Reddit advertising: Your strategic starter guide

Reddit advertising is your gateway to one of the internet’s largest and most engaged frontiers: a collection of thousands of highly specific micro-communities.

While Redditors are famously skeptical of traditional advertising, this presents a powerful opportunity for you to earn trust by offering authenticity and value via social media advertising.

This guide breaks down your complete strategy for Reddit advertising, from understanding the audience and selecting ad types to launching campaigns that provide genuine value.

What is Reddit advertising? And how is it different?

Reddit advertising is the practice of promoting content to users across Reddit’s communities by paying for placement within feeds, search results or specific subreddits. Brands use the Reddit Ads Manager, a self-serve platform similar to other social networks, to build and distribute paid posts across the platform.

What makes Reddit ads different is their seamless integration into the culture. Successful campaigns must feel native and community-focused. The goal is to “join the conversation”, not just “buy impressions.” These ads reference community language, address the real problems users discuss and provide genuine value instead of marketing hype.

A paid strategy is strongest when you build it on a foundation of organic understanding. You don’t need to be an active Redditor to run ads, but you will benefit from understanding its unique community. This is where social listening becomes essential.

Use tools like Sprout Social’s Social Media Listening to monitor keywords and conversations across social networks. With this preparation, Reddit advertising shifts from buying impressions to entering a community with respect and relevance.

Why you can’t afford to ignore Reddit advertising

Reddit is one of the last major digital channels where you can reach high-intent audiences at scale. You gain an immediate advantage because many competitors still treat Reddit as uncharted territory.

The community network averaged 4.88 billion monthly visits in August 2025, which puts Reddit among the top ten most visited websites worldwide. Usage among younger and older demographics continues to grow year over year. The platform’s users are no longer niche, and their purchasing power is significant.

Using Reddit is more than just about consuming content. It’s a network where Reddit users actively research products, request recommendations and seek peer validation. That direct intent makes it a strategic channel when you want to reach motivated audiences actively trying to solve problems—something that sets it apart from traditional Facebook ads or even TikTok campaigns.

The Reddit audience: A new kind of segmentation

Traditional demographic targeting doesn’t define Reddit. Interests define Reddit. Subreddits revolve around niche communities that operate like ongoing roundtable discussions, forming over 100,000 active communities where users discuss highly specific topics.

For example, if you sell a budgeting app, you don’t need to target “people interested in finance” broadly. You can specifically reach the r/personalfinance, r/povertyfinance or r/frugal communities, where users are already comparing tools, sharing tips and posting detailed questions. This precision in identifying your target audience goes beyond what networks like LinkedIn or Microsoft Advertising typically offer.

This creates a form of segmentation driven by psychographics and community identity. Instead of age or gender, the defining factor is the group’s mindset. You can use this to reach communities highly invested in the problem you solve, whether you’re a SaaS company, small business or even promoting products on Shopify or Amazon.

The high reward of respecting Reddit’s culture

Reddit’s culture is honest, direct and self-policing. Redditors quickly ignore inauthentic ads or downvote them. The risk is critical comments or being called out for sounding overly promotional if you misjudge the tone. Moderators (or mods) actively enforce community guidelines and some subreddits even use bots to filter out spam.

The reward for respecting Reddit’s culture is equally strong. When an ad is native and relevant, Redditors engage with depth. They comment, ask questions and offer feedback. The most successful Reddit marketing strategies come from advertisers who respond directly in the comments and participate just like a normal user would—an approach that’s worth it for the quality of engagement you receive.

If you respect the culture, Reddit offers some of the most valuable, high-quality attention online, which often surpasses the user experience you’d find on other networks.

5 Main types of Reddit ads

Below are the types of Reddit advertisements available to you.

1. Promoted post ads

Promoted posts look and feel like standard Reddit content and appear in feeds or within specific subreddits. They are ideal for storytelling, asking questions or sharing resources. This is the best format for most advertisers to start with, particularly for brand awareness campaigns.

Here’s a promoted post on r/Charcuterie for Edgur, an exam preparation brand. As Redditors scroll through the subreddit, they see a colorful graphic with a clear offer: 50% off the first two months.

2. Image ads

These are single-image placements that appear in your feed. They work well for product highlights, clear value propositions and simple visual cues. The key is ensuring they blend naturally with other top posts in the subreddit.

3. Video ads

Video ads offer an interactive and more engaging way to amplify reach. Overly polished studio content can feel out of place, so shorter, “lo-fi” clips typically perform best. Think of this format as a moving, native Reddit post.

4. Carousel ads

Carousel ads allow multiple cards that users can swipe through. They are useful for showcasing product variations, step-by-step breakdowns or multiple benefits.

5. Conversation ads

Conversation ads open with a prewritten question that appears above the ad unit. This format is specifically designed to start discussions and encourage comments, blending naturally into Reddit’s conversational environment.

How to advertise on Reddit: A 5-step strategic plan

This section provides the strategic foundation you need before you even open the Ads Manager. Reddit rewards intentional planning. The more clearly you define your audience, message and value, the more effective your campaign becomes.

Here’s how to advertise on Reddit.

Step 1: Set your objectives and define KPIs

Your Reddit ad campaigns start by selecting an objective. The core options include:

• Brand awareness
• Traffic
• Conversions
• Video views
• App installs

Choose an objective that directly connects to a business outcome. For instance, a Traffic objective supports a webinar sign-up page, while a Conversion objective supports app installs or purchases. Clear alignment ensures your ad insights translate into meaningful metrics and help you optimize for better results.

Step 2: Select a targeting option

Reddit targeting is one of the platform’s biggest advantages. You have four main targeting options to choose from.

• Community targeting: This targets users within specific subreddits. A fintech company, for example, can target r/personalfinance. This is the platform’s most unique and highest-intent option.
• Interest targeting: This uses broad interests such as gaming, sports or entertainment. It casts a wider net than community targeting and supports top-of-funnel discovery.
• Keyword targeting: This reaches users based on queries they’ve searched or keywords they’ve interacted with in posts. It captures active research behavior, which often aligns with purchasing intent—similar to how Google Ads targets search queries.
• Audience targeting: This includes retargeting users who have visited your site with the Reddit Pixel and creating lookalike audiences. When you have existing traffic volume, this is a powerful way to expand your reach.

You can also define your audience by interest groups, like the options below.

(Source: Reddit)

Step 3: Create ads that feel native

The most successful Reddit ads look like they belong in the community. Follow these creative principles:

• Use simple, clear visuals. “Lo-fi” images often outperform polished studio production because they signal authenticity. Consider examining case study examples from successful campaigns to understand what works.
• Write conversational headlines. Talk the way the subreddit talks. Avoid overly technical or corporate marketing language.
• Address real problems. Pull inspiration from questions that users ask in related communities. For example: “Struggling to track your monthly spending? Here’s a tool that makes it easier.”
• Avoid clickbait. Redditors value transparency. While tools like ChatGPT can help generate initial copy ideas, always refine them to match the subreddit’s language.
• Create a compelling CTA. End each ad with a clear, single call to action (CTA) that directs users to a relevant landing page. Redditors dislike vague or overly promotional language, and a direct CTA improves clarity and click-through performance.

Step 4: Set your budget

Reddit uses an auction-based model similar to other PPC platforms. You choose between daily budgets or lifetime budgets depending on your timeline. Bidding options include CPM (for awareness), CPC or cost per click (for traffic) and CPV (for video views).

