According to Emplifi’s Q3 2025 Social Media Benchmarks Report, click-through-rates (CTR) for Facebook feed ads held strong during the quarter at 2.23%

Emplifi, a leading social media marketing platform, today released the “Q3 2025 Social Media Benchmarks” report, highlighting key social media insights based on the tens of thousands of global brands that use the company’s social media management platform. According to the report, social media posts featuring user generated content (UGC) not only drove 10.38X higher conversion rates compared to non-UGC posts, it also drove more website visits and higher average order values (AOVs).

UGC-focused social posts in Q3 delivered almost double the lift in conversion rates compared to Q2 2025 (5.29X). Meanwhile, even though UGC still drives more website visits and higher AOVs than non-UGC social posts, UGC did experience a slight dip on both fronts in Q3. During Q2, UGC posts delivered 4.3X more website visits compared to non-UGC posts (that data point dropped to 3.84X in Q3). In Q2, UGC-focused posts drove a 2.35X increase in AOVs compared to non-UGC posts—that number dropped to 1.06X the lift in AOVs for Q3.

“Our benchmark report reinforces just how critical UGC is to a brand’s social success. Any retailer looking to maximize their conversion rates across social media should continue to lean heavily on authentic content created by their biggest fans,” said Susan Ganeshan, CMO, Emplifi. “Even with its impact on website traffic and average order values experiencing a slight drop, UGC is still more effective than most all other creative. And with the Golden Quarter now in full swing, we expect Q4 performance to strengthen as engagement and purchasing activity rise.

Industry analysts predict online retail sales will see a 6.7% year-over-year increase this holiday season—a slower growth rate than the previous two years and the third consecutive year of single-digit ecommerce growth. As online sales growth slows, the ecommerce landscape becomes more competitive than ever before.

Emplifi’s report confirmed that Meta platforms continue to dominate social commerce, with Facebook accounting for 34.2 % of all interactions (up from 27.6 % in Q2) and Instagram rising to 26.8 % (up from 23.7 %). Emplifi also revealed Facebook Live videos saw an increase in organic engagement, up from an average of 17 interactions per video to 20. Organic engagement for Instagram Carousels dropped from an average of 40 interactions per post to 38, and Instagram Reels dropped from an average of 35 interactions per post to 33.

When analyzing ad spend performance, Emplifi found that click-through-rates (CTRs) for Facebook Feed ads held strong in Q3 at 2.23%, while CTRs for Reels declined slightly from 1.38% in Q2 to 1.3% in Q3. Facebook Feed ads still dominate ad spend, up 25.4 percentage points over Instagram ad spend. Cost-per-click (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.

“Our biggest takeaway for brands as they build out their Q4 social media strategy: authentic content like UGC is going to be a key driver of engagement and conversions. Also, with Meta prioritizing video content, now is the time to boost your focus on Reels and other video ad formats,” said Ganeshan. “Fortunately, AI advancements like image recognition and AI based captioning make it possible for teams of all sizes to easily refresh their creative and refine social strategies in real-time. Emplifi customers know this firsthand. Our solutions are helping global brands drive engagement and maximize ad spend, while keeping spend and headcount flat, yet still significantly increasing social commerce outcomes.”

Access Emplifi’s full report at: Q3 2025 Social Media Benchmarks Report.

About Emplifi

Emplifi is a leading social media marketing platform, empowering brands to deliver meaningful, connected experiences across digital channels. Recognized as a Leader by renowned analysts and celebrated as a customer favorite, Emplifi provides innovative, data-driven insights and AI-powered tools to help brands optimize social media performance, elevate their influencer marketing strategies, and deliver impactful customer engagement across marketing, commerce, and care.

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