Social Media Campaign Template: Free Planning Framework (2026)

A social media campaign template is a structured framework that maps your goals, audience, content, timeline, and KPIs into one actionable document.

Why you need one: Campaigns without templates waste budget. Templates keep everyone aligned and make results repeatable. Pair this with our social media strategy template for a full framework.

Skip to: Full Template | Campaign Examples | Launch Checklist

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The Complete Social Media Campaign Template

1. Campaign Overview

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2. Goal Setting (SMART Framework)

Every campaign needs measurable goals:

Common campaign goals:

• Increase brand awareness (reach, impressions)
• Drive website traffic (clicks, CTR)
• Generate leads (form fills, email signups)
• Increase engagement (comments, shares, saves)
• Drive sales (conversions, revenue)

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3. Target Audience

Tip: Use your existing analytics to identify when your audience is most active. Check our best posting time calculator for platform-specific data.

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4. Content Plan

Content pillars for your campaign:

1. Educational (how-to, tips, tutorials)
2. Entertaining (trends, memes, behind-the-scenes)
3. Promotional (offers, launches, CTAs)
4. Community (UGC, polls, Q&A)

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5. Campaign Timeline

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6. Budget Breakdown

Budget allocation rule of thumb:

• 60% paid advertising
• 20% content production
• 10% influencer/partnerships
• 10% tools and contingency

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7. Performance Tracking

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Social Media Campaign Examples by Type

Product Launch Campaign

• Duration: 4-6 weeks (2 weeks teaser, 2-4 weeks push)
• Platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Email
• Content mix: Teaser → Reveal → Reviews → UGC → Retarget
• Budget split: 70% ads, 20% influencer, 10% content

Brand Awareness Campaign

• Duration: 8-12 weeks
• Platforms: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
• Content mix: Educational → Entertaining → Community → Viral
• Budget split: 50% ads, 30% content, 20% partnerships

Lead Generation Campaign

• Duration: 4-8 weeks
• Platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
• Content mix: Value posts → Lead magnet → Nurture → Convert
• Budget split: 60% ads, 25% content, 15% tools

Event Promotion Campaign

• Duration: 3-4 weeks pre-event, 1 week post-event
• Platforms: All relevant platforms
• Content mix: Announcement → Countdown → Live coverage → Recap
• Budget split: 50% ads, 30% content, 20% partnerships

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Campaign Launch Checklist

Pre-Launch:

• Campaign goals defined and approved
• Target audience documented
• Content calendar complete
• All creative assets produced
• Ad accounts set up and funded (Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads)
• Tracking pixels and UTMs configured (Google Analytics)
• Landing pages tested
• Team roles assigned

Launch Day:

• All posts scheduled or published
• Ads activated
• Email blast sent
• Team notified
• Real-time monitoring active

Post-Campaign:

• Data collected and compiled
• Performance vs. goals analyzed
• ROI calculated
• Learnings documented
• Report shared with stakeholders

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Tools to Run Your Campaign

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FAQ

How long should a social media campaign run? Most campaigns run 2-8 weeks. Product launches need 4-6 weeks. Brand awareness campaigns work best at 8-12 weeks. Short promotional campaigns can run 1-2 weeks. For inspiration, see our social media campaign examples.

What's a good budget for a social media campaign? Start with $500-$2,000 for small campaigns. Mid-size campaigns typically need $2,000-$10,000. Scale based on your cost-per-result and ROI targets.

How many platforms should I use? Focus on 2-3 platforms where your audience is most active. Spreading across too many platforms dilutes effort. Quality on fewer platforms beats mediocre presence everywhere.

How do I measure campaign success? Track metrics tied to your specific goal. Awareness = reach and impressions. Engagement = comments and shares. Leads = signups and form fills. Sales = conversions and revenue. Our marketing ROI guide walks through this in detail.