One advantage is that Reddit’s entry point is accessible. The minimum daily spend is $5 per day, allowing you to test new audiences with very little risk. This makes the ads cost significantly lower than Meta ads for initial testing, particularly for small businesses.

(Source: Reddit)

Step 5: Launch, measure and monitor

Launch your campaign, install the Reddit Pixel for conversion tracking and keep a close eye on the comments. This is part of the culture. Your comment section is a live focus group.

Sprout’s integration with Google Analytics helps you understand how Reddit traffic behaves once it reaches your website. If you use UTM parameters and custom URLs, you can view Reddit-driven sessions, conversions and on-site actions through Sprout’s GA4 reports. This gives you a clear picture of downstream impact, even though Reddit’s native ad metrics like impressions, clicks and spend remain in Reddit Ads Manager.

7 Reddit ads best practices to build trust and avoid downvotes

Social media advertising on Reddit is straightforward, but connecting with a niche, passionate audience requires a more nuanced approach. Here’s how you can promote your brand and win customers.

1. Be a Redditor first, a marketer second

Learn the platform’s culture. Every subreddit has its own rules and expectations. Spend time observing conversations before promoting anything. Many communities follow “Reddiquette,” an informal code centered around respect, transparency and constructive participation. A good place to start is by reviewing the rules and guidelines of each community, and then observing how the users participate in the subreddit.

Here’s an example of some of the rules you may find on communities like r/discgolf.

2. Engage authentically in your ad’s comments

Comments aren’t optional on Reddit; they’re part of the experience. When people respond to your ad, reply with clarity and honesty. Even simple acknowledgments help build trust. Treat the comments section as a real-time focus group, and upvotes and positive engagement will follow.

3. Target niche subreddits, not just broad interests

Smaller, more focused communities can offer a higher return on your investment than broad categories. Targeting r/hydroponics may see stronger engagement than a general “home gardening” interest group. Check the different placements available through Reddit for Business to maximize relevance.

4. Offer genuine value

The best ads offer something helpful. This could be a guide, a discount, a solution to a common community problem or a resource that users have requested in threads.

ULTA Beauty achieves this with a conversion-focused carousel ad. During the holidays, Redditors need gift ideas, and the brand offers an easy solution with a quick link to its deal. It’s timely, relevant and valuable.

(Source: Reddit)

5. Use clear, honest and humble copy

Redditors appreciate straightforward communication. Avoid exaggerated claims or corporate language. For many successful campaigns, the simplest version of your message performs best—strong copywriting means respecting the subreddit’s tone.

Here’s a perfect brand-subreddit match advertisement with relatable, community-driven copy. Sherpa Food Tours posted this promo on r/TravelHacks.

(Source: Reddit.com)

The “Not an ad (ok, it is…)” adds humor to the post and makes it more relatable to a travel-hacking group, showcasing the power of humble, transparent copy.

6. A/B test your creative and targeting

Reddit communities behave differently, so test variations of headlines, visuals and subreddit groups to see what resonates. Start small and scale what performs best. Track the price per conversion and CTR to guide optimization decisions.

7. Use social listening to understand your target community

A strong Reddit campaign starts with learning how your target communities talk about the problems you solve. Reddit social listening makes this easier by highlighting the themes, questions and sentiment patterns that shape those conversations.

With Sprout’s Listening tool, you can collect insights and use them to inform your advertising strategy, ensuring your ad copy is authentic to the community’s voice.

What does Reddit advertising cost you in 2026?

Reddit ads cost is determined by an auction-based bidding system that supports CPM (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions), CPC (Cost Per Click) and CPV (Cost Per View) bids. Actual costs vary depending on your audience, competition and how relevant your creative is to the communities you target—a metric heavily influenced by upvotes and downvotes (the Ad Quality Score).

Reddit’s CPMs, however, tend to fall on the more affordable end of the social advertising spectrum, although highly competitive niches can run higher. The platform also maintains a $5 minimum daily spend, which makes small-scale testing accessible to most teams. Costs increase when you target popular subreddits or broader interest groups during busier seasons.

To understand the real investment, consider both the budget you put behind ads and the time you spend engaging with comments and refining your creatives.

Measuring performance: Connecting Reddit data to strategy

Sprout Social is a central hub for analyzing the impact of your social investments. While Reddit’s raw ad metrics are housed in its own platform, Sprout helps you unify performance data across channels. So you can understand how each touchpoint influences downstream behavior.

If you use UTM parameters and custom URLs, Sprout’s GA4 reporting surfaces the traffic and conversions coming from your Reddit campaigns. This provides a wider view of how Reddit contributes to your overall marketing mix, especially in relation to other channels like Meta, TikTok or X.

Metrics to track beyond the click

Reddit has several engagement signals that help you gauge success:

• Upvotes
• Comments
• Saves
• Clicks and conversion data captured through the Reddit Pixel
• Traffic and on-site behavior captured in analytics

Comment sentiment can be especially valuable. Positive, constructive discussions indicate a strong match between your message and community expectations. If users ask follow-up questions or share detailed feedback, that’s a strong sign that the ad is resonating. This signal goes beyond what you’d typically see with retargeting campaigns on other platforms.

Connecting Reddit performance to your overall social strategy

Reddit is most valuable when you connect its performance to your broader social plan. Success on Reddit often reveals unique insights about your customers’ interests, challenges and decision-making processes.

Sprout helps bring this information into one place so you can compare it with insights from other networks, track cross-channel trends to use for Reddit and identify themes that influence your strategy.

Teams that align Reddit with broader listening, publishing and reporting workflows gain a clear view of how the platform contributes to brand growth and business goals.

Respect the culture, win the community

Reddit advertising rewards you when you understand the culture, deliver genuine value and participate in the conversation. When you show up with authenticity and relevance, you earn the trust of highly passionate communities.

A strong Reddit strategy requires listening, patience and a long-term view. Advertising success comes from respecting the audience, learning their language and contributing something meaningful.

The other half of the equation is understanding the conversations that matter most. Sign up for a Sprout Social Listening demo to find out the topics your audience talks about to create more effective Reddit ads with positive ROI.

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How to win at TikTok ads in 2026

Known for its short-form vertical videos, TikTok is more than just an app for dance challenges and lip-sync trends. The platform has grown exponentially in the past few years, with creators of all ages creating content spanning various topics, from entertainment and food to health and finance.

With over a billion monthly active users, it’s a great place for brands looking to reach their target audience. While creating organic content is a good first step, investing in TikTok ads for your social media advertising strategy will further boost your brand’s impact on the app’s audience.

However, advertising on TikTok isn’t the same as advertising on other social channels. This post gives you a detailed overview of how to leverage TikTok advertising and what ads to try.

What are TikTok ads?

TikTok ads are paid, full-screen video advertisements that appear natively in the “For You” feed, search results and across TikTok’s partner apps. Unlike traditional social ads, they are designed to blend seamlessly with user-generated content (UGC), featuring a “Sponsored” tag and interactive call-to-action (CTA) buttons.

Most TikTok ads operate on an auction-based model, allowing advertisers to bid for impressions (CPM), clicks (CPC) or views (CPV). The platform also offers TikTok Shop integration, enabling direct in-app purchasing.

However, users can also use TikTok Promote to turn organic content into a paid advertisement.

How much do TikTok ads cost in 2026?

