How to Command Attention

in a Content-Driven World
T H E C O M P L E T E G U I D E TO V I S UA L C O M M E R C E

CONTENTS

The Complete Guide

to Visual Commerce

Lets Take a Trip Down Memory Lane

The Connection of Content and Commerce

Visual Commerce: A New Frontier

Consumer Expectations vs. The Retail Experience

8
9

Unlocking the Power of Pictures

1. How to Develop New, Creative Content

10
11

Original vs. Outsourced Images

12

Rights Management

13

Success Story: Urban Outfitters

2. How to Choose Imagery That Resonates

14

15
16

Harnessing Visual Data

Success Story: Lilly Pulitzer
3. How to Measure the ROI of Images

17
18

19

Right Picture, Right Channel

20

Success Story: Sigma Beauty

About Curalate

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 2

Lets Take a Trip

Down 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, its 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 theyre 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.

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 3

The Connection of
Content 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.

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 4

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 Commercea 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 impressionsonce used to demonstrate the success of social
contentare quickly losing relevance to intent-based KPIs.

Most Important Marketing KPIs, Q3 2015

55%

54%

52%

46%

41%

34%

28%

Clicks

Conversions

Traffic

Revenue

Likes

Comments

Impressions

60%
50%
40%
30%
20%

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

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 5

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 weve broken it down on the following page into three major trends.

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 6

Trend 1: Consumers are communicating visually.

If theres one thing we know about the new language of engagement, its 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 havent 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 yesterdayyou know, that product on a white backgroundis 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?

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 7

 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 theres a gap between

consumer expectations and the retail experience.
While brands are fixated on the transaction,
social media users are left searching for product

Social Media Users Worldwide Interested in Using Buy Buttons

on Social Media, by Site, Nov 2015
17%

14%

13%

12%

9%

20%

detailspricing, availability information, peer

reviews, more pictures!that inform their

15%

purchase decisions and compel them to transact.

Fortunately, all of this information (and much,

10%

much more) is available on your website.

Your visual content should lead them to this

5%

environment, which is trustworthy, informationrich, and optimized to drive sales.

Note: ages 16-64; among active users of each site
Source: GlobalWebIndex as cited in company blog, Nov 16, 2015, as reported by eMarketer

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 8

Unlocking the Power of Pictures

So, as weve 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:

1. Developing new, creative content

2. Choosing imagery that resonates

3. Measuring ROI

In the following pages, youll learn how to tackle these and other related
challenges, putting your team in an ideal position to capture todays visual consumer.

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 9

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 arent 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

84%

77%

58%

57%

53%

51%

36%

20%

4%

Social

Email

Digital ads

Print

Ecommerce

In-person

Mobile commerce

Apps

Other

90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%

Which of the following marketing channels are you currently distributing your content to?
The State of Visual Commerce, Curalate and the Internet Marketing Association

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 10

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?

Brand editorial images

The good news is you dont have to create every image yourself.
User-generated images

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

Brand stock 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

Influencer images

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

content as a complement to your owned images. Publish original
photos that embody your brands personality and values as frequently
as possible, while reserving space to show your appreciation for the
people who have chosen to celebrate your brand.

Partner images
11
11

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. Its
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. Its 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 youre a brand that receives a high volume of fan photos, try a
solution that automates this process and records user responses. Below,
youll find an example of what this can look like in action.

1. Find the perfect photo

Dont Forget!
Whether youre planning on using a third-party
photo on Instagram, on your website, or in a paid

2. Ask nicely!

campaign, always credit the photographer. A little

recognition goes a long way.
3. Get the green light

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 12

SUCCESS STORY
Bringing Fans Into the Marketing Mix
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.

SEE MORE
13

2. How to Choose Imagery That Resonates

With so many types of images being shared across a wealth of consumer touchpoints, its 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 fewer7%feel the visual content they are sharing is effectively supporting their overall
marketing goals.

Why the disconnect? At the end of the day, its 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.

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 14

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, its 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. Imageled 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.

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 15

SUCCESS STORY
From Print to Product
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

SEE MORE

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 16

How to Measure the ROI

of 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. Whats the ROI or, return on image?

While the proliferation of images means that consumers are discovering products more
often and in more places, its 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 theyre leveraging a visual commerce platform like Curalate to easily
measure the ROI of their creative assets across marketing channels.

On the following page, youll find a Success Story that details how international
cosmetics retailer Sigma Beauty does this well.

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 17

SUCCESS STORY
Driving Commerce from Lifestyle Content
Sigma Beauty is a great example of a brand thats
connecting content to commerce across multiple
consumer touchpoints. On Instagram, the brand is using
Curalate Like2Buy to make brand-owned and influencersourced 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

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 18

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. Its a matter of
revenue.

So, how can you make your pictures and

productsand therefore, your brandmore
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 todays visual consumer.

Curalate: Unlock the Power of Pictures 19

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

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 brands website.

Reveal
Enable consumers to discover and shop the products they love by simply pointing to them within blog pictures.

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

L E T S TA L K B IG PICTU RE

learnmore@curalate.com | (855) 223-1459