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Laura Doonin, Commercial Director
There is no overstating the value of a brand community. In today’s competitive eCommerce landscape, companies that aim for emotional connection beat their competitors by 26% in gross margin.
A sense of community and an emotional connection to your brand not only makes a customer more likely to return for future purchases, but also inspires them to become advocates of your store, as they naturally recommend your business to others because of the positive experience they had with your brand.
So, how can brands cultivate that sense of community to keep customers coming back?
To create a more personal online shopping experience, today’s top brands use visual marketing that resonates with their target audience and takes their eCommerce business to the next level. Join these top brands by including customer photos and videos in your own visual marketing strategy. You’ll build brand awareness and trust, grow your fan base, and help shoppers discover even more of your products.
When customers come to your site, they may not know exactly what they want to buy. They also might hesitate because they can’t see or touch your products. Even if shoppers like the look of your products at first glance, they still might be thinking, “Is this really me? Does this product actually fit my needs?”
Product and stock photos only help so much, because people worry that they show an idealized, not-true-to-life version of the product — in fact, 54% of shoppers have postponed or decided against a purchase due to unhelpful product photos.
Customer photos, on the other hand, help shoppers see what the product is like in real life and how actual people use it. These photos connect potential customers with real customers, who can speak to the quality and use of these products most effectively.
Displaying UGC across the entire customer journey not only creates a better shopping experience overall, but it also helps your customers feel confident about making a purchase.
1. Homepage
Showcase product galleries featuring user-generated photos on your homepage. You’ll inspire shoppers, helping them discover products they didn’t even know they wanted. It’s also an opportunity to highlight your brand community by putting your customers front and center, and getting others to join in.
2. Category Pages
Get creative: design your galleries to reflect your brand identity. Create dedicated galleries for your summer collection, your latest product line, or any exciting occasion or holiday.
3. Product Pages
Help customers really understand how your products can fit into their lifestyle by showcasing the best of your visual UGC on product pages. Make sure a shopper considering a purchase sees photos of real people using and enjoying your products.
4. Dedicated UGC Gallery
Create a dedicated page with an endless scroll that mimics a social media user-experience, and highlight your happiest customers using the products they love most. This easy tip allows potential shoppers to discover brand new products — it also helps convert these shoppers into buyers.
5. Checkout Page
With an average of 69.23% of shoppers abandoning their cart prior to purchase, it’s important to alleviate checkout page anxiety. This is the perfect place to showcase photos from your customers to build confidence. You can even create galleries featuring your most popular products to encourage upsells.
Potential customers are constantly scrolling through their various social feeds, looking for content that piques their interest. They’re looking to be inspired, and that brand inspiration is what will lead them to your website and to future purchases.
Constantly creating new content for every channel in order to engage your customers is no easy feat. Many brands struggle to keep up with the demand of their digitally native audience.
Using reviews and visual UGC from your happiest customers can help engage potential shoppers, creating trust around your brand in an attention-catching way.
The data backs it up: 77% of user-generated photos resulted in a better conversion rate compared with professional photos.
The most agile brands are using content created by loyal customers. It’s the best way to market effectively and efficiently. Everyone talks about having a strong brand identity — let your customers help you develop and promote yours. They are your best marketers!
Using visual UGC allows you to enter into a direct dialogue with your customers. They feel seen, heard, and drawn into a community of other brand advocates. It’s also a great way to get their feedback and to see exactly how they use your products.
Leading direct-to-consumer brands focus their entire social presence and a huge portion of their buyer journey on customer photos and videos.
Your customers are the most authentic representation of your brand. By incorporating customer photos and videos across your site, you’ll build trust, spark product discovery, and encourage purchases. You’ll also help build a strong brand community, and encourage your customers to engage with you directly.