TikTok ads require a minimum daily spend of $50 USD at the Campaign level and $20 USD at the Ad Group level, according to the enforced minimum budgets by TikTok.

While the exact cost per click (CPC) or cost per mille (CPM) varies by auction pressure and industry, advertisers must adhere to these strict budget floors to ensure ad delivery:

• Campaign minimum: $50/day (or lifetime total).
• Ad group minimum: $20/day.

Brands that should use TikTok advertising

B2C brands with visually demonstrable products perform best on TikTok. Companies like Cetaphil, Nesquik and Vinted succeed because their products fit the platform’s visual, “show, don’t tell” format.

While B2B brands can find success, the platform is optimized for direct-to-consumer (DTC) engagement where products can be showcased in action within 9–15 seconds.

Types of TikTok ads

TikTok offers plenty of options for advertising on the platform. It’s up to you to choose the most effective one to reach your target audience and get your message across. Here are the different types of ads for the TikTok ads platform:

• In-feed video: These ads appear in TikTok users’ native news feed on the For YouPage.
• Search ads: This format allows brands to bid on specific keywords (similar to Google Ads), ensuring your video appears when users search for relevant terms, capturing high-intent traffic.
• Spark ads: TikTok rolled out this ad type in 2021, giving brands the ability to sponsor popular organic content related to their products.
• TopView ads: These ads are shown to users when they open the app. The full-screen, sound-on videos are great for capturing users’ attention.
• Image ads: Image ads include a brand or app name and text.
• Video ads: These are full-screen videos of 5 to 60 seconds that appear on a user’s For You Page.
• Pangle ads: Pangle’s video platform integrates with TikTok to offer video, native and banner ads. This feature is available only to specific countries.
• Carousel ads: These ads include up to 10 images and appear in TikTok’s news feed apps.
• Video shopping ads (for TikTok Shop): Formerly just “Video Shopping Ads,” these are now deeply integrated with TikTok Shop. They allow brands to use smart automation (often via “GMV Max” campaigns) to display shoppable product tiles and drive sales directly within the app.
• Branded effects: Your ads can also appear as branded stickers, filters and other AR content so TikTok users can use them in their videos.
• Sponsored influencer content: This is a TikTok advertisement where you get your message across through sponsored content from an influential TikTok user.
• Playable ads: Designed for gaming companies, these interactive ads allow users to try out a game before downloading.

TikTok ad formats: Quick reference guide

TikTok offers varying ad formats depending on your objective. Use this table to choose the right format for your goals.

Ad Format	Key Specs & Features	Best Use Case
In-feed Video	9–15s recommended (5–60s allowed) 1080×1920 (1080p) resolution MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, or AVI <500MB file size	Brand Awareness & Traffic: Appears natively in the “For You” feed.
Search Ads	Keyword-based targeting Video format (standard in-feed specs apply)	High-Intent Conversions: Captures users actively searching for specific terms.
Spark Ads	Boosts organic posts (yours or a creator’s) Leverages existing engagement (likes/comments)	Social Proof & Engagement: Authenticity; scaling successful organic content.
TopView Ads	Full-screen, sound-on video Appears immediately upon app open	Maximum Visibility: Capturing 100% user attention at the start of a session.
Image Ads	Static image + brand name + text Runs on Pangle/News Feed apps (not main feed)	Reach Extension: Running ads on partner placements without video assets.
Video Ads	Full-screen video (5–60 seconds) Appears on “For You” Page	General Promotion: Standard video advertising (synonymous with In-feed).
Pangle Ads	Video, native, and banner formats Placements on 3rd-party apps in APAC, LATAM, EMEA	Audience Network: Extending campaign reach beyond the TikTok app itself.
Carousel Ads	Up to 10 swipeable images Appears in news feed apps	Showcasing Variety: Displaying multiple products or features in one ad unit.
Video Shopping Ads	Shoppable product tiles/cards Integrated with TikTok Shop Automated via “GMV Max”	Ecommerce Sales: Driving direct purchases without leaving the app.
Branded Effects	Custom AR stickers, filters, and special effects 2D/3D interactive elements	User Interaction: Encouraging UGC creation with your brand assets.
Hashtag Challenge	Branded hashtag in Discovery section Encourages user participation/challenges	Viral Awareness: Mass community engagement and user-generated content.
Sponsored Content	Partnership with TikTok creators Native content style	Trust & Credibility: Leveraging influencer authority to reach niche audiences.
Playable Ads	Interactive mini-games “Try before you buy” functionality	Mobile Games: Driving app installs by letting users experience gameplay.

How to set up ads on TikTok

Now that you know about the different types of TikTok ads, let’s look at how to set them up from your TikTok ad account.

Step 1: Create your TikTok ad account

The first step is simple: create a TikTok Ads Manager account. To set up a new account, visit the Advertising on TikTok signup page.

Enter basic information, like your email address and password. Then enter the verification code sent to your email. If you sign up with your phone number, you’ll need the verification code sent to your phone.

Confirm that you agree to the terms and conditions, then click on “Sign Up.” You’ll be prompted to provide more information about your business, such as your country or region, industry, legal business name, time zone, phone number, billing and payment information.

Once your brand is approved, log in to your dashboard and finish the initial account setup according to the instructions.

Then, follow the steps below to create TikTok ads.

Step 2: Create and install the TikTok Pixel

Now you’ll need to install the TikTok Pixel—a snippet of code on your website that gathers information about site events (such as how users arrived on your site, what device they’re using and where they’re located).

To create your TikTok Pixel, you will need to:

• Open TikTok Ads Manager and hover over Assets, then click Event.
• Under Web Events, select Manage.
• Select Set Up Web Events.
• Select TikTok Pixel as your connection method, then Next.

Now you can name your pixel, set up your web events (actions that you want the pixel to track) and decide how you will collect cookie consent.

To install the TikTok Pixel on your website, add the code snippet to the header of your website’s HTML code. Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce and Google Tag Manager have plugins and integrations to simplify the process.

Step 3: Create a new campaign

Create an ad campaign under the Campaigns tab and click the Create button.

You will then get the option to use the Basic or Advanced setup options.

Basic mode simplifies the process to four steps: set an advertising goal; select an audience; set your budget; and create your ad.

In the Advanced setup mode, you will have to follow a few more steps to set up a new campaign. You will need to set an advertising objective, name your campaign, select a special ad category (if required), set a budget and decide whether you want to create a split test or use campaign budget optimization.

Step 4: Create an ad group

The next step is creating an ad group where you will define audiences, campaign budgets and placements for your ads.

Choose the optimization location:

Select whether you want to direct traffic to your Website or App.

Select the ad placement:

Your choice of ad placement will determine where your ads appear on TikTok and its partner platforms, such as CapCut or Fizzo. If you’re just getting started with TikTok ads, choose Automatic placement to have TikTok place your ads for maximum reach and value. Users can also manually place ads across TikTok and its news feed apps. There are also more advanced settings with options to enable or disable user comments, video downloads, video sharing and prevent your ads from appearing in certain Pangle apps.

Define your target audience:

Choose the audience for your ad by selecting demographics, audience, interests, behaviors and device. Each category has a drop-down menu with further customization options. For example, for demographics, you can determine your target audience’s location, gender, age, language, spending power and household language.

Confirm your budget and schedule:

Set a start and end time for your ad campaign and whether you want your ads to run all day or at specific times of the day and week. Ensure your ad group daily budget is at least $20.

