10 Social Media Strategies That Work for Toy & Game Brands

Let’s be honest… is your toy or game brand actually fun to follow?

In the age of TikTok unboxings and viral game nights, having a great product just isn’t enough. Brands that thrive online don’t just post—they perform, educate, and entertain. If you want to grow your audience, sell more products, and create a loyal fanbase that doesn’t just buy but shares. This blog post is your cheat code.

Whether you’re building a Shopify empire, selling through Amazon, or curating brands as a retail buyer, here are the 10 social media strategies that will make your toy or game brand magnetic online.

View Table Of Contents

Key Takeaways

Know your audience and speak their language—focus on parents, but appeal to kids and educators too.
Create engaging, visual-first content that highlights the fun, tactile, and interactive nature of your products.
Build trust through transparency and community, using behind-the-scenes content, user-generated posts, and influencer partnerships.
Stay consistent and data-driven, testing what works and refining your strategy based on real engagement metrics.

1. Know Your Audience Like You Know Your Game Rules

Before you create a single post, you need to know exactly who you’re talking to and why they should care. Many toy and game brands make the mistake of assuming their audience is “kids.” But unless you’re marketing directly to children’s YouTube channels or toy catalogues, your primary audience is parents, and your content needs to speak to their desires, values, and fears.

Do they want screen-free entertainment? Do they prioritize educational value? Are they looking for gifts that won’t end up forgotten in a week?

Then there’s your secondary audience: kids, teens, and even therapists or educators (especially for STEM or sensory toys). These groups influence purchasing decisions, so your content needs to appeal to both fun and function.

Use tools like Meta Audience Insights, TikTok Creator Center, or even Amazon reviews to uncover:

What your audience already engages with
Their favorite creators
Their common frustrations and questions

This intel becomes the foundation for everything you post. When you speak their language, your content hits harder and converts better.

2. Lean into Playful, Visual Content

Social media is a visual-first space, and toys are a visual-first product. That’s your unfair advantage. But if your posts aren’t bright, fun, and scroll-stopping, you’re missing out.

Here’s why this matters: on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and even Facebook, users decide in less than 3 seconds whether they’ll stop and watch. You want to create visuals that evoke joy, curiosity, or delight instantly.

Try these approaches:

Close-up, fast-cut videos of sensory toys being squished, popped, stacked, or magnetically snapped together.
Unboxing shots that showcase packaging, surprise reveals, and the first reaction (from a child or parent).
Gameplay in action, especially with laughter, suspense, or competition.

Even your static content should feel dynamic. Carousel posts can tell a story, explain rules, or show “before and after” setups. Think of every post as a mini stage where your product shines.

If you’re not a designer, tools like Canva or CapCut can help you quickly create vibrant, professional-looking content. But don’t overpolish—authenticity wins in today’s feed.

3. Ride the Trend Waves—But Stay On-Brand

Jumping on social media trends is one of the fastest ways to get visibility but only if you do it right. The goal isn’t to follow every trend blindly. It’s to infuse your brand personality into content people already love.

Let’s say a trending sound is being used in humorous parent content. Can you rework it to highlight the chaos of family game night? Or if a popular meme format is making rounds, can you adapt it for your DIY kit frustration vs success?

What matters is relevance. When you participate in a trend with a clever spin that connects to your product, it feels organic—not forced. That builds trust and engagement.

A few tips:

Keep a weekly eye on TikTok’s trending sounds and Instagram Reels suggestions
Save trend ideas and act fast. Most trends have a short window of 3–7 days
Make it yours: tie it directly to your product, audience pain point, or brand vibe

When done well, trending content can rack up thousands of views and shares, bringing in new audiences and boosting algorithm reach without a single ad dollar.

4. Behind-the-Scenes = Brand Trust

People don’t fall in love with products. They fall in love with stories and people. That’s where behind-the-scenes (BTS) content comes in.

Especially in the toy and game space, BTS builds credibility. Parents want to know the people behind the product. They want to see your passion, your process, and yes—even your mistakes.

Let them in on:

Your early sketches and prototypes
The team testing game mechanics
How you pack and ship each order with care
Even the chaos of launch week or prep for a trade show

This content feels intimate, raw, and authentic. It sets you apart from big-box competitors who feel corporate and disconnected.

Even a short iPhone clip of you scribbling a new idea or reacting to a new batch of samples can build emotional connection. In marketing, trust = conversion.

5. User-Generated Content Is the New Commercial

Today’s consumers trust people over polished ads. That’s why UGC (user-generated content) is so powerful, and for toy & game brands, it’s easier to collect than you think.

Encourage your buyers to:

Tag you in photos of their kids playing
Post short reviews or “first reaction” videos
Share family game night moments

This doesn’t just build social proof—it builds community. You’re no longer a faceless brand. You’re part of their story.

