Adroit e‑commerce manÂagers are increasÂingÂly aware of the marÂketÂing powÂer of user-genÂerÂatÂed phoÂtos and videos – which is why they may be interÂestÂed in the progress made by the New York-based B2B serÂvice Olapic, whose techÂnolÂoÂgy platÂform helps agenÂcies, e‑retailers and pubÂlishÂers to inteÂgrate user-creÂatÂed images from FaceÂbook, TwitÂter and Instagram.
FolÂlowÂing its handÂsome $5 milÂlion Series A investÂment in July, Olapic decidÂed to go hell-for-leather for e‑commerce, even though it insists that it will go on supÂportÂing all its media cusÂtomers (that’s who it startÂed with upon its launch in 2010). And it’s being true to its word.
Just why are user-genÂerÂatÂed images so powerful?
Now, hard-boiled e‑commerce manÂagers like anaÂlytÂics. And Olapic claims that its data shows that user-genÂerÂatÂed images are a thunÂderÂing five times more likeÂly to perÂsuade peoÂple to make a purÂchase than othÂer conÂtent. It’s not exactÂly clear why this should be so, but the intreÂpid e‑commerce manÂagÂer would probÂaÂbly not be far wide of the mark in specÂuÂlatÂing that it probÂaÂbly has someÂthing to do with the fact that user-genÂerÂatÂed phoÂtos encourÂage us to feel that someÂone like us is hapÂpy with their purÂchase – why shouldn’t we be, too? A real woman, for examÂple, may remain skepÂtiÂcal about whether an outÂfit would look as stylÂish on her as on the waifish modÂel used by clothÂing retailÂers, largeÂly because, not to put too fine a point on it, the averÂage woman isn’t waif-sized.
SimÂpliÂfyÂing access, extendÂing reach
Olapic has recentÂly added a new sinÂgle-sign-on feaÂture that acts as a one-stop conÂsumer gateÂway to all of the e‑commerce sites it supÂports. That cuts out a lot tedious keyÂboard tapÂping and mouse clickÂing – no one has to laboÂriÂousÂly re-regÂisÂter on each indiÂvidÂual site anyÂmore. But e‑retailers can also see what their cusÂtomers are doing right across the Olapic platÂform, allowÂing them to hone their recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtions and marÂketÂing to what prodÂuct images conÂsumers have looked at and what purÂchasÂes they have made.
The comÂpaÂny has also just partÂnered with the e‑commerce platÂform DemandÂware, whose approxÂiÂmateÂly 200 cusÂtomers will now be able to use plug-ins to inteÂgrate Olapic’s serÂvices. That’s not a bad increase in reach.
In the pipeline is a new inteÂgraÂtion with e‑retailers’ email marÂketÂing, a move which is designed to encourÂage conÂsumers to send a user-genÂerÂatÂed snap or video after they’ve bought something.