Select bidding and optimization:

Choose whether you want to optimize your ads for clicks (i.e., the people who are most likely to click on your ad) or views (i.e., the people most likely to land on your website). If you choose to optimize for clicks, you can set a cost cap per click.

Step 5: Create a new ad

After setting up your ad group, it’s time to configure your first ad by completing the following steps.

Utilize TikTok Symphony and Smart+:

TikTok has evolved its creative tools into TikTok Symphony, a suite of generative AI tools that can write scripts, generate avatars, and produce video assets. You can also utilize Smart+ Campaigns”(formerly Smart Creative/Performance) to automatically automate targeting, bidding, and creative optimization.

This setting will prioritize the delivery of the most differentiated videos and pause videos that show signs of creative fatigue and replace them with fresh content. Users also have the option to preview, select videos and edit the auto-generated videos’ text.

Choose an ad name and identity:

Further customize your ad by naming it so it’s easier to distinguish between different ads within the same ad group. You may also choose whether you want your ads to come from your TikTok account or a custom identity, which includes a custom profile image and display name.

Customize ad details:

Choose your ad format, upload your ad creative (images, text and call-to-action), add interactive add-ons like a card or sticker and determine your ad destination (either a website URL or a custom TikTok Instant Page).

After creating an ad to your liking, you’ll have the option to preview it and get an idea of how it’ll appear to TikTok users. Feel free to tweak it before you submit it for review. For best results, make sure you follow the recommended specifications for image and video ads. This will ensure your ad looks great on TikTok and across partner platforms.

Update tracking settings:

Add tracking for website, app and offline events, as well as third-party tracking for impressions or clicks. This is an optional step.

Step 6: Measure your ad performance

The job isn’t done after launching your ad. You should also measure your ad performance using tools to analyze social media to see how the campaign pays off. TikTok provides native analytics that show you how your ad performs in terms of impressions, clicks, conversions and more. Test and compare the performance of different ad creative and placements to see what works best for you.

TikTok ad specs checklist

TikTok in-feed video ads must follow formatting guidelines to display correctly and generate engagement. To avoid ad rejection, ensure your assets meet these current standards:

• Resolution: 1080×1920 (1080p) is the recommended standard. (720p is outdated).
• Aspect ratio: 9:16 (Vertical full screen).
• Length: 5–60 seconds (9–15 seconds is the “sweet spot” for retention).
• Safe zone: Keep text and CTAs within the center to avoid being covered by the UI (captions, buttons).

Consult TikTok’s list of video ad specs for additional formatting guidance.

6 examples of TikTok advertising done right

Besides learning the basics, it’s important to see how other brands use TikTok ads to generate ideas for your own campaign. Check out these examples of brands that launched brilliant advertising campaigns on TikTok.

1. Armani

To raise awareness and drive sales for a new fragrance, Armani Beauty ran Shopping Ads alongside standard In-Feed Ads. The creative was a mix of reviews and more brand-forward videos that showcased the product and highlighted its key scent notes.

2. Good American

The inclusive women’s denim and fashion apparel company used Video Shopping Ads to increase reach and boost conversions during a friends-and-family sale. These ads also used TikTok’s Dynamic Destination feature, which automatically creates an in-app product landing page to educate customers and enable them to start the checkout process without leaving the app.

3. Monopoly Go

Mobile game Monopoly Go partnered with creator Natalie Smith (@natalies.smith) to create In-feed Video Ads promoting the game. The ad is an organic, get-ready-with-me (GRWM) style video showing Natalie and her partner preparing for bed and playing the game as they complete their skincare routine.

4. Nesquik

To connect with a new generation of customers, Nesquik leveraged Spark Ads featuring a combination of branded assets and nostalgia-fueled, creator-led videos. The campaign featured creators using Nesquik products while talking about their relationship with the brand.

5. Rare Beauty

This makeup brand has become one of the top brands on TikTok thanks to its consistent organic and paid content strategy. They use organic content to build reach and educate their audience, and paid strategies like Shop Ads and Interactive Add-Ons to drive key actions.

6. Wyze

The smart home camera and device company uses TikTok Shop’s affiliate selling program, Open Plan, to reach new audiences. Through the program, Wyze provides product samples to creators, who create UGC content and receive commissions for sales from their videos. Wyze then uses TikTok Promote to turn the UGC content into ads that drive users to its TikTok Shop.

TikTok advertising best practices

To get the best results from your TikTok ad campaigns, follow these best practices:

Think TikTok-first

Shoot your ad videos in a way that feels native to the platform. Also, incorporate TikTok-specific features like text overlays, voiceovers, green screen and duets. Lastly, users love it when brands use TikTok trends, memes or challenges in their content.

Refresh your creative often

Even the top-performing ads experience creative fatigue. To avoid this, TikTok recommends advertisers use diverse creative in the beginning stages and update ad creative every seven days. Their Smart Creative and Smart Video tools can help automate this process.

Hook in 6 seconds

According to TikTok, 90% of ad recall impact occurs within the first six seconds, so your hook is a critical element. Communicate your value proposition early and incorporate suspense, surprise or emotion to capture your audience’s attention.

Use search intent

Don’t just rely on feed interruptions; leverage Search Ads to capture users who are actively hunting for your specific solutions. By targeting high-intent keywords, you align your paid campaigns with organic TikTok SEO efforts, ensuring your brand appears exactly when users are ready to convert.

Promote at the right time

Knowing the best times to post on TikTok helps you get the most eyes on your content. Additionally, aligning your product with trending topics or events can help generate buzz for your ad campaign. Lastly, don’t forget that TikTok analytics will show you the best time to run your ads for maximum audience reach.

Use attention-grabbing sound, text and editing techniques

Adding music, TikTok sounds, transitions, movement, text overlays and emojis will help hook your viewers in and make your ad more memorable. Quick edits can also increase TikTok engagement.

Incorporate hashtags

Include relevant hashtags to help users find you. Look at trending hashtags on the TikTok discovery page and choose the ones that make the most sense for your ad and brand.

Incorporate interactive add-ons

TikTok’s interactive features encourage interaction with ads. For example, use the Gesture add-on to encourage users to swipe or tap on an ad to reveal a reward. Or try the Voting Sticker overlay to seek input from your audience.

Partner with influencers

TikTok influencers already have a following, so partnering with them on an ad campaign can greatly expand your reach. Use the TikTok Creator Marketplace for influencers already using your product or who are among your target demographic. Launch a new campaign with an influencer to build buzz for your brand, or find an influencer with existing content that works well for a Spark Ad.

Test and optimize

Review your TikTok analytics often to see how your content is performing. Look at metrics such as views, interactions and click-through rates, and adjust your content strategy if you’re not seeing the engagement you’d hoped for.

Winning at TikTok advertising

With its fast-moving trends and young user base, advertising on TikTok may feel very different from other social media platforms. Our advice? Spend time on the platform creating and consuming organic content before diving into paid campaigns.

Once you get a feel for what works and what doesn’t on the platform, you’ll be more prepared to add fuel to the fire with a paid campaign. Check out our TikTok marketing guide to get started and gain more tips, strategies and real-world examples.

The post How to win at TikTok ads in 2026 appeared first on Sprout Social.

