complete guide to visual commerce

8/19/2019 Complete Guide to Visual Commerce

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T H E C O M P L ET E G U I D E T O V I S U A L C O M M ER C E

How to Command Attentionin a Content-Driven World


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Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures • 2

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CONTENTS

Let’s Take a Trip Down Memory Lane

The Connection of Content and Commerce

Visual Commerce: A New Frontier

Consumer Expectations vs. The Retail Experience

Unlocking the Power of Pictures

1. How to Develop New, Creative Content Original vs. Outsourced Images

Rights Management

Success Story: Urban Outfitters

2. How to Choose Imagery That Resonates

Harnessing Visual Data

Success Story: Lilly Pulitzer

3. How to Measure the ROI of Images

Success Story: Sigma Beauty

Right Picture, Right Channel

About Curalate

The Complete Guideto Visual Commerce


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Let’s Take a TripDown Memory Lane

Just a decade ago, there were merely a handful of places where

consumers could go to discover and buy your products. They

could visit your store, check out your website, or head over to

a retail partner who carried your stuff. As a marketer, you had

a firm grip on the wheel, steering consumers down a straight

and narrow path to shopping nirvana. And you controlled nearly

every part of the journey, from the color scheme and lighting to

the manner in which store associates welcomed consumers as

they walked through the door.

Today ... well, it’s complicated.

From social sites and mobile apps to an endless supply of blogs,

consumers are in a perpetual state of discovery, engagement

and shopping – and they’re creating content too. At the center

of all this activity is the image. With billions of images shared

daily across a growing number of consumer touchpoints,

every picture is the start of a journey – a gateway to not only

engagement but revenue.



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The Connection ofContent and Commerce

Unsurprisingly, marketers put more money, time and effort

into social than ever in 2015. According to eMarketer, 71% of

brands with 100 or more employees will have deployed social

marketing strategies by 2017, and branded Instagram accounts

are expected to more than double.

While image-driven communities like Instagram, Pinterest,

Tumblr and Facebook are enabling people to discover more

products and content in more places, that discovery often leads

nowhere. Social images, for instance, garner tons of likes and

positive comments; expressions of excitement (“so awesome!”),

curiosity (“where can I get this?”) and even intent (“I have to

have this!”) are everywhere. When brands fail to connect their

images to products or great content, however, the customer

journey falters. Consumers quickly lose interest, and that

friction inhibits sales.


http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Number-of-Companies-Using-Instagram-Nearly-Double-Next-Year/1013122http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Number-of-Companies-Using-Instagram-Nearly-Double-Next-Year/1013122


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If 2015 was the year brands went all in on visual channels like Instagram and Pinterest, 2016 will be the year they get serious

about connecting their visual content to commerce.

According to The State of Visual Commerce—a market study from Curalate and the Internet Marketing Association (IMA)—this

change is happening now. 77% of marketers agree there is a growing amount of pressure to show ROI on visual content.

Consequently, social metrics such as comments, “likes” and impressions—once used to demonstrate the success of social

content—are quickly losing relevance to intent-based KPIs.

Most Important Marketing KPIs, Q3 2015

What are the KPIs that your team uses to determine the success of a marketing campaign?

The State of Visual Commerce, Curalate and the Internet Marketing Association

50%

40%

30%

20%

60%

46%

RevenueClicks

55% 54%

Conversions

52%

Traffic

41%

Likes

34%

Comments

28%

Impressions


http://cur.lt/1nzeyaahttp://imanetwork.org/http://imanetwork.org/http://cur.lt/1nzeyaa


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Visual Commerce: A New Frontier

And thus, visual commerce was born. At Curalate, we define visual commerce as the emerging need for

marketers to measure and understand how images engage and convert consumers at every point of

the purchase funnel – from your social platforms to your product pages. How did we get here? A lot has

changed in just a few years, so we’ve broken it down on the following page into three major trends.



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Trend 1: Consumers are communicating visually.

If there’s one thing we know about the new language of engagement, it’s that consumers are communicating

in pictures, not words. As consumer expectations and modes of communication continue to be visual, so too

will the channels that dominate their time and attention. Brands have to follow suit.

Trend 2: Branded images have evolved.

Visual channels of communication haven’t just changed how people discover and shop for products.

Something about their ability to encapsulate emotion has changed the very types of images that appeal to

consumers. The boring stock photo of yesterday—you know, that product on a white background—is less

effective than ever. Say hello to engaging, authentic images that emphasize experiences – not just the stuff

you sell.

Trend 3: The boom of buy buttons.

In an always-on world, consumers expect to be able to buy whatever they want, whenever they want,

wherever they are. To fulfill this need for immediacy, nearly every social site has begun experimenting with

“buy” buttons. While some sites are further along than others, the idea is simple: move social downstream by

providing a one-tap payment solution for social users. So, how effective are they?



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CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS VS. THE RETAIL EXPERIENCE

According to research from the Global Web Index, consumers may be warming up to the idea of buy buttons – but consider this.

