{"id":17629,"date":"2025-10-15T13:25:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T13:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emplifistg.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=resource_posts&#038;p=17629"},"modified":"2025-11-07T16:19:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T16:19:06","slug":"q3-2025-social-media-benchmarks","status":"publish","type":"resource_posts","link":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/blog\/q3-2025-social-media-benchmarks\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog: Q3 2025 benchmarks: UGC conversion gains and Meta\u2019s video-first strategy in focus"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":17630,"parent":3412,"menu_order":0,"template":"page-templates\/resource-blog.php","resource_topics_tax":[52,51],"resource_types_tax":[48],"resource_industries_tax":[18,17,404,105,106,107,108,109],"resource_visibility_tax":[],"class_list":["post-17629","resource_posts","type-resource_posts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_topics_tax-analytics-and-reporting","resource_topics_tax-social-media-management","resource_types_tax-blogs","resource_industries_tax-agencies","resource_industries_tax-consumer-packaged-goods","resource_industries_tax-high-education","resource_industries_tax-media-entertainment","resource_industries_tax-restaurants","resource_industries_tax-retail-ecommerce","resource_industries_tax-sports","resource_industries_tax-travel-hospitality"],"acf":{"page_cta_group":{"show_section":true,"use_global_cta":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"","section_text_left":"","section_text_right":"","section_button":""},"awards_group":{"show_section":true,"use_global_awards_text":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"","section_text":"","use_global_awards":true,"awards":false},"resource_description":"Brand performance on social media shifted in important ways in Q3 2025, and the latest Social Media Benchmark Report from Emplifi highlights several key trends for brands in the United States.","hero_headline":"Q3 2025 benchmarks: UGC conversion gains and Meta\u2019s video-first strategy in focus","hero_read_time":"6","hero_image":{"ID":17630,"id":17630,"title":"EMP922-Q3 social media trends [Blog] Feature","filename":"EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature.png","filesize":1460980,"url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature.png","link":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/blog\/q3-2025-social-media-benchmarks\/emp922-q3-social-media-trends-blog-feature\/","alt":"","author":"29","description":"","caption":"","name":"emp922-q3-social-media-trends-blog-feature","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":17629,"date":"2025-10-14 08:10:24","modified":"2025-10-14 08:10:24","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1200,"height":600,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature-300x150.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature-768x384.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":384,"large":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature-1024x512.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature.png","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":600,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature.png","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":600,"fullscreen":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature.png","fullscreen-width":1200,"fullscreen-height":600,"menu-24x24":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature-24x12.png","menu-24x24-width":24,"menu-24x24-height":12,"menu-36x36":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature-36x18.png","menu-36x36-width":36,"menu-36x36-height":18,"menu-48x48":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EMP922-Q3-social-media-trends-Blog-Feature-48x24.png","menu-48x48-width":48,"menu-48x48-height":24}},"content_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg_background_color":"white","wysiwyg":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brand performance on social media shifted in important ways in Q3 2025, and the latest Social Media Benchmark Report from Emplifi highlights several key trends for brands in the United States. From user-generated content (UGC) delivering higher returns to subtle shifts in platform engagement and the growing dominance of ecommerce, the quarter also marked another step in Meta\u2019s push to make video the centerpiece of both engagement and ad performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s how brand performance changed from Q2 to Q3 and what you can do about it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>UGC in the spotlight: Conversions soar, order value slips<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brands using Emplifi\u2019s UGC solution in Q3 achieved:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conversion rates 10.38\u00d7 higher<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than posts not using UGC (up from 5.29\u00d7 in Q2)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Website visits 3.84\u00d7 higher<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (down from 4.3\u00d7 in Q2)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Average order values 1.06\u00d7 higher<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (down from 2.35\u00d7 in Q2)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These shifts highlight UGC\u2019s growing role as a driver of conversions, even as its impact on traffic and basket size slowed. Broader consumer research reinforces why it matters:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/consumer-brand-social-engagement-2025-survey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 65% of people say UGC influences their purchasing decisions,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> underscoring the importance of showcasing real customer experiences alongside brand-led creative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Actionable insight:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> UGC is increasingly a conversion driver, but its influence on basket size is shrinking. Marketers should continue to deploy UGC in retargeting and conversion campaigns while pairing it with cross-sell strategies or bundle offers to lift order value.