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Why social search for B2B ecommerce is the new key to credibility and conversion

Five years ago, social media strategy and SEO lived on separate sides of a marketer’s brain. Today, they’re part of the same story. Buyers don’t just “Google” solutions anymore. They also search across LinkedIn, YouTube and Reddit, trusting people alongside algorithms.

While most people turn to traditional search first (52%) compared to social media (24%), the trend is shifting in younger audiences. Sprout Social’s research found that social is now the #1 place Gen Z users search—over Google and other search engines.

This evolution means social search for B2B ecommerce is redefining organic discovery. Marketers who embrace social media search turn social insights into strong business impact, boosting reach and discoverability.

What does social search mean for B2B ecommerce?

Social media has expanded beyond a mere connection driver; it’s now a critical part of the consumer journey. Social search—where customers increasingly use social networks as primary search engines to discover tools, how-tos and solutions—is driving this shift.

A 2023 survey found marketers look to social media as the most effective B2B channel for both top-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel strategies. Since the B2B ecommerce buying process often begins long before a buyer reaches a product detail page, the discovery journey can look like this:

• A distributor operations lead searches LinkedIn for “best B2B ecommerce platforms for complex catalogs” to evaluate how vendors handle product data, search performance and scalability.
• A procurement specialist checks Reddit or industry forums for real feedback on fulfillment accuracy, inventory issues and supplier reliability before shortlisting vendors.
• A supply chain manager watches a YouTube walkthrough (as shown below) demonstrating how a platform integrates with ERP or warehouse management systems to validate technical fit.

(Source: YouTube)

Each of these examples occurs within a social network, where credibility, engagement and visibility overlap to influence buying experiences. Sprout’s Q3 2025 survey confirms this: Brand credibility carries more weight on social, with 36% of users more likely to trust that information than other forms of search.

While traditional search solves navigation, social search shapes the entire narrative. At this stage, buyers are identifying needs and validating vendors. Those early social interactions shape which vendors earn site visits and which products are even considered.

In B2B ecommerce specifically, social search often shapes how buyers compare distributors, evaluate product availability or reliability and validate fulfillment capabilities before ever visiting a supplier’s website. Buyers search TikTok, LinkedIn and Reddit to see real examples of catalog depth, integration workflows, shipping performance and how well an ecommerce platform handles complex ordering or reordering processes.

These micro-searches influence which distributors feel credible enough to explore further, especially in categories where product data, logistics and long-term supplier fit matter as much as the product itself.

Traditional SEO and social search should no longer operate in silos. Instead, teams must experiment with keyword research and optimization across social channels and owned media, using search terms that reflect how users actually phrase queries.

In B2B ecommerce, credibility must exist before conversion. The winning content builds trust and helps buyers envision using your product long before they land on your B2B site.

How social and traditional search fuel each other

Social and traditional search function together as a connected discovery engine. Social engagement isn’t a direct SEO ranking factor. However, it powerfully expands reach, shapes search behavior and increases the surface area where buyers encounter your brand.

These interactions act as credibility signals. They help content surface in social feeds and influence your credibility in the eyes of Google and user interactions that benefit organic search performance.

At the same time, long-form educational content for SEO gives social audiences something meaningful to engage with. High-value content is more shareable and quotable. Crucially, it’s also more likely to circulate within B2B communities, feeding back into social discovery. Marketers who understand this duality turn every channel into an entry point for extended reach and brand visibility.

Social signals are a new credibility currency

Social signals—clicks, tags, shares, saves, link mentions and creator endorsements—act as indirect, yet powerful, indicators of credibility and relevance. Strong social visibility and reach for your brand influences how people search for your brand, how algorithms surface your content and how B2B buyers perceive your expertise.

For example, when an ecommerce SaaS brand shares a LinkedIn post on product-discovery trends that gains traction, the benefits extend far beyond social reach. Increased visibility can spark branded search, higher engagement on related content, longer session depth and more link opportunities.

Not to mention, these behaviors reinforce your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) across the Google search ecosystem. They signal to Google credibility and reputation of your brand through brand mentions and high engagement on social posts.

This impact compounds when social engagement leads to measurable buyer actions like a return visit, product research, a demo request or a pricing search. Social activity increasingly shapes ecommerce outcomes beyond the platforms. It fills the gap between awareness and intent in ways that traditional SEO alone does not.

Social engagements can turn into organic growth

Social conversations routinely spark significant downstream SEO gains. For instance, a blog post that performs well on LinkedIn can attract backlinks from newsletters, analysts or trade publications. A Reddit thread discussing your site’s search capabilities may drive qualified referral traffic straight to high-intent product pages.

Even small interactions, like a post resonating within a niche community, create incremental, compounding discovery. Each share is a breadcrumb. It leads new prospects back to your ecommerce experience and expands the paths through which buyers learn about your brand.

These interaction patterns also reveal critical insights into what resonates most with B2B buyers. Forrester found that 82% of marketers believe B2B buyers expect personalized experiences. This connects directly with findings from the 2025 Sprout Social Index™: Buyers prefer original, human-centered and educational content that simplifies complex decisions.

The new buyer journey is non-linear

Today’s B2B buyer does not follow a simple, linear path from awareness to purchase. Their research unfolds in fragments across platforms: A LinkedIn post sparks curiosity, a Reddit thread raises comparison points, a YouTube review adds credibility and a Google search validates product details. Each interaction influences the next step.

By pairing social insights with SEO data, marketers can finally see how these fragments interlock to create a full picture. Social conversations reveal: the questions buyers ask, the objections they surface and the topics that lead them to search again. SEO performance, in contrast, shows where those buyers land when they shift into research or validation mode.

Individually, social and search data only hint at impact. Connected, they reveal the actual buyer path: what content they saw first, what pushed them back to your site, what built trust and what generated high-intent behavior. B2B teams that unify these insights can finally attribute which social posts, conversations, creators or product angles are driving organic traffic, improving search performance and strengthening the overall ecommerce experience.

Mapping social media networks to B2B intent

Each network supports a different part of the B2B buyer’s discovery journey. The brands that win align intent, visibility and value across every network to ensure their posts build credibility and connect to meaningful buyer actions.

Here’s how each works:

LinkedIn: A credibility engine

LinkedIn remains the cornerstone of professional discovery. Optimizing here means positioning your brand as a trusted authority while giving potential buyers the evidence they need to evaluate you.

A strong LinkedIn B2B social media strategy encourages team members to share insights about your ecommerce platform’s customer experience. Along with employee advocacy, it also includes publishing thought leadership that connects data and empathy to real business challenges.

For example, a B2B distributor shares a LinkedIn post about improving online product discovery across complex catalogs. By also using descriptive keywords and hashtags to ensure these posts are discoverable across LinkedIn feeds and B2B search results, this approach builds long-term credibility and scales brand influence among B2B companies and B2B customers.

YouTube: Long-form research and buyer validation

YouTube bridges real-world workflow demonstration and buyer validation. Buyers use it to compare features, validate quality and gauge usability. A video showing how your ecommerce platform operates, highlighting where machine learning enhances recommendations or automates workflows, offers a powerful social and SEO lift.

Optimized metadata like titles, tags and chapters helps your content rank in YouTube and Google search results. The more discoverable your visual content, the easier it is for buyers to find and trust you.

Reddit and community forums: Authentic validation

Reddit’s value lies in transparency. Threads in r/B2Bmarketing, r/supplychain or r/logistics provide firsthand feedback that traditional reviews can’t match. Monitoring these discussions helps marketers understand buyer frustrations, expectations and recurring questions that affect B2B sales or the broader ecommerce experience.

