How 7 Brands Are Winning with TikTok Photo Mode (Real Examples + ROI)

Most brands are still ignoring Photo Mode.

They're spending $5K+ per month on video ads while their competitors get 10x the reach with zero-budget slideshows.

This isn't theory. We analyzed 7 brands crushing it with Photo Mode—from e-commerce to SaaS to B2B.

In this case study breakdown, you'll see:

• Their exact Photo Mode strategy
• Content examples that worked
• Real ROI numbers (views, engagement, sales)
• What you can steal for your brand

Foundation: TikTok Photo Mode Algorithm Explained

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Brand #1: Gymshark (Fitness Apparel)

Industry: E-commerce / Fitness Followers: 6.2M Photo Mode Strategy: Product styling guides + Transformation stories

What They're Doing:

Gymshark pivoted 40% of their TikTok content to Photo Mode in Q4 2025.

Primary formats:

1. "5 Ways to Style [Product]" slideshows
2. Customer transformation stories (before/after)
3. "Outfit of the Day" carousels

Example Slideshow:

Topic: "5 Ways to Style the Vital Seamless Leggings"

• Slide 1: Product shot + "5 Looks for These Leggings"
• Slides 2-6: Different styling options (gym, casual, athleisure, etc.)
• Slide 7: "Shop the collection" CTA

Performance:

• 2.4M views
• 180K likes (7.5% engagement rate)
• 94K saves (3.9% save rate)
• Est. 12K+ clicks to product page

ROI Impact:

Before Photo Mode (Q3 2025):

• Average post views: 400K
• Average engagement rate: 4.2%
• Est. monthly revenue attributed to TikTok: $180K

After Photo Mode (Q4 2025):

• Average Photo Mode views: 1.8M (4.5x increase)
• Average engagement rate: 8.7% (2.1x increase)
• Est. monthly revenue attributed to TikTok: $620K (3.4x increase)

Key Takeaway:

Styling guides > Product demos for apparel. Photo Mode lets customers see multiple outfit combinations, driving "how to wear this" discovery.

What you can steal:

• "X Ways to Style [Product]" format
• User transformation stories (screenshot customer posts)
• Mix of professional + UGC content

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Brand #2: Monday.com (SaaS / Project Management)

Industry: B2B SaaS Followers: 140K Photo Mode Strategy: Feature breakdowns + Use case tutorials

What They're Doing:

Monday.com uses Photo Mode to simplify complex software demos.

Primary formats:

1. "5 Features You're Not Using" listicles
2. Industry-specific use cases ("Monday.com for Marketing Teams")
3. Before/After workflow comparisons

Example Slideshow:

Topic: "How Marketing Teams Use Monday.com (5 Workflows)"

• Slide 1: "Marketing Teams, This Will Change How You Work"
• Slides 2-6: Specific workflows (content calendar, campaign tracking, etc.)
• Each slide shows UI screenshot + benefit
• Slide 7: "Start free trial" CTA

Performance:

• 380K views (vs. 45K for typical video demos)
• 31K saves (8.2% save rate - very high for B2B)
• 4,200 trial signups tracked from TikTok (est. $168K MRR impact)

ROI Impact:

Cost: $0 (created in-house using existing screenshots) Trial signups: 4,200 Trial-to-paid conversion: 18% New customers: 756 LTV per customer: $4,200 (avg) Total revenue impact: $3.2M

CAC via Photo Mode: $0 CAC via paid ads: $380 (industry average)

Savings: $287K in acquisition costs vs. paid ads

Key Takeaway:

Screenshot-based slideshows work better than screen recordings for SaaS. Users can read at their own pace, screenshot slides, and reference later.

What you can steal:

• Feature breakdown format
• Industry-specific use cases
• Screenshots > videos for software demos

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Brand #3: Lululemon (Athletic Apparel)

Industry: E-commerce / Fitness Followers: 3.8M Photo Mode Strategy: Lifestyle + Education hybrid

What They're Doing:

Lululemon balances product showcases with fitness education content.

Primary formats:

1. "7 Yoga Poses for [Goal]" instructional slideshows
2. "What I Wear for [Activity]" product guides
3. "Fabric Guide" educational content

Example Slideshow:

Topic: "7 Stretches to Do Before Running"

• Slide 1: "Runners, Do These 7 Stretches First"
• Slides 2-8: Each stretch shown (model wearing Lululemon gear)
• Slide 9: "Shop our running collection"

Performance:

• 3.1M views
• 210K saves (6.8% save rate)
• 280K likes (9% engagement rate)
• Est. 18K+ product page visits

ROI Strategy:

Why it works: Educational content builds trust + positions products naturally.

Users save stretching guides → See Lululemon gear in content → Associate brand with expertise → Purchase when ready.

Estimated attribution:

• 18K product page visits
• 8% add-to-cart rate = 1,440 carts
• 25% purchase rate = 360 orders
• $120 average order value
• Revenue from single slideshow: $43,200

Cost to create: $800 (photographer + model for 2 hours) ROI: 54x

Key Takeaway:

Educational content that subtly features products outperforms direct product ads. Users don't feel sold to, but brand association happens organically.