Just 17% of social media users ages 16 to 64 say they are interested in buying directly from Tumblr. A mere 14% would purchase

directly on Instagram.

What this tells us is there’s a gap between

consumer expectations and the retail experience.

While brands are fixated on the transaction,

social media users are left searching for product

details—pricing, availability information, peer

reviews, more pictures! —that inform their

purchase decisions and compel them to transact.

Fortunately, all of this information (and much,

much more) is available on your website.

Your visual content should lead them to this

environment, which is trustworthy, information-

rich, and optimized to drive sales.

Social Media Users Worldwide Interested in Using Buy Buttons

on Social Media, by Site, Nov 2015

Note: ages 16-64; among active users of each site

Source: GlobalWebIndex as cited in company blog, Nov 16, 2015, as reported by eMarketer

20%

12%13%14%17% 9%

15%

5%

10%

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Do-Social-Network-Users-Want-Buy-Buttons/1013321?ecid=NL1001http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Do-Social-Network-Users-Want-Buy-Buttons/1013321?ecid=NL1001


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Unlocking the Power of Pictures

So, as we’ve established, unlocking the power of pictures in this new world of marketing means

not only sharing inspiring images but also making it easy for consumers to get from pictures to

products and compelling content. Brands, however, continue to lag behind.

Why? Chalk it up to the following three obstacles, as determined by 200 marketing professionals

in The State of Visual Commerce:

In the following pages, you’ll learn how to tackle these and other related

challenges, putting your team in an ideal position to capture today’s visual consumer.

1. Developing new, creative content

2. Choosing imagery that resonates

3. Measuring ROI


http://cur.lt/1nzeyaahttp://cur.lt/1nzeyaa


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1. How to Develop New, Creative Content

We live in an age where images and information are shared instantly. As the number of social, digital and mobile communities

continues to grow, so too will the need for more content as well as new styles of creative. Images are a solid foundation when

building your content library, but videos, GIFs, cinemagraphs, emojis, live streams and other forms of creative will help you stand

out too.

Volume and variety of content aren’t the only obstacles either. According to Curalate research, more than half of marketers are

actively sharing images to at least six consumer touchpoints at any given time. For marketers, this can be chaotic. Not only is

the language of engagement changing, but this new dialect may differ depending on which channel a consumer is using.

Most Used Marketing Channels, Q3 2015

Social

84%

Email

77%

Digital ads

58%

Print

57%

Ecommerce

53%

In-person

51%

Mobile commerce

36%

Apps

20%

Other

4%

Which of the following marketing channels are you currently distributing your content to?

The State of Visual Commerce, Curalate and the Internet Marketing Association

90%

50%

70%

30%

80%

40%

60%

20%

10%


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Brand editorial images

Brand stock images

User-generated images

Influencer images

Partner images

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In that brief moment when a consumer discovers a photo of your

product on Instagram, in their email, or via one of many shopping

apps, how will you stand out from competitors?

The good news is you don’t have to create every image yourself.

Increasingly, your customers, store associates, influencers, retail

partners, creative vendors, and many others are sharing compelling

content about your products. Use it! By tapping into crowdsourced

images, you can build an arsenal of assets in support of your products

and brand.

ORIGINAL vs. OUTSOURCED IMAGES

When sharing outsourced images, the 80/20 rule is a healthy

standard to go by – meaning about 80% of your content should be

created by your brand and about 20% should be outsourced from

partners, fans, advocates, influencers, etc. Think of user-generated

content as a complement to your owned images. Publish original

photos that embody your brand’s personality and values as frequently

as possible, while reserving space to show your appreciation for the

people who have chosen to celebrate your brand.

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Don’t Forget!

Whether you’re planning on using a third-party

photo on Instagram, on your website, or in a paid

campaign, always credit the photographer. A little

recognition goes a long way.

RIGHTS MANAGEMENT

Pairing brand-owned and outsourced images can be a great way to both

grow and diversify your content library. There is, however, one caveat. It’s

one thing to ask a fan for permission to use their photo and to then share

it to Instagram; this is a great way to celebrate your customers. It’s another

to hastily slap a user image into a paid ad.

If you plan on leveraging fan-sourced images, rights management should

be top-of-mind. How can you reach out to the people who are sharing

photos of your products and request creative consent?

This can be as simple as leaving a comment below the image you want

to share. If you’re a brand that receives a high volume of fan photos, try a

solution that automates this process and records user responses. Below,

you’ll find an example of what this can look like in action.

1. Find the perfect photo

2. Ask nicely!

3. Get the green light


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Urban Outfitters was among the first brands to tap into

fan-sourced images, both by sharing user-generated

content on their social channels and by amplifying it

across their website. The brand features these images in

three separate places on their website: their homepage, a

dedicated fan gallery, and on product detail pages.

The result?

A 15% click-through rate from fan

photos to products, further

engaging consumers while

increasing their desire to shop.