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Instagram still wins, but engagement softened across formats<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Q3, organic engagement dipped slightly across Instagram and Facebook:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Instagram Carousels:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 38 median interactions (down from 40 in Q2)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Instagram Reels:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 33 (down from 35)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Facebook Live Videos:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 20 (up from 17)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Facebook Reels:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 5 (down from 6)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meta has also been reshaping its platforms to be more video-forward. Recent updates now <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/news\/794923\/meta-facebook-tiktok-reels-friend-bubble?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">convert every video on Facebook into a Reel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, expand video discovery tools, and introduce \u201cfriend bubbles\u201d designed to highlight content that friends have engaged with. These moves underscore Meta\u2019s bet on video as the engine of future engagement, and while Reels interactions saw only slight softening in Q3, their performance remains broadly stable across both Facebook and Instagram.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Actionable insight:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> With engagement holding steady but showing small signs of softening, stick with Carousels, Reels, and Live Video as your top-performing formats, but refresh how you execute them. Story-driven Carousels, snappier Reels, and interactive Live broadcasts can re-energize audiences while aligning with Meta\u2019s video-first strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"callout","callout_gray_group":{"show_section":true,"subhead":"","headline":"Learn how your brand performs with a personalized Emplifi assessment.","text":"","button_1":{"title":"Request an audit","url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/free-social-media-assessment\/","target":"_blank"},"button_2":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg_background_color":"white","wysiwyg":"<h2>Ecommerce pulls further ahead in engagement<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ecommerce\u2019s dominance grew stronger in Q3:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Facebook:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 34.2% of all interactions (up from 27.6% in Q2)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Instagram:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 26.8% of all interactions (up from 23.7% in Q2)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This rise in ecommerce interactions reflects a broader shift toward social-first shopping. In the U.S., the social commerce market is projected to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20250513347819\/en\/United-States-Social-Commerce-Intelligence-Report-2025-Market-to-Grow-by-14.4-to-Reach-%24114.7-Billion-this-Year-Fueled-by-Platform-Integration-Consumer-Engagement-Partnerships---Forecast-to-2030---ResearchAndMarkets.com?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> grow 14.4% in 2025 to $114.7 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Looking ahead,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dhl-freight-connections.com\/en\/trends\/e-commerce-trends-report-2025\/?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 70% of shoppers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> both already buy on social platforms and expect social to be their main shopping environment by 2030, showing that audiences increasingly see social channels as hubs for discovery and purchasing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Actionable insight:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ecommerce brands should push their advantage with shoppable posts, UGC testimonials, and influencer campaigns. For non-ecommerce sectors, borrowing ecommerce tactics, like social proof content, tagged products, and behind-the-scenes storytelling\u2014can help capture attention in increasingly commerce-driven feeds.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Paid media performance: Stable, but video monetization rises<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From Q2 to Q3, paid performance remained steady:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Click-through rates:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Facebook Feed held strong (2.24% \u2192 2.23%), while Reels slipped only slightly (1.38% \u2192 1.3%).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ad spend:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Facebook Feed extended its dominance, now 25.4 percentage points higher than Instagram Feed (up from 22.8 points in Q2).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Costs:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> CPC remained lowest on Facebook Feed and Reels, averaging under $0.50, while CPM was lowest on Facebook and Instagram Reels, both around the $3 mark.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/meta-facebook-instagram-earnings-revenue-86d359d248d67f2e67e16122facabb52?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meta\u2019s Q3 earnings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> highlight how central advertising has become to its growth, with revenue climbing on the back of AI-driven optimizations and a sharper focus on video monetization strategies. These moves underscore Meta\u2019s intent to extract more value from video placements, positioning them as the next big driver of ad efficiency. And while Feed continues to deliver the strongest performance for marketers, the broader trend suggests that Reels and Stories will play a larger role in Meta\u2019s ad business in the quarters ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Actionable insight:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Keep Facebook Feed as the cornerstone of your paid strategy for efficiency, but gradually test Reels and Stories to align with Meta\u2019s video-first push. Being an early mover in these placements could unlock cost advantages before competition intensifies.