Today’s savvy B2B buyer conducts deep strategic due diligence. They actively leverage platforms like Reddit or specialized forums. Buyers validate a distributor’s logistical efficacy during peak seasons, scrutinize the frequency of order errors and assess the platform’s ability to seamlessly handle complex purchase flows.

The critical takeaway: These operational signals heavily influence supplier selection and long-term partnership viability. This occurs long before procurement teams initiate formal contact or visit a website.

By participating thoughtfully and addressing pain points, brands earn trust in spaces that are notoriously resistant to promotion. Sprout Listening (a paid add-on) helps uncover these patterns and tracks them in real time, turning conversations into insight for content and product teams alike.

TikTok and Instagram: Emotional discovery and social proof

The rise of short-form storytelling and visual content has democratized discovery. Even in B2B ecommerce, TikTok and Instagram play a vital role in visibility. Brands use quick, authentic clips to humanize their expertise and show real-world results.

For example, a B2B distributor might post a 30-second video showing how customers streamline recurring orders or reduce fulfillment errors using their ecommerce platform.

Leveraging influencer partnerships to increase discoverability

B2B influencer marketing will amplify your reach and resonance. Buyers listen to trusted peers and industry educators who translate complexity into clarity.

In B2B ecommerce, the key decision-makers now include supply chain consultants, logistics experts and influential procurement personnel. They actively review distributor platforms, compare complex fulfillment experiences and meticulously deconstruct ordering workflows for efficiency.

Collaborating with these voices expands visibility across human and algorithmic search, placing your brand directly into conversations that shape purchase decisions.

The strongest influencer programs rely on co-creation, not mere transaction. Instead of a single sponsored post, focus on ongoing collaborations that add value to both parties—such as webinars, joint case studies or data-driven insights—that position both the creator and the brand as trusted voices.

A B2B distributor or ecommerce platform might partner with a supply-chain consultant to create a video series on improving order accuracy, fulfillment workflows or AI-driven product search for large catalogs. The consultant gains relevant, high-value content, while the brand earns trust, backlinks and consistent visibility from credible sources.

Integrating influencers into a social search strategy also helps brands tap into highly engaged audiences. B2B brands see stronger results when they align influencer strategies with their overall social media content and B2B market research based on real audience behavior helps brands identify the creators buyers already trust.

According to Sprout data, 90% of marketers say sponsored influencer content outperforms brand-posted content for engagement and 83% say it drives stronger conversation. Buyers trust people who have earned credibility.

By partnering with experts who already shape conversations, brands extend their reach exactly when buyers are tapping into those conversations by searching, comparing and evaluating options.

Turn insights into action with Sprout Social

There’s significant noise on social. Teams need a way to see which conversations matter, which topics are gaining momentum and which content converts. Sprout Social makes the social-to-search loop operational.

Surface high-intent keywords and discussions

Social listening detects conversation trends, competitor mentions and audience sentiment. These insights reveal what B2B buyers are interested in, what they’re searching for and how they feel.

Sprout Listening gives you a direct view of how B2B buyers discuss their industry on social, including specific keywords and hashtags. These social keywords then inform your content strategy, paid targeting and even on-site search rules.

Measure engagement trends tied to search visibility

Reporting becomes far more valuable when it connects social engagement to measurable outcomes like traffic and conversion. Sprout’s Premium Analytics extends the reporting suite. Through integrations with tools like Google Analytics and Salesforce, it helps teams understand exactly how social activity drives traffic and the customer experience.

Correlate specific posts and social strategies with page views, conversion rates, lead generation and customer satisfaction. This holistic view reveals whether audiences are finding your content, how they’re engaging and what action they take next.

Use social search insights to strengthen on-site search relevance

B2B ecommerce teams face the challenge of translating internal product terminology into language that buyers truly use. Social search trends are your secret weapon, revealing the precise vocabulary customers use to describe complex products, components and workflows.

This vocabulary is a single source of truth that can be directly applied to refine on-site search rules, product taxonomy, filters and category naming, instantly streamlining workflows and reducing user friction when navigating large or technical catalogs.

Drive immediate business impact: When you leverage social search data to inform how products are labeled, grouped and recommended, your team will significantly improve product discoverability and dramatically reduce abandonment during the critical research and comparison stages.

Capture organic audience queries to inform new content

Sprout’s Smart Inbox captures direct messages and mentions across all networks. These organic interactions reveal what buyers are curious about (pricing, integrations, customer experience) and help detect gaps in your current content strategy.

Turning those insights into optimized pages or help articles improves both social engagement and your site search experience. Over time, this continuous cycle builds a stronger digital experience across your entire product ecosystem.

Extend your reach through authentic voices

Some teams need a streamlined way to manage creator relationships. Sprout Social Influencer Marketing helps brands discover, evaluate and measure creator partnerships. It simplifies every stage of collaboration, from finding credible voices to tracking performance.

You can search Sprout Influencer Marketing’s database to find creators who post engaging content about your industry. Influencer Marketing uses AI to vet potential influencers, analyzing their Brand Fit, past content performance and partnerships.

Sprout’s Brand Safety reports flag potential risks such as sensitive topics, allowing you to confidently build partnerships with creators who align with your brand. Once you’ve chosen and vetted influencers, Sprout Influencer Marketing makes it simple to reach out, contract and kick off campaigns.

By centralizing influencer management, your team spends less time coordinating and more time building authentic relationships that amplify brand credibility.

Bring it all together with a roadmap for unified discovery

Social search is crucial to how B2B buyers find and vet trusted brands. It connects awareness, validation and purchase in one powerful loop. Buyers don’t want to be sold. They want to discover, compare and confirm in spaces they already use.

Brands that unify SEO with social data and audience intelligence will have the upper hand.Sprout bridges the gap by turning social intelligence into measurable growth.

See how you can connect social insights with search and business impact with a free demo of Sprout Social.

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How to build a top-tier SaaS social media marketing strategy

SaaS social media marketing is non-optional for growth. Unlike simple e-commerce, SaaS marketing involves long sales cycles, intense competition and complex products, meaning buyers need more than just a landing page. They need ongoing education, trust and proof.

Social media is an essential channel for building that brand equity, generating consistent demand and retaining customers. It’s where decision-makers discover brands, scope out expertise and build connections long before they’re ready to buy.

Here’s a strategic guide to use social media marketing to fast-track your SaaS growth.

Why social media is critical for SaaS marketing

SaaS marketing works differently from ecommerce (and other markets).

Instead of driving clicks, you’re helping people understand your SaaS product, make confident decisions and stay engaged once they become customers. That means showing up frequently and sharing content that meets people where they are.

Social media plays a big role in making that happen. It gives SaaS brands a natural way to show value, share helpful insights and stay connected with both prospects and customers on a daily basis.

Here’s what makes SaaS marketing unique and how social media brings it all together.

SaaS marketing is all about long-term customers

SaaS growth starts with retention. When your revenue depends on renewals, keeping customers around for the long haul does more for your bottom line than any acquisition tactic.

According to Recurly, the average churn rate for SaaS businesses is between 1% and 5%, with 4% being considered a good benchmark. That might seem small, but even a slight drop in churn can significantly impact your long-term revenue. For SaaS brands built on renewals, that makes ongoing engagement and customer support essential parts of the growth strategy.