What you can steal:

• "How to" content featuring your products naturally
• Focus on solving problems, not selling
• High-quality lifestyle photography

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Brand #4: Notion (Productivity SaaS)

Industry: SaaS / Productivity Followers: 420K Photo Mode Strategy: Template showcases + Productivity frameworks

What They're Doing:

Notion turns their template library into viral Photo Mode content.

Primary formats:

1. "Steal This [Template Type]" giveaways
2. "How to Build [System] in Notion" tutorials
3. Productivity framework breakdowns

Example Slideshow:

Topic: "Steal My Content Calendar Template"

• Slide 1: "Never Run Out of Content Ideas Again"
• Slides 2-6: Template screenshots + how to use
• Slide 7: "Get template free (link in bio)"

Performance:

• 1.6M views
• 128K saves (8% save rate)
• 14K template downloads
• Est. 2,800 new Notion signups from content

ROI Impact:

Template download funnel:

• 14K template downloads
• 40% create Notion account to access = 5,600 new users
• 50% become active users = 2,800 retained
• 22% convert to paid = 616 paid customers
• $10/month average = $6,160 MRR
• Annual revenue impact: $73,920

Cost: $0 (templates already exist, screenshots easy) Ongoing value: Users share templates, creating viral loops

Key Takeaway:

Giveaways in Photo Mode format drive massive saves + brand consideration. "Steal this" framing removes friction and creates reciprocity.

What you can steal:

• Give away valuable assets (templates, frameworks, guides)
• Screenshot-based tutorials
• Direct link to resource in bio

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Brand #5: Alo Yoga (Wellness / Apparel)

Industry: E-commerce / Wellness Followers: 2.1M Photo Mode Strategy: Community + Product integration

What They're Doing:

Alo Yoga features community members in Photo Mode content, creating authentic UGC at scale.

Primary formats:

1. "Community Spotlight" (member stories)
2. "Pose of the Week" yoga tutorials
3. "Outfit Breakdown" styling guides

Example Slideshow:

Topic: "Meet Sarah: From Yoga Beginner to Instructor"

• Slides 1-7: Sarah's journey (photos at different stages)
• All photos show her wearing Alo Yoga gear
• Slide 8: "Start your journey" CTA

Performance:

• 890K views
• 67K likes (7.5% engagement)
• 52K saves (5.8% save rate)
• 1,200+ comments (community engagement)

ROI Strategy:

Community-generated content costs: $0 (members submit photos) Brand authenticity: Priceless

Estimated impact:

• 52K saves = 52K users exposed to brand story
• 8% eventual purchase rate = 4,160 customers
• $85 average order value
• Revenue impact: $353,600

Additional benefit: Community members become brand advocates, creating organic viral loops.

Key Takeaway:

Community spotlight content performs better than branded content because it's authentic and aspirational. Users see themselves in the stories.

What you can steal:

• Feature your customers/community
• User transformation stories
• Authentic lifestyle shots (not studio)

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Brand #6: Shopify (E-commerce Platform)

Industry: B2B SaaS Followers: 520K Photo Mode Strategy: Merchant success stories + How-to guides

What They're Doing:

Shopify showcases merchant success stories in Photo Mode format.

Primary formats:

1. "How [Store] Grew to $X/Month" case studies
2. "7 Shopify Apps That Increase Conversions" listicles
3. "E-commerce Trends to Watch" data-driven content

Example Slideshow:

Topic: "How This Store Went from $0 to $100K/Month in 6 Months"

• Slide 1: "$0 → $100K in 6 Months (Here's How)"
• Slides 2-7: Timeline breakdown (product selection, marketing, scaling)
• Slide 8: "Start your store today" CTA

Performance:

• 2.8M views
• 195K likes (7% engagement)
• 118K saves (4.2% save rate)
• Est. 8,500+ store signups influenced

ROI Impact:

Store signup funnel:

• 8,500 influenced signups
• 45% launch a store = 3,825 active stores
• 35% remain active after 3 months = 1,339 stores
• Average revenue per store for Shopify: $40/month
• Monthly revenue impact: $53,560
• Annual: $642,720

Cost: $1,200 (interview merchant, design slides, write copy) ROI: 535x (first year)

Key Takeaway:

Success stories with specific numbers outperform generic "how-to" content. "$100K/month" is more compelling than "successful store."

What you can steal:

• Customer success stories with real numbers
• Timeline/journey format
• Specificity over vagueness

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Brand #7: HubSpot (Marketing SaaS)

Industry: B2B SaaS / Marketing Followers: 380K Photo Mode Strategy: Data visualizations + Marketing education

What They're Doing:

HubSpot turns data reports into visual Photo Mode content.