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Final takeaways<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Q2 to Q3 results reveal a social landscape that is shifting in subtle but important ways. UGC has cemented itself as a conversion powerhouse, driving sharper lifts than in previous quarters, though its impact on order value eased compared to Q2. Organic engagement across Instagram and Facebook held mostly steady, with only minor dips, while Meta doubled down on its video-first strategy through product updates and platform redesigns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For marketers planning Q4, the message is clear: lean into UGC for conversion gains, refresh creative across top-performing formats to sustain engagement, borrow ecommerce-style tactics to spark interactions even in non-commerce industries, and balance media budgets between the proven strength of Feed and the emerging potential of Reels and Stories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ready to see how your social media performance stacks up against the competition? Get your <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/free-social-media-assessment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free personalized assessment<\/a> now and uncover actionable insights to elevate your strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n"}],"sidebar_type":"sticky","resource_feed_group":{"show_section":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"Insights from Emplifi","section_text":"<p>Explore our latest blogs and comprehensive guides designed to help you master customer experience strategies and drive growth.<\/p>\n","feed_type":"resources","use_recent_resources":true,"topic_filter":59,"resources":false,"custom_links":false},"remove_gtm":false,"custom_card_title":"Q3 2025 benchmarks: UGC conversion gains and Meta\u2019s video-first strategy in focus","hero_hide_subhead":false,"hero_button":{"title":"Request an audit","url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/free-social-media-assessment\/","target":"_blank"},"left_sidebar_add_cta":true,"sidebar_left_featured_resource":15533,"faqs_group":{"show_section":false,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"Frequently Asked Questions","section_text":"","faqs":[{"title":"What exactly is social listening, and why is it important for my brand?","content":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/blog\/social-listening-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social listening<\/a> is the process of monitoring and analyzing online conversations about your brand, industry, or competitors. It helps you understand customer sentiment, track trends, and identify opportunities or issues early. This insight allows your brand to engage meaningfully and stay relevant in a crowded market.<\/p>\n"},{"title":"How do I choose the best social listening tool for my business needs?","content":"<p>Start by identifying your goals, budget, and the scale of monitoring required. Look for tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/\">Emplifi<\/a> that have features such as multi-channel coverage, AI-driven insights, and ease of use. Also, ask questions about data accuracy, crisis management, and integration capabilities to find the best fit.<\/p>\n"},{"title":"What features should I look for in a social listening platform to get actionable insights?","content":"<p data-start=\"829\" data-end=\"1238\">Key <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/product\/social-listening\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media listening features<\/a> include real-time alerts, AI-powered sentiment analysis, competitive benchmarking, and visual content recognition. Workflow automation and customizable dashboards also help turn data into quick, informed decisions. These tools enable you to respond proactively and improve your marketing strategy.<\/p>\n"},{"title":"Can social listening tools help me manage a crisis or negative feedback effectively?","content":"<p data-start=\"1243\" data-end=\"1622\">Yes, many platforms offer crisis detection with real-time notifications to catch issues early. AI-powered sentiment analysis helps you understand the severity and context of negative feedback. This allows your team to respond quickly, minimizing damage and <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/blog\/reputation-management-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">managing brand reputation<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"title":"How does AI improve social listening and make it easier to understand customer sentiment?","content":"<p data-start=\"1627\" data-end=\"2018\">AI analyzes vast amounts of data faster than humans, detecting patterns and trends across channels. It can automatically classify sentiment, flag emerging topics, and summarize conversations. This makes it easier for marketers to grasp the overall customer mood and make data-driven decisions.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2020\" data-end=\"2086\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">\n"}],"disclaimer_text":"","add_additional_sections":false,"additional_faq_sections":false},"author":16346,"left_sidebar_cta_headline":"Discover how your social media stacks up with a personalized assessment.","left_sidebar_cta_text":"","left_sidebar_cta_button":{"title":"Request an audit","url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/free-social-media-assessment\/","target":"_blank"},"sidebar_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"table_of_contents","title":"TABLE OF CONTENTS","type":"automatic","links":false}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_posts\/17629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource_posts"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_posts\/3412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource_topics_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_topics_tax?post=17629"},{"taxonomy":"resource_types_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_types_tax?post=17629"},{"taxonomy":"resource_industries_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_industries_tax?post=17629"},{"taxonomy":"resource_visibility_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_visibility_tax?post=17629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}