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Purpose This paper presents the first attempt to map and critically review existing social marketing planning approaches. Approach Critical literature review. Findings The discussion highlights that existing social marketing planning approaches have moved on from older product-driven models towards a more customer/ citizen-oriented, stakeholder engagement and value creation narrative. There is also a growing connection between social marketing planning approaches and theories from other disciplines. This recognises that a simple push marketing strategy, which was the working principle of many early social marketingplanning approaches, is not often effective for contemporary social marketing practice. Effective social marketing planning requires a greater emphasis on new social marketing principles derived from the new global consensus social marketing definition, such as more citizen focus, sustainable outcomes, and ethical practice, thus highlighting a need for more comprehensive social marketing planning approaches with a better understanding of recent theory development of social marketing as a field in order to be relatable and efficient. Implications The review sets out some original thinking about how planning in the field of social marketing can be strengthened through a more inclusive adoption of both system thinking analysis and integration with other fields of theory and practice that are seeking to influence behaviour for social good. Limitations This review is exploratory in nature and evaluates only 14 social marketing planning approaches; more social marketing approaches exist and could be considered in further reviews.