(Source: Recurly)

Enter social media: one of the best channels for reducing churn and strengthening loyalty. Through community building on social media networks, SaaS brands can share updates, educate users, communicate consistently and offer real-time support. All of this keeps customers engaged so they feel connected to your brand and stick around for longer.

The SaaS customer journey is complex

SaaS buyers rarely make quick decisions. Closing deals can take months of research, comparison and validation.

Gartner reports that the average B2B buying group now involves 11 to 20 decision-makers and requires multiple interactions across channels before any purchases happen. Social media is essential for nurturing leads across this long journey.

To make sense of the SaaS customer journey, imagine it as a marketing funnel with the following stages:

• Awareness: Build visibility through social content, search and public relations (PR).
• Consideration: Share thought leadership, case studies and testimonials to build credibility.
• Conversion: Use targeted demos, free trials or personalized outreach to convert interest.
• Adoption: Support onboarding and reinforce value through community engagement.
• Retention: Build long-term relationships with ongoing education and social listening.

Social media connects each of these stages by giving buyers consistent, low-friction touchpoints throughout their journey. It acts as an open channel where customers can learn about your product, validate your expertise, ask questions openly and share their thoughts in real time.

This steady flow of interaction creates a loop: people discover your content, engage with it, return for updates and eventually advocate for you, keeping your product top of mind from first impression through long-term use.

The SaaS space is crowded with competition

SaaS is growing fast, and competitive benchmarking shows your competitors are growing fast too. For example, there are around 1,400 customer relationship management (CRM) software products currently listed on Capterra, each vying for the same decision-maker’s attention. And that’s just one category.

The Vendr 2024 SaaS Trends Report highlights a growing SaaS portfolio and rising investment in tools across every business function, creating even more noise for buyers to sort through.

To stand out, SaaS brands can’t rely on paid campaigns alone. While ads get you visibility, an organic social strategy helps people understand your product, keeps you in the conversation and builds trust and familiarity that ultimately give you a competitive edge.

How social media supports other channels for a modern SaaS marketing strategy

A strong SaaS marketing strategy isn’t built on a single channel. Growth happens when every touchpoint—email, SEO, paid and webinars—works together to meet customers where they are.

Social media plays a central role in that mix. It amplifies your reach, deepens engagement and reinforces your message across every format and platform.

Here’s how social media supports all your other SaaS marketing channels.

Email marketing

Email is still one of the most reliable ways to reach customers directly and drive long-term engagement. From onboarding workflows to feature announcements, newsletters and feedback surveys, it’s the foundation for consistent communication.

(Source: Really Good Emails)

Social media can strengthen your email marketing efforts by expanding your list and extending your reach. For example, you can share newsletter signup forms and gated content on your social channels, or launch a LinkedIn newsletter to reach professional audiences directly in their feeds.

Use social to amplify your most valuable email content, like feature announcements or long-form guides, creating multiple entry points for prospects to engage with your brand.

SEO

Search remains a major discovery and conversion channel for SaaS brands. High-performing types of content—like comparison pages, case studies and in-depth guides—help you capture organic intent, build credibility and reach buyers who are actively researching solutions.

In most cases, this independent research starts with a quick Google search.

However, social media now works hand in hand with traditional search.

When your content gets shared and engaged with on social, it drives more traffic and branded searches. Social results, such as YouTube videos, Reddit threads, LinkedIn posts and even Instagram content, now also appear in Google.

More importantly, tap into social listening to surface new keyword ideas and trending topics to create content around.

And as social media search behavior grows, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube, these platforms are becoming discovery engines in their own right, complementing Google search for product discovery.

Webinars

Webinars are a top-performing channel for B2B and SaaS marketers because they combine education, thought leadership and real-time engagement. Recent industry data shows 73% of B2B marketers say webinars are one of the best ways to generate high-quality leads.

Social media is essential for amplifying your webinars. For example, you can use LinkedIn Events to drive signups, share reminders as the date approaches, post live takeaways during sessions and promote on-demand recordings afterward to extend reach.

You can also share short teaser clips, speaker quotes or carousel recaps across different platforms to bring more people back to the webinar replay. These social touchpoints keep the conversation going long after your webinar is over and help you build relationships that last beyond a single event.

PPC and social ads

Paid advertising plays a major role in SaaS growth because it gives you immediate visibility in crowded spaces. For instance, Google Ads help brands increase visibility for competitive keywords without waiting for organic SEO to take effect.

Paid social ads are just as important. They allow marketers to target defined audiences more reliably than an organic algorithm. For instance, platforms like LinkedIn and Meta let you zero in on decision-makers by role, industry or interest. This is especially useful when promoting high-value assets like checklists, webinars and case studies as it generates more demand, engagement and clicks.

That said, organic and paid social work best together: organic content builds authority over time, while paid campaigns amplify reach and retarget users who’ve already shown interest. It’s a full-funnel approach that turns awareness into measurable growth.

How to build a SaaS social media marketing strategy that drives growth

Social media has evolved from a posting channel into one of the most strategic drivers for the entire customer lifecycle. The days of one-way updates are long gone. Today, social supports every stage of the customer journey. It shapes reputations, builds relationships and influences purchase decisions before a demo is ever booked.

Research from Sprout Social backs this up: 91% of people believe in social’s power to connect. This offers SaaS brands an incredible opportunity to drive long-term growth. When customers feel connected to a brand, 57% will increase their spending with them and 76% will choose that brand over a competitor.

Here are some specific ways you can use social media marketing to grow your SaaS brand.

Use social listening to find your audience and track competitors

You can’t market to an ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) you don’t understand. Social listening replaces assumptions with actual data so you know exactly what your target audience is saying about your product, competitors and category. This helps you prioritize your spend, spot opportunities before your competitors and craft messaging that genuinely resonates.

Listening goes further than simply counting brand mentions. It involves tracking keywords, topics and conversations that reveal emerging trends, unmet needs and unidentified feelings.

Sprout’s Listening tools, for example, help SaaS marketers drill down deep, spotting what’s resonating in real time, uncovering niche communities on networks like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) and identifying content gaps your competitors haven’t filled.

By moving beyond surface-level metrics, you can shape campaigns around what your audience actually cares about—not just what you think they do.

Build a community, don’t just collect followers

SaaS customers stick around when they feel part of a community. Community takes shape not just on the main feed but in replies, comments and DMs—the places where customers ask questions, share wins or troubleshoot together.

Every one of those touchpoints is part of your customer experience. The sooner you respond, the stronger that experience becomes. Salesforce reports that 80% of customers value their experience with a company as much as the product itself. For SaaS brands, that means slow replies or disjointed communication across marketing teams can quickly hurt trust.

Sprout’s Smart Inbox brings all those interactions into one place, helping teams manage messages collaboratively and respond quickly without losing the human touch. That consistency builds trust, reduces churn and keeps customers engaged long after onboarding.

Focus on education and authority on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is where SaaS brands earn credibility. Decision-makers and practitioners alike use the platform to find insights over ads. And they can spot the difference.

Use your company page and your leaders’ personal profiles to share thought leadership, product education and behind-the-scenes stories. Short, educational posts, carousels and short-form videos perform well on LinkedIn because they deliver quick value.

When your team consistently educates instead of selling, you establish authority. That credibility pays off for SaaS brands when audiences are more likely to trust your recommendations, explore your product and take high-intent actions like booking demos or starting trials.

