The ultimate social media marketing playbook for retail brands

Today’s retail brands are gifted (and cursed) with having an ever-present, always-on digital storefront through social media. The beauty of reaching endless customers from all over the world can feel tempered by overwhelm, as the number of social media marketing strategies and approaches retail brands can take feels endless.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to create an effective social media strategy for retail brands, what types of content perform best, what metrics to track, and how to manage it all with the right tools and practices.

Why is social media for retail important today?

Social media is increasingly where consumers discover, research, and buy products.

Today, social commerce accounts for approximately 17% of all e-commerce sales — and growing. Social platforms have encouraged retailers to increase that share with features like shopping tags and product pins that help retail brands move customers from initial discovery through consideration to final purchase, all without leaving the app.

Consider that:

• Half of social media users say they’ve purchased directly from social media within the past 90 days.
• 32% of consumers use social media platforms specifically for product research, according to McKinsey’s 2025 State of the Consumer report.
• For Gen Z shoppers, social commerce is even more important, with a recent survey finding that 60% prefer to discover products through influencers on social media, especially favoring TikTok and Instagram.
• In a recent e-commerce survey, 70% of respondents predicted that they would be primarily shopping on social media by 2030.

Given that the tides are clearly shifting towards social at every stage of the buying journey, retailers need to invest in social commerce infrastructure and personalization now to avoid falling behind.

How do you build an effective retail social media strategy from scratch?

Building a social media strategy for a retail brand starts with understanding your goals. If broader brand awareness is your aim, for example, you’ll take a different approach than if your goal is to directly increase sales.

Understand your customer base

Start by analyzing your customer demographics and behaviors. For example, different generations tend to follow brands for different reasons.

Emplifi survey data shows several interesting findings:

• Promotions and discounts are a motivator for all generations, but 80% of Baby Boomers consider it a top priority, compared to just 55% of Millennials.
• Generation Z (69%) is nearly twice as likely as Boomers (37%) to follow brands for entertainment value, reflecting their 8+ hours of daily social media usage and expectation that brands be part of their entertainment ecosystem.
• Both Gen Z (47%) and Millennials (42%) show strong interest in lifestyle content at nearly double the rates of older generations, suggesting they want brands integrated into their identity and aspirations.
• Generation X (49%) most want brands involved in social causes they care about, likely reflecting their prime earning years and social awareness.
• Gen Z craves authentic, peer-driven content and wants to see “people like me” in posts.
• Boomers and Gen X prioritize informational content and real customer features for research and validation.

Understanding your target audience’s expectations for brand social accounts will help you set the right course for your content.

Select the optimal social platforms for your retail brand

Once you’ve defined your target audience, identify which social networks align with their daily habits. Evaluate the major platforms – Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok – based on where your audience is most active and engaged.

Consider each platform’s unique characteristics and how they serve your business objectives. Think about user behavior patterns, algorithm preferences, and top-performing content formats. For example, Instagram Reels are optimal for engagement, but creating video content can be more time-consuming than other formats. Pinterest is a great option for more visual brands, but might not be appropriate for certain types of products.

Stay current with platform updates and algorithm changes, as these shifts often create new opportunities to increase engagement or may require strategic adjustments to maintain performance.

Create a content calendar that aligns with your retail brand

Make sure your social media content calendar overlaps with your brand’s seasonal promotions, special sales, and product launches. Plan a mix of evergreen content and time-sensitive content so that your feed isn’t only promotional. And remember, one of the primary reasons that people follow brand accounts is to hear about specials and discounts.

Case study: Crunch Fitness

Crunch Fitness has built its reputation on creating an energetic atmosphere and promoting fitness as a fun, welcoming experience for everyone. The company operates through a franchise system, and individual locations have different levels of social media skills and experience. This created a significant challenge: helping local franchise teams produce compelling, on-brand social media content while not overwhelming them with additional tasks on top of their existing responsibilities.

Using Emplifi’s social media management platform, Crunch Fitness discovered a solution that supported franchise operators while maintaining uniform brand messaging across their hundreds of social media accounts. By utilizing analytics-driven strategies, streamlined processes, and user-friendly dashboard interfaces, operators were able to save time and boost engagement.

Challenge: Empower franchisees to manage social media effectively while maintaining brand consistency.

Solution: Emplifi’s centralized content tools, engagement tracking, and customizable dashboards streamlined social media management and enabled replication of top-performing content.

Outcome: Achieved high levels of adoption among multi-location operators, with measurable gains in content performance and operational efficiency.

What types of content drive the most engagement for retail brands?

Retail brands thrive on content that attracts attention while encouraging customers to interact, share, and ultimately convert.

The most engaging content types for retail brands include:

1. Short-form video (Reels, etc.)

Short video with compelling hooks are great for retail brands on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Focus on making video content that’s highly shareable, algorithm-friendly, and effective at showcasing products in action, sharing quick tips, or telling brand stories.

2. User-generated content (UGC)

Sharing UGC is a win-win for both customers and retail brands. It elevates the content creator and helps build trust with your customers. 65% of social media users say posts from real customers or followers are more likely to prompt a purchase than traditional influencer content.

Reviews, testimonials, unboxing, or haul videos showcase your brand without feeling overly promotional. You can encourage UGC by creating hashtags, running contests, and asking for followers to stitch or duet your videos. For example, women’s retail clothing brand Aerie runs the #AerieREAL campaign that invites customers to share unfiltered photos, showcasing inclusivity and driving engagement.

