How Warby Parker Used Social Media to Flip the Eyewear Industry
In 2010, four students at the Wharton School asked themselves, “What if you could buy stylish prescription glasses without ever stepping foot in a store?” and as an answer they launched Warby Parker, a brand that would go on to disrupt the traditional eyewear industry. By cutting out the middleman and selling directly to consumers online, they made fashionable, affordable glasses more accessible. The idea made sense, but getting people to trust it was another story.
Social Media as a Trust-Building Tool
Glasses are very personal, and because of this, a lot of people just felt weird about buying them online without trying them on in a store. Some people also worried that the quality wouldn’t be great because of the lower prices.
To help ease these concerns, Warby Parker introduced their Home Try-On Campaign, where customers could pick five frames to try on at home, free of charge. But what really helped people feel confident was how they used their social media presence.
Warby Parker’s business model skipped showrooms, which meant they needed to build trust in other ways. Social media gave them a direct line to potential customers. It allowed them to explain how their process worked, offer support in real time, and show the product in use through actual customer experiences, all things that would have been difficult or expensive with traditional advertising. In a print or TV environment, they would’ve been limited to one-way messaging and much slower feedback loops. This is where social media really helped them stand out.
Instead of just running ads, Warby Parker used their platforms to talk directly with their audience. They answered questions, responded to comments, and made themselves available in a way that felt approachable.
They also encouraged customers to share photos of themselves wearing the try-on frames and ask friends for opinions. This really worked, with people who shared their photos online being twice as likely to buy (Mahoney & Tang, 2016). It was about creating a conversation.
This kind of communication is known as transactional communication, and it’s very different from traditional one-way ads. Warby Parker wasn't just sending out messaging, but instead, having actual interactions with customers. This back-and-forth helped build trust and made people feel like their voices mattered in the buying process.
Creating Content With the Customer
Beyond the conversations they were having with customers, Warby Parker also invited customers to participate in the content creation, leaning heavily into user-generated content. So when their followers saw their posts, they were seeing regular people trying on glasses and sharing their real opinions.
User-generated content helped in two big ways:
It showed off the product in a real, relatable way.
It added credibility. People trust their friends and peers more than ads, so when they saw someone they knew, or someone like them, posting about Warby Parker, it made the brand feel more legit.
Their social platforms featured:
User-generated photos of people in their frames
YouTube videos answering common eyewear questions
Tips and style advice that made the buying process feel personal and guided
This turned Warby Parker into more than just a glasses company. They became a trusted resource, and it also made the online buying process feel a lot more like the in-store experience, removing the main hurdle they faced.
Doing Good as a Brand Strategy
One of the most powerful tools in Warby Parker’s social media success is their social mission. For every pair of glasses sold, the company donates a pair to someone in need through their partnership with VisionSpring. This initiative has led to over 500,000 glasses donated (Mahoney & Tang, 2016, p. 20).
Sharing this message online gave customers something to feel good about, and something they wanted to share. It added emotional value to their purchase and gave Warby Parker a strong, positive narrative that spread through social networks.
This mission-driven approach helped reduce some of the hesitation people might’ve had about switching brands. If someone was unsure whether Warby Parker was the right choice, knowing their purchase helped someone else gave them another reason to move forward. And it gave them something meaningful to talk about with friends and family, which is a huge part of how brands grow on social media.
Why This Worked
Their Home Try-On Campaign reduced customer risk
The interactive social media engagement built authentic relationships
User-generated content amplified trust through peer influence
Their mission-driven branding gave customers a meaningful reason to share
By addressing the pain points of traditional eyewear buying and leaning into the strengths of digital media, Warby Parker created a model that changed the game.
Resources
Mahoney, L. M., & Tang, T. (2016). Strategic Social Media: From Marketing to Social Change. Wiley Global Research (STMS).
