User Generated Content (UGC) is content in any form (images, videos, posts, testimonials) created by a brand’s customers that can increase brand awareness. If you haven’t heard of this term before, you’ve likely seen testimonials, reviews, and brand tags, which may have influenced your purchasing decisions.
Although you might think this is a new term in marketing, such content has been online since 2009 when Burberry encouraged its customers to post photos of themselves wearing coats from their collections at that time.
Why is user generated content a good idea for any business?
- Other users inspire more trust among potential customers
The main reason why user-generated content (UGC) is more successful is that people trust others who have already tried the product or service more than they trust advertisers. Surely, you’ve bought a product or used a service because a friend recommended it.
- UGC is authentic and original
Another reason is the authenticity of the posts since individuals tend to leave reviews or offer testimonials when they are either very satisfied or displeased with the quality of the brand.
Each piece of content is also original because each customer brings a different perspective or expresses the same things in different ways. Thus, the more reviews you read about a brand, the easier it is to build or lose trust.
- UGC builds a community
Users resonate with each other, and thus your audience builds a community. You need to ensure you maintain a good relationship with this community. People like to feel part of a community and that they have some influence, which is why they post and discuss brands they have interacted with.
- UGC is cost-effective and has immense potential
Most of the time, this content is created by unpaid customers who may have different motives, such as sharing an experience, winning a discount or prize, or connecting with like-minded people. Therefore, you won’t need to pay someone to „praise your brand.”
Moreover, UGC seems to outperform brand-created content in 2021. Ads using UGC could see an engagement increase of up to 30% compared to existing averages.
How to encourage your customers to generate this content?
Before learning how to motivate your users to „do branding” for you, you need to know your audience, understand which platform they spend the most time on, and consider what type of content they would find easy to generate for your brand.
Generally, users tend to have common behavior on each type of platform when it comes to brand-promoting, so you can consider that:
Facebook is used more frequently for sharing photos, videos, texts, etc.
- Instagram is used more for Stories, tagging products/brands, and „How to” posts.
- LinkedIn is a bit more business-oriented, and you’ll find more testimonials, news shares, or discussions on specific topics.
- YouTube is mainly used for tutorials, educational videos, or behind-the-scenes content.
Based on the information you’ve read above, you need to think about what kind of content you offer your users to encourage them to bring engagement to your brand.
- Facebook: Post those types of images/videos that could easily go viral, whether they are funny/emotional or spectacular in terms of design.
- Instagram: Be open in your posts and ask short questions. Encourage your satisfied customers to tag you and always check the content where your brand has been tagged. You can then repost it.
- LinkedIn: Since it’s a more professional platform, you can’t just re-tag client posts. Talk about the values and mission of your business, tell stories about your team, and create connections with people who believe in your business values.
The next step is to think about your objective and what you want to achieve: increased engagement and brand visibility, a higher conversion rate, or user education?
Depending on your set objective, you can also build your strategy around the type of content you will ask from your customers. For example:
- If you want to increase interaction or educate your audience, you can opt for photos and videos.
- If you want to increase the click-through rate (CTR) and the number of purchases, then you can rely on reviews and testimonials.
Here are some tricks to get UGC from your business’s customers:
- Encourage them to post photos/videos with the products. You can offer a discount to those who do this.
- Create a pleasant experience. You can offer a surprise gift with each purchase, design cute packaging, or set up an interesting decor in your physical location.
- Create a short survey about the buying experience to send to users after they’ve made a purchase.
Finally, you need to be aware that user-generated content can greatly benefit you, but it can also be a disadvantage for your business if the reactions are not the best. Therefore, make sure you offer quality products and services, maintain effective communication, and have a marketing strategy tailored to your business and target audience.