In a world full of e-commerce and online services, what is the first thing we check out before making a buying decision? Reviews, feedback, or social media to find real-life pictures and experiences. That’s right! Most of us trust real-life users’ claims about products or services rather than blindly trusting any brand. That is the power of User-generated content.
USG is one of the most effective ways in today’s digital market to win over customers and build trust. It’s simple, efficient, and cost-effective. Content created by your customers, fans, or users showcases their experience with your brand. Leveraging UGC for marketing not only builds trust but also creates an authentic connection with your audience.
The best thing about UGC is that it is free of cost and people trust other users more. Every business needs people’s trust in its products when building a brand. Additionally, as the brand is introduced in the market, user-generated content will flood. People love to express themselves, especially on social platforms. Simply put, UGC can provide real publicity without spending tons of money, making it the best marketing strategy.
However, utilizing UGC is not as simple as it looks. So, we have come up with this comprehensive guide on how to make the most of user-generated content to amplify your marketing efforts.
Understanding What is User Generated Content and Its Types
User-generated content is any form of content created by users after using or trying out any brand and posting their experience online. This content is self-made without any influence or paid partnership from any brand. Users create a variety of content including social media posts, online reviews, photos, videos, testimonials, and blog articles to post online. Today users are not restricted to basic posts. Many users also post unboxing videos, how-to guides, live streams, and so on to share authentic experiences about a product or service.
Diverse content on digital platforms creates an authentic user experience and is a reliable source of brand information, product/service quality, and authenticity. That is why user-generated content serves as a powerful asset to attract more attention to the brand, build trust among other customers, and foster genuine engagement.
Type of User-Generated Content
User-generated content comes in all forms. Customers feature brands on digital platforms in multiple ways. Some of the most used UGC online are:
- Customer feedback and testimonials
- Photo post with using the brand products
- Videos of using or unboxing any product
- Blogs or personal experience stories
- Comments on posts or reels
- Instagram stories with hashtags
- Tutorials or podcasts with brand products
How to Levrage UGC for Marketing
Using USG is not about re-posting posts or putting up client testimonials on the social page. It’s a more daunting task that requires planning and strategy to get the desired results. Utilizing UGC is about weaving the content into your social media strategy to make it look authentic and relatable. Here are some ways by which you can leverage UGC into brand marketing.
Encourage and Collect UGC
The first and foremost step towards utilizing UGC is to encourage the audience to create and post. Brands can use multiple strategies to encourage users to share experiences on social media.
Brands can create branded hashtags, online contests, Q&A sessions, run discounts, and many more strategies to collect user-generated content. For instance, clothing brands like Zara or H&M encourage users to post with #zarafashion online to increase their brand reach. Similarly, brands like Coca-Cola created a ShareACoke campaign and asked users to use the hashtag to curate UGC.
Additionally, businesses can create special discounts, and run contests or challenges to get more UGC where users can share content related to the brand and the best post wins a special prize or discount. These contests are fun to participate in and a great way to collect relevant content.
Other than hashtags and challenges, businesses can send emails or DMs asking for user reviews and product feedback. The feedback can be highlighted on social media channels or websites.
Curate and Showcase UGC Effectively
The next step in using UGC for marketing and promotion is to create relevant materials for the website, social media, and other marketing campaigns. The only way UGC is useful is when you showcase it to get the maximum effect.
The simplest way is to repost user-generated photos, videos, and stories on your brand’s social media accounts and give credit to the actual creator. This way, the brand gets more publicity and the customers also get recognition.
Many brands post real customer pictures on the product page to display the real image of their products. Brands can also add real feedback photos and videos in product reviews to showcase fully authentic products.
Other ways to show UGC are to create galleries of real posts on the website, use them in email marketing campaigns, add to social media testimonial posts, post WhatsApp stories of customer reviews, or add images on the product page in ecommerce websites.
Engage and Acknowledge Your Contributors
Encouraging and reposting content is one thing but every customer wants recognition from the brand now and then. UGC is a two-way street so it’s vital to keep your audience engaged whenever they create content relevant to your brand. Respond to comments, share their posts, and thank them for their contributions.
By keeping up the engagement, you not only recognize their efforts but build a sense of community and a positive relationship to create a bond of trust. Consider collaborating with your most loyal customers or fans to co-create content. This could include interviews, guest blog posts, or exclusive behind-the-scenes features.
Integrate UGC into Content flow-Positive and Negative
While UGC is effective and freely available, that doesn’t mean it can be posted anytime anywhere. Integrate UGC into everyday content flows to make it look natural. It should look like a part of your brand story and be incorporated organically. Some brands prefer sharing user reviews and posts on specific weekdays or creating a campaign to feature the top content creators of the week.
One important thing to remember is that while adding UGC to content flow, feature every story- good and bad. You can always use negative comments and turn them into positive things by showcasing how you can improve, or how much attention you pay to every user’s feedback. A negative review shown in a positive light can have a tremendous impact and make you look more authentic than hundreds of positive ones.
Stay Authentic and Transparent
While leveraging UGC, it’s important to maintain authenticity and transparency. Although user-generated content is free, brands need to ensure that they ask permission or declare beforehand about their policies. Always seek permission before using someone’s content and give proper credit to the original creators. Misusing UGC or failing to acknowledge contributors can damage the brand’s reputation.
Additionally, while posting user-generated content as part of brand promotion avoid over-editing, undesired improvement in color or backgrounds, and keep it as original as possible to keep its genuine appeal. Audiences value authenticity, and overly polished content might come across as insincere.
Why Using User-Generated Content is Good?
Real user-generated content holds more credibility than any other polished high-profile content creation. According to a study by Nielsen, 92% of consumers on digital platforms trust organic user-generated content more than any other form of advertising. When you showcase real-life examples to potential customers, they can relate to your products and fall in love with your brand for being authentic.
Additionally, UGC can also boost engagement rates on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Organic UGC on these platforms appeals wider audience, organically creating a strong social proof for your brand, driving conversions, and fostering a sense of community.
Conclusion: Add the power of UGC in Marketing
UGC is a powerful tool for building trust, fostering engagement, and driving conversions. But it is not a one-time thing, it is an ongoing process. It should be a part of your content flow in a way that looks authentic and showcases your brand image. It should enable your brand to foster connections with potential customers and enable you to establish credibility.
Make UGC a part of your digital marketing strategy with LgoDigital and watch your engagement soar to new heights. Encouraging your audience to share their experiences, curating their content effectively, and engaging with your community to create a thriving ecosystem of brand advocates.
As you integrate UGC into your marketing strategy, remember to stay authentic, give credit where it’s due, and continuously analyze your efforts to optimize results.
