“Go social-first.”
It’s quickly becoming the next default recommendation in commerce media—especially as brands look for new ways to drive growth beyond search.
But here’s the reality: most brands are moving into social commerce without fully understanding what it’s designed to do—and what it’s not.
Social commerce is not a direct response channel in the same way retail search is. It plays a very different role in the funnel. And when it’s misapplied, it doesn’t just underperform—it drags down overall efficiency.
Before shifting investment, here’s what actually matters:
1. If You’re Measuring Social Like Search, You’re Doing It Wrong
The biggest mistake I see: expecting social commerce to deliver iROAS.
That’s not what it’s built for.
Social’s primary role is audience extension and demand generation—not bottom-funnel conversion. If you evaluate it purely on iROAS, it will almost always look inefficient.
- The right KPIs are engagement rate, reach, and aROAS
- Success should be measured by how effectively it expands your audience and feeds your lower-funnel channels
If you don’t align measurement to the role, you’ll misjudge performance—and likely pull back investment too early.
2. Social Is Not Step One in Your Media Mix
There’s a sequencing issue that gets ignored far too often.
Social should not be the starting point of your retail media strategy. It should be layered in after you’ve fully leveraged:
- Search
- Onsite display
- Programmatic
Why? Because these channels capture existing demand. Social creates it.
If you invest in demand generation before you’ve maximized demand capture, you’re creating inefficiency in your system—and potentially hurting overall conversion rates.
3. Capabilities Are Still Limited (and Fragmented)
There’s a perception that social commerce is fully scaled across retailers. It’s not.
- TikTok is only supported by a limited number of retailers—most notably Walmart and Instacart
- Most other retailers are relying on Meta and/or Pinterest integrations
This creates a fragmented landscape where capabilities, formats, and scale vary significantly by retailer. Planning a “social-first” strategy without understanding these limitations leads to unrealistic expectations.
4. Optimization Is Shallow (For Now)
Another major gap: control.
Most retailer-supported social programs are still heavily managed and optimized toward delivery and reach—not conversion.
- Limited self-serve capabilities
- Minimal control over bidding or optimization levers
- Little transparency into how campaigns are actually being managed
This is not the same as running social through your owned platforms. You’re operating within the constraints of the RMN—and that matters.
5. Measurement Is Behind (and Inconsistent)
Measurement is where the biggest disconnect shows up.
- Kroger is currently the only retailer offering true iROAS for social
- Some retailers are beginning to provide aROAS for Meta, but it’s still early
- Others—like Costco, HEB, and Meijer—offer no social sales reporting at all
- Sam’s Club isn’t expected to roll out until H2 2026
So when brands ask, “Is social working?”—the honest answer is: it depends on what data you actually have access to.
6. Reporting Access Is Extremely Limited
Even beyond measurement, visibility is a challenge.
For managed social programs through RMNs:
- Brands typically don’t have access to dashboards
- No real-time visibility into pacing or optimization
- Limited ability to course-correct mid-flight
You’re often relying on retailer reporting, which can be delayed, aggregated, or incomplete.
The Bottom Line
Social commerce has a role to play—but it’s not the role most brands think it is.
It’s not a replacement for search.
It’s not a guaranteed driver of immediate sales.
And it’s definitely not something you layer in before your fundamentals are in place.
Social is a top- and mid-funnel amplifier. When used correctly, it expands reach and fuels downstream performance. When used incorrectly, it creates noise, inefficiency, and frustration.
The brands that win won’t be the ones who go “social-first.”
They’ll be the ones who understand where social actually fits—and use it accordingly.