LiketoKnow.it Rolls Out Shareable Collections

Users will now be able to find an item on LiketoKnow.it through an image uploaded by an influencer—say, a sweater or a pair of pants—and save it to a folder of their creation, such as fall outfit inspiration, or wedding guest dresses.

The feature is similar to ones already found all over the web, such as Instagram’s save and folders capability and Pinterest’s digital pin boards. But what Amber Venz Box, founder and CEO of rewardStyle, LiketoKnow.it’s parent company, said differentiates LiketoKnow.it’s own version of the feature is that it appears in an app that offers product discovery and inspiration as well as in-app shopping, in particular, on influencer-created content. (Instagram has started rolling out its in-app checkout on influencer accounts, but the number of people who have the capability is still fairly small.)

“Consumers want inspiration, and retailers, brands and marketers love inspiration,” she said. “And that ecosystem [that] exists in so many places today is really fragmented. There’s different places that allow you to collect products from stores, or the stores themselves allow you to share your wish list or just within that specific entity. Or you have a Pinterest where you’re stating inspiration, but there’s absolutely no action there.”

LiketoKnow.it first launched as a way for influencers to be able to use affiliate links on their Instagram posts. As the name implied, when users would like a photo on Instagram, they’d instantly receive an email with outfit details and product links. Today, thanks to Instagram’s API changes, that original functionality is no longer in place (you can still screenshot an Instagram photo and then have that photo appear in your LiketoKnow.it feed), but LiketoKnow.it has expanded far off Instagram. The standalone app debuted in 2017, and since then, rewardStyle has continued to introduce new features, such as product search, to make it more of a start-to-finish shopping experience.

This is in large part what sets LiketoKnow.it apart from the other spaces that offer Collections-esque capabilities, Venz Box said: LiketoKnow.it’s primary purpose is as a shopping app. When people open the app, they’re looking to shop.

Since the app’s introduction, it’s always been a place for that final transaction. Now, it’s looking to grab a bigger piece of what happens before a user makes a purchase.

“If people are going shopping, they’re starting that within the LiketoKnow.it app, and that’s how we’re able to drive so many sales,” she said. “Now, we’re really moving up the funnel so that we can move into the planning process. When you think about the way that you plan your purchases, maybe around planning your wardrobe for your honeymoon, or you’re expecting, and you’re starting to gather ideas and inspiration for your nursery, we’re now moving into that part of the purchasing process, the planning.”

What also is unique about LiketoKnow.it’s Collections is its shareability. Users can share the collections through text, email or social media. Venz Box said that this feature plays into the rest of the process—the discussion surrounding an item with friends or family before you buy.

“The person who is looking for inspiration is the person who actually ultimately does want to go shopping,” said Venz Box. “We’re connecting retailers with the consumer at the point of inspiration, and then also allowing that to really be shared.”

Creating more avenues that will ultimately lead to purchases on the app perhaps has the biggest benefit for the influencers who utilize the platform: Influencers get a cut of every sale of a product from their page on the app. (And of course, if sales increase, then retailers are happy, too.)

“We know that customers are coming here to shop and ultimately for the influencers, the retailers and LiketoKnow.it, all of our incentives are aligned,” she said. “When we make it easier for customers to shop and to plan their purchases, an influencer’s getting a commission on that sale every single time. We’re adding tools that actually give a better conversion rate for our influencers and increase their earnings.”