Make it easy for people to share:

Include social handles on your packaging
Offer a monthly giveaway for tagged content
Reshare every single post you’re tagged in (with permission)

Pro tip: If your product is designed for younger kids, you can still ask parents to film hands only or feature reactions with stickers over faces to keep things privacy-safe.

6. Collaborate with Toyfluencers (Yes, That’s a Thing)

The fastest way to grow on social? Leverage someone else’s audience.

Toy influencers (or “toyfluencers”) have built massive trust with their followers, especially in the parenting, play therapy, and homeschool spaces. And their recommendation often carries more weight than a dozen ads.

Start small. Micro-influencers (5k–50k followers) often have more engaged communities than big accounts. They’re also more likely to work with emerging brands.

How to reach out:

Follow them and engage genuinely with their content
DM them with a clear, respectful pitch (brief intro, what you like about their page, and what you’re offering)
Offer something of value—free product, affiliate earnings, or exclusive promo codes

Collaborations can be as simple as:

A review video
A “play with me” livestream
A shared giveaway to both audiences

One good collab can generate a flood of followers and sales. And if the partnership feels authentic, it builds long-term brand equity.

7. Turn Product Launches into Digital Events

Stop launching like a secret. If you’ve poured months into creating something amazing, it deserves a build-up.

Create anticipation by treating your launch like a countdown celebration:

Share teaser images with blurred-out features
Ask your audience to vote on final color options
Offer sneak peeks to email subscribers or VIP groups
Go live for a “first look” or launch party

Think about how Taylor Swift drops Easter eggs before an album or how Apple announces product launches with cinematic drama. That same principle works just scaled to your audience.

When you create FOMO (fear of missing out), people get excited. They watch. They share. They buy.

8. Make Your Brand Memorable with a Signature Style

In a crowded market, your brand voice and style are your anchor. You want someone to see one post and immediately think: “Oh, that’s definitely [Your Brand Name].”

How?

Choose a consistent visual style: 2–3 brand colors, a bold font, and a photo editing style
Create a character, mascot, or recurring face of the brand
Use a fun signature phrase or hashtag that customers start adopting themselves (#LittleEngineers or #PlayfulLearning)

This consistency builds familiarity, which builds trust. And it makes your content instantly recognizable—a huge win on fast-scrolling platforms.

Everyone says their toy is great. But when other people say it? That’s gold.

Take your best reviews and turn them into thumb-stopping content:

Make a side-by-side video of what parents say vs what kids think
Turn Amazon reviews into colorful quote graphics
Showcase awards, media mentions, or retail partnerships as “credibility reels”

You’re not bragging—you’re proving. And when done with humor or heart, people remember it.

Don’t just post a 5-star review. Turn it into a story: “When Sarah bought our game for her son with ADHD, she didn’t expect him to sit and play for 45 minutes. Now she’s asking for expansion packs!”

10. Analyze, Adjust, Repeat

If you’re not looking at your numbers, you’re just guessing.

Every platform gives you insights. Use them:

What posts get the most saves? (Those show value)
What times do your videos get watched most?
Which product features drive the most questions?

Look at content themes, formats, and calls-to-action. Then double down on what works and let go of what doesn’t.

Make testing part of your weekly workflow. Social media changes fast but data tells the story. Follow it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which platform is best for promoting toy or game brands?

It depends on your target audience, but Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are typically the top-performing platforms.

TikTok is ideal for reaching parents of younger children and generating viral discovery.
Instagram is perfect for showcasing visuals and building a branded presence.
Facebook is still strong for reaching older parents, running ads, and managing communities.

If you’re in the STEM or educational niche, Pinterest and YouTube Shorts can also be powerful channels.

A good starting point is 3–5 times per week, with a mix of short-form video (Reels/TikToks), carousels, and stories. Consistency beats volume. It’s better to post 3 high-quality pieces per week consistently than burn out trying to post daily.

Bonus tip: Always aim for one piece of “evergreen” content per week (something valuable your audience can keep coming back to).

Do I need a big budget to create effective content?

Not at all! In fact, many of the highest-performing posts come from authentic, low-production videos filmed with a smartphone. What matters most is lighting, clarity, and emotional connection.

Free tools like CapCut, Canva, and InShot can help you create professional-looking posts quickly. Focus on storytelling and relatability over perfection.

How can I encourage customers to post about my product?

Make it fun, easy, and rewarding!

Add a card in your packaging inviting them to tag you
Create a custom hashtag (e.g., #PlayWithHooty or #BuildAndPlay)
Offer a monthly giveaway for tagged content
Repost and publicly thank fans when they share

People love recognition and knowing their content might be featured on your page encourages more engagement.

Focus on engagement, not just followers. Key metrics to track:

Engagement rate (likes + comments + shares ÷ reach)
Saves (an indicator of value)
Link clicks (conversion interest)
Shares (reach amplification)
Follower growth over time

Also track sales conversions from social platforms if you’re running ads or using product tags. Remember: growth is a long game—look for steady upward trends.