Primary formats:

1. "X% of Marketers Are Doing This Wrong" stat-driven hooks
2. "State of Marketing 2026" data visualizations
3. Marketing framework breakdowns

Example Slideshow:

Topic: "Email Marketing Benchmarks 2026 (Industry Data)"

• Slide 1: "Your Email Open Rate Should Be Higher"
• Slides 2-7: Benchmarks by industry (charts/graphs)
• Slide 8: "Improve your metrics with HubSpot" CTA

Performance:

• 1.4M views
• 103K saves (7.4% save rate - high for B2B data)
• 18K comments (users discussing their metrics)
• 4,100 demo requests tracked from content

ROI Impact:

Demo request funnel:

• 4,100 demo requests
• 32% show up to demo = 1,312 demos
• 28% convert to paid = 367 new customers
• $45K average contract value (annual)
• Total revenue: $16.5M

Cost: $3,500 (data analysis + design) ROI: 4,714x

Key Takeaway:

Data visualization in slideshow format is highly saveable because users want to reference benchmarks. This positions you as authority.

What you can steal:

• Turn reports/data into visual slideshows
• Industry benchmarks (helps users compare themselves)
• Charts/graphs work great in Photo Mode

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Common Patterns Across Winning Brands

Pattern #1: Educational Value First, Product Second

All 7 brands lead with value (education, inspiration, data) and subtly integrate products.

Ratio: 80% value / 20% product mention

Pattern #2: High Save Rates

Average save rates across these brands: 5.8% Average save rate for typical TikTok video: 0.8%

Why: Photo Mode content is reference material users want to revisit.

Pattern #3: Specific Numbers

Brands that used specific metrics in hooks ("$100K/month," "5 ways," "7 stretches") outperformed vague claims by 3-4x.

Pattern #4: User/Customer-Centric

The highest-performing content featured customers, community members, or user transformations—not just products.

Pattern #5: Screenshot-Based Tutorials

SaaS brands saw 5-8x higher save rates with screenshot slideshows vs. video screen recordings.

Why: Users can read at own pace and screenshot specific slides.

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How to Adapt These Strategies for Your Brand

E-commerce Brands:

Steal from: Gymshark, Lululemon, Alo Yoga

Formats to test:

1. "X Ways to Style [Product]" styling guides
2. Customer transformation/story spotlights
3. "How to Wear" seasonal lookbooks

Expected results: 3-5x higher engagement vs. video product demos

SaaS Brands:

Steal from: Monday.com, Notion, HubSpot, Shopify

Formats to test:

1. Feature breakdown slideshows
2. Customer success stories with $ metrics
3. Data visualization / benchmark content

Expected results: 5-8x higher save rates, better trial conversions

Service Businesses:

Adapt from: Any of the above

Formats to test:

1. "Before/After" client results
2. "7 Mistakes [Your Customer] Makes"
3. Process breakdowns ("How we deliver results")

Expected results: Authority positioning, higher consultation requests

B2B Brands:

Steal from: Monday.com, Shopify, HubSpot

Formats to test:

1. ROI case studies (specific numbers)
2. Industry benchmarks
3. "How [Type of Company] Uses [Your Solution]"

Expected results: Higher demo request quality, shorter sales cycles

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Implementation Roadmap

Week 1: Research & Planning

• Analyze your top 5 competitors' TikTok content
• Identify which brand examples (above) match your industry
• List 10 Photo Mode topics to test

Week 2: Content Creation

• Create 5 slideshows using winning formats
• Focus on educational value first
• Include subtle product integration

Week 3: Launch & Track

• Post 1 slideshow per day
• Track views, saves, engagement, clicks
• Note which format performs best

Week 4: Optimize & Scale

• Double down on winning format
• Create 3 more in that style
• Test slight variations

Expected timeline to results:

• Week 1-2: Baseline performance (similar to videos)
• Week 3-4: Algorithm recognizes pattern, boosts reach
• Week 5-8: Sustained higher performance, follower growth accelerates

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Tools These Brands Use

Design:

• Canva Pro (most common)
• Figma (Monday.com, Notion)
• Adobe Creative Suite (Lululemon, Gymshark)

Content Planning:

• Asana or Monday.com for editorial calendar
• Airtable for tracking performance
• Notion for content library

Automation:

• Reelbase (creates Photo Mode content in 30 seconds)
• Speeds up testing (create 10+ variations per hour)
• Try Free

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Key Takeaways

1. 7 brands across industries seeing 3-5x better results with Photo Mode vs. traditional video content

2. Common winning formats:

   • Styling guides (e-commerce)
   • Feature breakdowns (SaaS)
   • Success stories with specific numbers (B2B)
   • Educational content with subtle product integration (all)

3. Average save rates: 5.8% (vs. 0.8% for video) = stronger algorithmic distribution

4. ROI ranges from 54x to 4,714x depending on industry and average customer value

5. Educational value first, product second (80/20 ratio) performs best

6. Specific numbers in hooks ("$100K/month") outperform vague claims by 3-4x

7. Screenshot-based tutorials work better than video for SaaS/software (5-8x higher saves)

The bottom line: Brands that adapted to Photo Mode early are seeing massive competitive advantages. The window is still open—but won't last forever.

Related Guides:

• TikTok Photo Mode Algorithm Explained
• 100 Slideshow Ideas for Every Niche
• Photo Mode Best Practices

Start Creating Brand Photo Mode Content with Reelbase →