Web 101: What Is Polyvore?

​What is Polyvore?

Polyvore is an image-based social network (yes, there are lots of them). It’s kind of like Pinterest, just without hair tutorials, tattoo ideas, and adorable cupcakes — and that’s what makes Polyvore so interesting from a marketing point of view. Everything on the site is something you can buy.

But no, it’s not like Etsy. It’s not an online store. It’s an image scrapbooking tool for shopping.

Who uses Polyvore?

Polyvore has over 20 million monthly unique visitors, and over 3 million of these are already using their iOS app (the Android app was only released this month, but there’s no reason for it not to be just as popular).

Why should you care?

Polyvore drives 20% of all social shopping, coming second only to Facebook (60%). That means it’s better for sales than whatever you’re doing on Twitter, Google+ (no surprise, but still) and even Pinterest. The average order value is around $380, which beats Pinterest by almost $200.

Is Polyvore good for marketing?

Yes. Absolutely yes. You can use Polyvore to:

• Boost brand exposure
• Find potential customers
• Engage with existing customers
• Let users create virtual “outfits” using your clothing and accessories in combination with other pieces — great for helping people to visualize your products in their life

by Lily Bradic

We’re coming to the end of the Web 101 series. It’s been a good four months, and the posts will always be there if you need to refer back. This week, to finish up, we’ll be covering Polyvore.