

Don’t make the mistake of posting dull, repetitive, or irrelevant content either. When building a social media campaign, you want your social media posts to be creative, informative, or entertaining.

Doing the opposite will dry up your audience fast.

Be sure to mix things up with text, images, videos, etc. Keep your content fresh and shareable.

6. Failure to Engage With the Audience

You want it to be a two-way street between you and your audience. You want to be as transparent as possible too. If you fail to do these two things, you’ll undermine trust and stunt community growth.

Take an active approach when it comes to your social media platforms and accounts.

Things to check for:

• Comments
• Messages
• Mentions

Be sure to respond promptly and address any concerns head-on. Engage with them in a thought-provoking and meaningful way.

7. Neglecting Analytics and Data

Neglecting analytics and data when building a social media campaign is a big no-no. Doing so would prevent you from measuring the campaign’s effectiveness and making data-driven decisions and improvements.

For instance, use the data to refine your strategy, identify what’s working and what’s not, and determine your high-performing content.

8. Overlooking Competitor Analysis

Don’t be afraid to take social media campaign elements from your competitors. It doesn’t hurt to see what they’re doing and tweak it to your brand.

Don’t take what they’re doing verbatim, but see how you can apply it to your social media strategies. See what valuable insights you can borrow, identify gaps in the market, and differentiate.

Your goal is to make unique content tailored to your audience. Strive to be a trendsetter in the industry.

9. Neglecting Community Building

You want your audience to feel welcomed and a part of something. This is how to build sustainable growth.

Here’s what you can do:

• Encourage active participation
• Foster conversations
• Create a sense of belonging

Think of your audience as an extension of your brand. You aren’t separate, yet one cohesive thing. When you do this right you’ll have plenty of valuable user-generated content, brand advocacy, and solid feedback.

10. Unrealistic Expectations and Impatience

Remember, that building a strong social media presence takes time and consistency. Don’t expect overnight success. Take the methodical approach and before you know it you’ll have built a successful brand.

Be sure to make sure you work with your digital marketing budget. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Set realistic and long-term goals. Be patient as you navigate the ever-evolving social media landscape.

Mastering the Art of Building a Social Media Campaign

Avoid these common errors when building a social media campaign for your brand. Remember to conduct thorough audience research, set clear objectives, and adapt your strategy to different platforms.

If something isn’t working, there’s probably a good reason for it. Comb over your campaign and see what sticks out. Read and review our post to see if you missed anything.