SUCCESS STORY

Bringing Fans Into the Marketing Mix

SEE MORE

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http://cur.lt/1QtnsiThttp://cur.lt/1QtnsiT


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2. How to Choose Imagery That Resonates

With so many types of images being shared across a wealth of consumer touchpoints, it’s no wonder modern

marketers list “choosing imagery that resonates” among their biggest pains. Just 11% of marketers believe their team

is leveraging images “very effectively” across the entire breadth of their marketing channels, according to research

from Curalate. Even fewer—7%—feel the visual content they are sharing is effectively supporting their overall

marketing goals.

Why the disconnect? At the end of the day, it’s all about data. While marketers have been utilizing the power of

storytelling to engage their customers, position their products, and grow their brands for eons, the way you measure

visual content is fundamentally different than the way you approach text. As such, the technology and tools used to

manage and measure the value of visual content differs too.


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HARNESSING VISUAL DATA

To identify which creative assets to use throughout

various marketing initiatives, put your visual data

to work.

Social media has given consumers new

opportunities to engage with their favorite brands,

and as a result, it’s now easier than ever to gain

insight into the type of content that works. Pay

attention to these social signals when selecting

creative that will matter to your audience. Image-

led channels like Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and

others provide a deep level of insight into what

customers want to buy as well as which image

characteristics drive clicks.

By analyzing which product photos your

customers are most likely to pin from your product

pages, or which Instagram images are driving

the greatest number of outbound clicks, you

can better equip your team to understand which

colors, styles, angles, patterns and other product

details are most engaging.



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Brands that use socially proven imagery to optimize

creative frequently see higher clicks and conversions.

Lilly Pulitzer is one of these brands, harnessing visual

data around a series of Instagram images to predict

which patterns will engage shoppers both in stores and

on site. They even launched a coffee table-style book

dedicated to these illustrations!

4.4MM Instagram engagements

+190% Instagram followers

+400% Instagram referral traffic

SUCCESS STORY

From Print to Product

SEE MORE


http://cur.lt/1Qtnx68http://cur.lt/1Qtnx68


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How to Measure the ROIof Images

Modern marketers are quickly learning that the benefit of digital content lies not in the

number of likes a photo receives but in the ability to align engagement with images to

sales. Yet, for the 45% of marketers who doubt their ability to report on revenue, or

the 54% who are unsure of how their creative assets impact conversions, an important

question remains. What’s the ROI – or, return on image?

While the proliferation of images means that consumers are discovering products more

often and in more places, it’s not just about discovery. The aspirational nature of these

channels, combined with new ways of transacting, is fueling desire – and that desire is

driving clicks, conversions and revenue.

To monetize visual content, forward-thinking brands are making it effortless for people

to take action on images, creating a seamless path from their pictures to their product

pages. And they’re leveraging a visual commerce platform like Curalate to easily

measure the ROI of their creative assets across marketing channels.

On the following page, you’ll find a Success Story that details how international

cosmetics retailer Sigma Beauty does this well.



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SUCCESS STORY

Driving Commerce from Lifestyle Content

Sigma Beauty is a great example of a brand that’s

connecting content to commerce across multiple

consumer touchpoints. On Instagram, the brand is using

Curalate Like2Buy to make brand-owned and influencer-

sourced images shoppable, turning Instagram into a top

referral source (behind only email, organic and direct

traffic).

In addition, Sigma features lifestyle images from

Instagram on product pages to complement stock

photography – with Curalate Fanreel.

24k monthly Instagram clicks

4x lift in time-on-site

16x Fanreel ROI

SEE MORE


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Right Picture,Right Channel

We now live in a world where images evoke not

only inspiration but also intent, so your brand is

no longer competing for clicks. It’s a matter of

revenue.

So, how can you make your pictures and

products—and therefore, your brand—more

accessible to the hundreds of millions of

people who are communicating visually?

The new language of consumer engagement

transcends any single channel. By connecting

the entire breadth of visual content about

your products to commerce in ways that feel

native, contextual and authentic, you have an

opportunity to capture today’s visual consumer.



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LET’S TALK BIG PICTURE [email protected] | (855) 223-1459

About

The Curalate Visual Commerce Platform connects content to commerce throughout the customer journey togenerate awareness, increase engagement, and drive revenue. For more information, visit www.curalate.com.

Ads

Launch more effective Instagram and Facebook ads with proprietary audience data and image insights.

Visual Insights

Analytics, community management, publishing, and promotions across the visual web.

Fanreel

Feature fan, editorial, social, and influencer imagery in shoppable galleries on site to drive conversions and revenue.

Like2Buy

Instantly drive traffic and revenue from Instagram to your brand’s website.

Reveal

Enable consumers to discover and shop the products they love by simply pointing to them within blog pictures.
mailto:learnmore%40curalate.com?subject=http://cur.lt/1PFDRDIhttp://cur.lt/1PFDRDImailto:learnmore%40curalate.com?subject=

complete guide to visual commerce

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