Develop an engaging content strategy that educates and converts

Great SaaS social content doesn’t just attract. It teaches, solves and converts. Mix formats to reach target audiences at different stages:

• User-generated content (UGC) to build authenticity and social proof
• How-to videos that walk through product use cases
• Thought leadership that elevates your brand voice
• Behind-the-scenes content to humanize your team

And with social search now influencing discovery, optimize your posts to answer user questions like “What’s the best CRM for startups?” or “How do I reduce churn in SaaS?” The more your content matches what your audience is looking for, the more visible your brand becomes across social media algorithms and feeds.

Sprout’s publishing tools make content planning much easier. With advanced scheduling and a unified content calendar, you can see every post, format and platform in one place. This keeps your team aligned and your content consistent across all your social media channels.

How to measure ROI in SaaS social media marketing

SaaS marketing has always been rooted in data, perhaps more so than any other type of business. Every channel, campaign and customer interaction generates insights that can influence strategy across product, sales and service. Social media is no different. It’s not just a brand platform; it’s a powerful source of business intelligence.

For data-driven SaaS leaders, the question that all of this leads to is simple: “So what?”

Social success means little if it’s not tied to measurable business impact. The key is linking engagement with outcomes to see how every post contributes to your pipeline.

With Sprout Analytics, you can track metrics that matter to the C-Suite like:

• Engagement rate: How actively users interact with your brand’s content
• Traffic and conversions: How social drives high-value actions like signups, demo requests and marketing qualified leads (MQL)
• Churn rate: How social support and community engagement correlates with customer retention over time
• Customer lifetime value (CLV): How long-term, nurtured relationships translate into recurring revenue
• Share of voice: How your brand’s mentions and visibility compares against competitors in your category
• Sentiment trends: How audience perception shifts over time—an early indicator of brand health

Tying social activity to revenue reframes social as a growth driver and supports smarter decisions across your SaaS business.

4 ways to activate your SaaS social media strategy

Once you’ve built a strong foundation of channels and analytics, the next step is activation—turning engagement into measurable growth. These four strategies help SaaS brands use social not just for awareness, but to convert interest into advocacy and long-term retention.

1. Curate reviews and customer success stories

Social proof remains one of the most powerful drivers of SaaS conversions. Today’s buyers trust peers before brands, with over 99% checking online reviews before making a purchase decision.

Use social media to spotlight customer stories. Share testimonials, case study highlights or customer shoutouts from review sites like G2, Product Hunt or Capterra. The goal is to build confidence with prospects and remind current users why they chose you.

With social media monitoring and listening, you can find wins that people share naturally. And when you consistently engage with that feedback and offer great customer service, you turn happy customers into advocates who extend your reach.

2. Create and promote content for the top of your funnel

Today’s SaaS buyers are self-educating. Research shows B2B buyers engage with 11 pieces of content on average before ever speaking to sales. That makes top-of-funnel storytelling one of your best approaches to SaaS social media marketing.

Focus your content mix on formats that perform across social: short-form videos, carousel posts, quick industry explainers and thought-leadership clips that highlight your expertise. Social doesn’t just distribute your content—it amplifies it to new audiences.

Data shows video remains the most engaging format on social, and posts that educate outperform those that simply promote. Sharing valuable insights helps your brand earn attention early and stay top of mind through the entire SaaS journey.

3. Use social to drive high-intent actions

In SaaS, interest turns into action when the next step is obvious. Social media gives you the perfect place to make that jump seamless. Here are some tactics to implement:

• Use clear, action-oriented CTAs in posts and ads to prompt demo bookings, trial signups or pricing exploration.
• Retarget engaged users with paid campaigns to re-ignite intent and move them closer to conversion.
• Make conversion easy from your social profiles using link-in-bio tools like SproutLink, which turns your bio into a curated hub for demos, signups and gated content.

When the path to conversion is straightforward, every interaction on social nudges prospects closer to a “yes.” Also, keep your demos and trials as simple as possible. Complex steps increase friction, which can create drop-offs and slow down conversions.

4. Use social for customer education and onboarding

In addition to creating and promoting content, building a strong knowledge ecosystem helps your customers get more from your product.

A well-organized library of tips, tutorials and product walkthroughs empowers users to solve challenges quickly and explore advanced features on their own.

Social media can extend that ecosystem. Share bite-sized tutorials, onboarding videos and “pro tips” directly on your channels to meet customers where they already spend time. These resources reinforce product value, reduce support requests and keep users confident and engaged long after signup.

When education becomes part of your social strategy, you transform customer care from a reactive process into an ongoing experience that drives satisfaction and retention.

3 ways to stand out in a crowded SaaS market

You’ve built your foundation and activated your channels. The next step is rising above the noise. This is where the “why” behind your SaaS story becomes the competitive edge that’s yours alone.

Here are three strategic differentiation tactics to turn your SaaS product into a memorable brand.

1. Communicate your value proposition on social

If a potential customer looked at your social profiles right now, would they know exactly what you do and who you do it for? That clarity is your strongest differentiator.

Your value proposition should answer one question immediately: “How does this make my work—or my life—better?” Keep it simple, findable and human. Avoid technical jargon, and focus instead on the outcome your product delivers.

Social is the perfect place to deliver that message. Your bios, pinned posts and visual templates can make your offering obvious at a glance. Share quick explainer clips, customer outcomes or side-by-side, before-and-after use cases that bring those promises to life.

Hubstaff is a great example. Their LinkedIn page immediately communicates their value (“Helping teams everywhere have their most productive day at work”) backed by social proof (awards and badges).

(Source: LinkedIn)

2. Make your brand unmistakable

Social is the number one channel for expressing your brand voice and visual identity. Elements like your logo, color palette, tone and design consistency create instant familiarity. SaaS companies need a defined branding strategy to grab customers’ attention and make a lasting impression.

It’s easy to overlook elements such as logo design and brand voice when you’re trying to push a powerhouse product with tons of features. That said, these simple pieces of branding are what’s going to help you define you versus your competitors.

Think of brands like Slack, with their recognizable color scheme and messaging emphasizing how their product improves your life at work.

(Source: Slack on X)

Mailchimp is another great example of masterful SaaS branding, with a distinct logo and community of creatives that are uniquely theirs.

(Source: Mailchimp on Instagram)

3. Take time to showcase your company culture and values

Behind every great SaaS product is a team people want to root for. Highlighting your culture and values builds credibility with both customers and future talent, which helps reframe your brand from a vendor into a partner.

Consumers also want authentic content from brands they follow. The 2025 Sprout Social Index™ shows that authenticity and relatability are the top two qualities people value most in brand content. Social gives you the perfect stage for that authenticity.

Share how your team collaborates, gives back and supports your mission in action. Posts that celebrate employees, philanthropy and community involvement signal to your audience that your company stands for something more than revenue. That’s what builds trust that lasts.

Ready to fine-tune your SaaS social media marketing strategy?

Social media isn’t a side channel; it’s a strategic engine for long-term SaaS growth. Your strategy is powered by data (Listening), focused on community (Retention) and optimized for business outcomes (Leads).

A key part of your top-tier strategy is measuring what works. To connect social activity directly to business outcomes like demos and retention, a powerful analytics tool is essential.

Schedule your demo today to see Sprout’s Premium Analytics tool in action and refine your strategy.

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