Photos taken by consumers are becoming more acceptable to retailers and brands as marketers leverage user-generated content (UGC) to signal authenticity and resonate with consumers.

Research has found that a majority of consumers — especially Millennials — trust customer photos more than brand or professional imagery.

But many brands fall short by positioning UGC at the top of the funnel to boost brand equity rather than employing it along the path to purchase in order to drive conversion.

While UGC can play an important role in conversion, often consumer-generated images are not shoppable
.