Common mistakes people make when creating a social media strategy
Why your strategy isn't strategising
So, you’ve decided to take your social media seriously.
You’ve carved out time. Maybe even brought in help. You want structure. Consistency. Results. You’re ready to stop winging it and start planning it.
Love that for you.
But before you dive into Canva templates, caption banks and neatly colour-coded content calendars, let’s zoom out.
Because here’s the thing most people miss: Content isn’t the starting point. Strategy is. And most of the time, that strategy is either half-baked, over-complicated, or just plain missing the mark.
Let’s unpack the most common mistakes we see when people create a social media strategy - and how to actually avoid them.
1. Skipping the ‘Why’
The mistake: Jumping straight into “what should we post?” without clarifying the purpose behind it.
It’s an easy trap. You open a doc or Notion board and start jotting down post ideas. That’s momentum, right? But without a clear “why,” your strategy is just a prettier version of the same old chaos.
Ask yourself:
Why are we on social media in the first place?
What role does it play in our marketing ecosystem?
What does success actually look like for us?
Are you trying to drive traffic? Build a brand community? Position yourself as an expert? Without clarity on your bigger Why, you risk doing a lot without achieving much.
🌀Write a single-sentence mission for your social media presence. If you can’t explain it simply, go back and dig deeper.
2. Setting Vague or Vanity Goals
The mistake: Measuring success with empty metrics - likes, followers, viral moments - that don’t tie back to your actual goals.
“Grow our followers.” “Get more likes.” “Go viral.”
Cool. But... why?
It’s not that reach or engagement don’t matter - they absolutely do. But they’re the means, not the end. A sharp strategy connects content to tangible outcomes: sales, leads, event signups, traffic, and even strategic brand perception.
For example:
→ If you're a local business, your goal might be to increase footfall.
→ If you're a coach, it might be to book discovery calls.
→ If you’re building a brand, it might be consistent visibility with the right people - not just more people.
🌀Tie every content goal to a business goal. Likes are great. Conversions are better.
3. Not Understanding Your Audience
The mistake: Building a strategy based on assumptions instead of insights.
“We think our audience is Gen Z.”
“We reckon they like educational content.”
Cool. But what’s backing that up?
Effective strategy is rooted in data and listening - not just vibes. You need to know who you're talking to, what they care about, how they behave online, and what they need from you.
Try this:
Look at platform insights (demographics, top-performing posts).
Do competitor research: who’s already reaching the people you want? What’s landing for them?
Ask your audience questions. Polls, comments, DMs, email - the works.
Do desk research. There internet is your biggest tool - use it!
🌀Create a one-page audience snapshot - including who they are, what they struggle with, what motivates them, and where they hang out online.
4. Trying to Be Everywhere
The mistake: Spreading yourself too thin across every platform "just in case."
Instagram. TikTok. Threads. LinkedIn. Pinterest. YouTube Shorts.
It’s tempting to try them all. But unless you’re a full-time team, you’ll burn out fast - and your content will suffer.
Instead, pick your battles. Go deep, not wide. Start with one or two platforms where your audience actually spends time and where you can show up consistently and meaningfully.
Think about:
Where do your people hang out and expect to hear from a brand like yours?
What kind of content do you enjoy making and can commit to regularly?
Where can you realistically engage and build community - not just broadcast?
🌀Choose your core platform, then repurpose selectively for others. Not everything needs to go everywhere.
5. Not Having a Clear Content Architecture
The mistake: Random posting with no structure or throughline.
Maybe you’ve got ideas. A calendar. Even some nice templates. But if there’s no cohesive framework underneath it all, you’ll keep defaulting to “What should we post today?”
A solid strategy includes content architecture: the foundational building blocks of what you talk about, how often, and in what formats.
Build it with:
Content pillars – your key themes or topics
Content types – educational, entertaining, inspiring, promotional
Formats – carousels, Reels, threads, stories, etc.
Cadence – how often you post and in what rhythm
🌀Identify 3–5 content pillars and map 1–2 ideas under each. Boom - instant clarity.
6. Planning the Posts, Not the Path
The mistake: Focusing only on the calendar - not the customer journey.
It’s one thing to know what you’re posting on Tuesday. It’s another to understand how that post moves someone from not-knowing-you to buying from you.
Your strategy should be a journey, not a checklist. Good content doesn’t just get seen - it guides.
Think:
Awareness → “Who are you?”
Interest → “Tell me more.”
Desire → “I need this.”
Action → “I’m in.”
If your content isn’t connecting the dots, you’re leaving results on the table.
🌀Audit your last 10 posts. Are they all top-of-funnel? Where are the conversion cues?
7. Ignoring Performance and Feedback
The mistake: Treating your strategy like a one-and-done document.
Social is dynamic. People change. Platforms shift. What worked last month might flop next week. That’s not failure - it’s feedback.
Your strategy should evolve based on:
What’s working (content that performs well)
What’s not (formats that flop or get scrolled past)
What your audience is literally telling you (in comments, messages, or silence)
🌀Set a monthly check-in to review insights and tweak your approach. Strategy is a living, breathing thing - treat it like one.
8. Overcomplicating It
The mistake: Creating a strategy so detailed and jargon-heavy, no one uses it.
We’ve seen 50-page decks with abstract frameworks, brand voice pyramids, 7-part customer segmentations - all theoretically sound, but practically useless.
A good strategy should make content creation easier, faster, and more focused. If it doesn’t? It’s not doing its job.
Rule of thumb: If your team can’t understand or use your strategy without you explaining it, it needs simplifying.
🌀Distill your strategy into a one-pager or dashboard. Make it usable, not just impressive.
A social media strategy isn’t just “what to post.”
It’s:
Why you’re posting
Who you’re speaking to
What you want them to do next
And how every piece connects to something bigger
The best strategies are clear, focused, and actionable. No fluff. No guesswork. Just direction, purpose, and real results.
We’ll be sharing more soon on how to build a strategy from scratch - including templates, checklists, and our favourite tools.
📬 Make sure you’re a paid subscriber if you want the full playbook.