How to Maximize and Use Polyvore to Increase Sales

When it comes to ecommerce and retail we hear Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest. And there is a very good reason for that. Pinterest and retail go hand and hand for many reasons. First and foremost, the Pinterest audience is primarily female. Females happen to be more interested in shopping than our male counterparts. Pinterest is also the third largest social media site. Yes, that's right. Third. And that's right behind Facebook and Twitter. So, as an online retailer or anyone with an online business that has a female audience, Pinterest is a great place to be.

However, there's a site that doesn't get as much play or press, but might actually be a bigger powerhouse than Pinterest in terms of style, fashion, and design influence. It's called Polyvore.

Polyvore is an online community of style taste makers. Users mix and match products to create collages called sets that are linked directly to online stores for purchase. These sets consist primarily of fashion items and home goods. Here's what you need to know.

Stats About Polyvore

* There are over 20 million users on Polyvore (via Social Fresh)

* 2.4 million sets are created each month (via Social Fresh)

* 1 billion monthly set impressions (via Social Fresh)

* Polyvore accounts for 20% of social retail conversations. (via MasonInteractive)

* 43% of set impressions occur on social networks and blogs (via Social Fresh)

* Average order purchased via Polyvore is about $220. (via Social Fresh)

What's Black, Blue and Red All Over? by stephaniefrasco featuring a black purse

How To Use Polyvore To Increase Sales & Exposure

1. Make Sure Your Items Are On Polyvore

Before you can expect to see traffic from Polyvore you have to make sure your products are searchable within the site. To do that, use the clipper tool and clip your products to Polyvore. You might see that others have done it already, but to be safe you want to make sure you are easy to find.

2. Create Sets

There are tons of different reasons to create sets, but most importantly it is to get your products out there to the Polyvore community. You can create a set to introduce a new product, to show how to style one piece in multiple ways, to show how to wear your products on special occasions, or to showcase your products as part of a larger trend. For more tips on how to use Polyvore better check out this article.

As with most social sites, the more active you are, the more recognition you are going to receive. So create a lot of sets and participate with the community.

3. Join Groups

Groups are a great way to be involved with those who resonate with your brand and vice versa. You can share your sets to these groups to help grow your following. Remember this is a community so all the same community rules apply on Polyvore as they do on other social sites.

4. Host & Enter Contests

Contests are a great way to get people clipping and creating sets featuring your boards. It is also a great way to build a following. Enter other contests to see the best ways to go about it.

5. Share Your Sets

Sure your sets will move around the Polyvore community, but you want more. As I mentioned above, 43% of set impressions occur outside of Polyvore and especially on Pinterest. When sets are shared on Pinterest it reaches 18x more people and drives 2x the traffic as a set shared on Facebook. This is a good reminder that each and everyone of your sets should be shared to Pinterest as well. The more places you share, the more eyeballs you reach.

6. Advertise

You can advertise specific products on Polyvore and it will be shown in a native format.

7. Comment & Like

The more you comment and like other sets, the more they will come back and like yours. It's simple reciprocity and it works online just like it does offline. If you want to make friends complimenting them is always a good way to start.

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