THE CHALLENGE: We started Glossom as a standalone UGC platform for beauty creators. It gained traction—500K+ downloads, no marketing spend—but we hit a ceiling. Instagram was rolling out shoppable posts and burying smaller platforms. Competing as a niche social network wasn’t sustainable. We needed a pivot. One that leveraged our strengths (creator content, beauty niche) but avoided the uphill battle of fighting Instagram at its own game.
Company:
Glossom
My Role:
Head of Product
Year:
2018
Techstack
Swift | PostgreSQL | JavaScript | AWS S3 | Google Analytics
The Solution
We transformed Glossom from a standalone UGC app into an embeddable content engine—powering shoppable pages for beauty brands using creator videos.
Instead of fighting for attention in a crowded social feed, we brought creator content directly to where purchases were happening—brand websites.
1. Flip the Funnel: From Platform to Plugin
Instead of fighting for daily active users, we started embedding Glossom into the places shoppers were already active—brand websites. We built a lightweight widget that let L’Oréal and other partners feature Glossom content directly on product pages.
Shoppers didn’t need to download an app or follow anyone—they just scrolled, watched, clicked, and bought.
3. Optimize the Loop With Data
We tracked watch time, scroll depth, clickthroughs, and conversions across pages. Top-performing creators were prioritized. New content was slotted automatically into relevant product categories.
This turned into a self-optimizing content loop: more content → better performance → more creator exposure → more brand adoption.
2. Seed Content That Converts
We strategically seeded new beauty products to creators in the Glossom network. Once a video was made, it was uploaded to the brand’s site via the widget. The content was contextual, high-quality, and native-looking—not ads.
We weren’t just showing products. We were showing products in action—on real people, in real life.
4. Monetize Through Licensing, Not Ads
Instead of chasing CPMs or influencer deals, we structured a licensing model. Brands like L’Oréal paid for the ability to feature verified Glossom content on their site. It turned into a 7-figure IP sale and a scalable B2B2C model without a sales team.
The Impact
By shifting from audience growth to conversion impact, we turned Glossom into a revenue driver—proving content doesn’t need to go viral to sell.
Average Order Value | +8% |
Increased Conversion Rate | +23% |
Average Time on Page | +180% |
Views (3 months) | 30M |