3. Interactive content

Quizzes, polls, and interactive games invite followers to participate and feel more connected to your brand. They also generate valuable zero-party data for future content strategy and customization. Think product-matching quizzes to help customers find the right items or interactive polls in stories (like “This or That” with products).

4. Storytelling and brand narratives

Sharing compelling stories – about the brand, its mission, or customer experiences – creates emotional connections. Story-driven content influences purchasing decisions and builds loyalty. People are more likely to remember information when it’s presented in a story format (data shows that it’s anywhere from 7 to 13 times more effective).

Documentaries or mini-series that highlight causes or brand values are especially impactful. You don’t need a mega budget to create this type of content, either. Mine the stories of your brand’s founders, history, past campaigns, even PR fails that ultimately helped the brand improve.

5. Educational content

How-to guides, tips, and explainer videos that solve customer problems position the brand as a helpful resource. An Emplifi survey revealed that 40% of consumers follow brands for product usage info and educational resources.

6. Event-based content

Online events like live Q&As, giveaways, and product launches foster community and real-time interaction. And livestream shopping is a huge opportunity for connection and sales. Companies that have adopted live commerce have reported conversion rates of around 30%, which is almost 10x higher than standard eCommerce conversion rates.

What social commerce features should retail brands implement today?

Retail brands looking to capitalize on the growth of social commerce should prioritize these critical features:

• Shoppable posts and product tags represent the foundation of effective social commerce. These features transform passive scrolling into active shopping by allowing customers to tap on products within organic content and move directly to purchase. Brands implementing shoppable posts report significantly shorter customer journeys and higher conversion rates, as the friction between discovery and purchase is virtually eliminated.
• Integration with existing eCommerce platforms ensures a cohesive customer experience across all touchpoints. A unified analytics dashboard helps retailers track cross-channel performance and identify opportunities to streamline the customer journey. This integration prevents the frustration of disconnected experiences that can lead to abandoned carts and lost sales.
• Optimized calls to action drive measurable results by guiding customers toward desired outcomes. Whether directing traffic to eCommerce sites or physical stores, effective CTAs should be action-oriented, visually distinct, and strategically placed. A/B testing different CTA formats can reveal which approaches resonate best with your specific audience.
• Loyalty program integration with social media efforts creates a powerful feedback loop of engagement and reward. By connecting social interactions to loyalty points or exclusive benefits, retailers can increase both program participation and social engagement.
• Mobile optimization is non-negotiable. Every aspect of the social shopping experience, from discovery to checkout, should function flawlessly on mobile. This includes fast-loading pages, simplified checkout processes, and touch-friendly interfaces that accommodate on-the-go shopping behavior.

Which social media metrics matter most for retail success?

Vanity metrics like follower counts matter much less than measurements that directly impact business outcomes. Successful retailers organize their metrics into three key pillars: awareness, engagement, and conversion. This creates a comprehensive framework that tracks the customer journey from discovery to purchase.

Retail-specific KPIs should connect social activity to sales. Here are some metrics you could include in your analytics tracking:

Whatever metrics you’re tracking, you need a reliable analytics platform to turn the data into actionable insights.

“Emplifi enabled us to create a flawless reporting system that became central to our strategy,” says Mario Ibarra from Cheil Chile, highlighting the importance of proper attribution models. These models help retailers understand which touchpoints influence purchase decisions, allowing for more accurate ROI calculations.

When reporting to stakeholders, focus on translating social metrics into business language. Rather than reporting engagement in isolation, connect these numbers to revenue impact. This approach ensures social media’s value is understood throughout your organization, securing continued investment in your retail social strategy.

What emerging technologies will shape the future of social media for retail?

Several emerging technologies stand to revolutionize how retail brands connect with consumers on social platforms.

AI in content creation, personalized recommendations, and customer service

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming social media marketing for retailers. AI-powered customer service solutions have helped brands like Domino’s achieve a 53% reduction in handling time while increasing social media volume by 128%. The next evolution will see AI delivering hyper-personalized product recommendations based on browsing behavior, purchase history, and even emotional responses to content.

AR/VR virtual try-ons and immersive shopping experiences

Augmented and virtual reality are bridging the gap between online browsing and in-store experiences. Virtual try-ons for clothing, accessories, and cosmetics are already gaining traction. As AR/VR technology becomes more sophisticated, expect to see virtual showrooms where customers can “walk through” store environments, interact with products, and make purchases, all without leaving their social media apps.

The potential of the Metaverse and other virtual retail environments

While the Metaverse got off to a rocky start, there’s still a lot of potential for retail social commerce. And other digital spaces like Roblox have partnered with brands including Home Depot and Vans to create in-world retail experiences, where you can actually make a purchase. Shared virtual spaces will allow brands to create entirely new shopping experiences that blend entertainment, social interaction, and commerce.

Voice and visual search integration with social platforms

As voice assistants and visual search technologies mature, they’re becoming increasingly integrated with social commerce. Consumers will soon be able to snap a photo of an item they like or simply describe it verbally to find similar products on social platforms.

Sustainability and ethical practices in social media marketing

Future social media strategies will emphasize transparency around sustainability initiatives, ethical sourcing, and corporate responsibility. Brands that authentically communicate their values will build stronger connections with consumers who make purchasing decisions based on shared principles.

How retailers can adopt these technologies cost-effectively

While these technologies may seem out of reach for smaller retailers, many platforms are developing accessible entry points. Emplifi’s solutions help brands of all sizes implement advanced features without enterprise-level budgets. Starting with targeted applications, like AI-powered content scheduling or basic AR product visualization, allows smaller and mid-sized retailers to test these technologies with minimal investment while still delivering meaningful customer experience improvements.