One of the most powerful tools marketers can tap into is user-generated content or UGC. Not only does UGC help brands connect more with their audience, but it’s practically free!
Whether your business is selling a service or product, UGC can help improve brand image in a sustainable manner. For this reason, it can be used to scale up marketing efforts faster.
As such, both big and small business owners can use UGC to boost engagement at unprecedented rates. That said, let’s get more in-depth on what user-generated content is.
User-generated content comes in several forms. The most common ones are product reviews from previous buyers, content creators, and other influencers.
Another popular form of UGC is found on social media posts. Users can upload photos or videos of a product or create content around it.
Some might use it in a Tiktok dance challenge while others can post a product next to their cute pets. The possibilities for UGC’s use cases are endless!
All that’s left for marketers is to curate the content to post on their social media accounts. But where can you actually find UGCs?
User-generated content is an effective tool for marketers as it can be found practically anywhere. But the most prevalent source for UGC is social media.
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all prime sources of UGC as users of these platforms can post photos, videos, use hashtags, and post reviews. Meanwhile, a more direct approach would be reaching out to customers through surveys, polls, giveaways, and more.
Here are some more areas you can look into to find user-generated content:
But curating photos from customers means that sometimes, you have to cleanup pictures to make them presentable or fit a certain brand aesthetic.
User-generated content resonates more with your audience as it’s seen as organic. According to research, 92% of respondents in a survey trust recommendations by friends and family the most.
Because it’s seen as organic, UGC delivers honesty, reality, and confidence to your audience. In addition, unsure online shoppers are most likely to look for reviews from previous customers before buying.
With this in mind, here are the reasons why businesses should incorporate UGC on social media to their marketing campaigns:
Social media UGC shows prospects the actual product. That’s why a pleased customer’s positive feedback creates trustworthiness and a cause to purchase. In turn, this creates additional conversions.
There are many user-generated photos at your disposal. Examine all of the comments and shares on social media and pull out the ones that are most relevant to your brand. Use them as a basis for creating campaigns or hashtags on social media.
Responding to consumer feedback shows that you value communication and are prepared to engage with them regardless of their opinion of your goods. In turn, this increases credibility and fosters trust.
What’s more, this is quite exciting for the brand’s most devoted followers and purchasers, who would never pass up a chance to communicate with the company itself.
Consumers are increasingly favoring user-generated content or “online word-of-mouth” over producer-generated content (PGC), which traditionally relied on paid endorsers and celebrities to extol the virtues and benefits of a product’s advertising.
By writing about your company, people share how your product has improved their lives. People will often provide brilliant, original ways to put your product to use that you never thought about. In turn, those can become excellent marketing strategies businesses can implement immediately.
The utilization of user-generated content allows you to see the actions of your followers. The data will show you how to enhance your brand’s marketing efforts by focusing on what performs best.
According to a study on User Generated Content on Product Review, customers use UGC to look for its perceived usefulness, credibility, and risk. These factors then culminate into a customer’s attitude toward a product and eventually their intention to purchase.
When used correctly, user-generated content is among the most cost-efficient and sustainable forms of content marketing on social media.It provides prospects with social proof, authentic and organic insight, and real-life use cases.
In addition, it helps boost revenue, conversions, engagement, and more importantly, helps brands connect with their audience at a personal level.
But before using UGC in your next social media campaign, consider the following:
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