Content marketing is the crux of digital marketing. There is no doubt that publishing good content will help brands grow their business. And there are multiple types and forms of content possible to reap the benefits of it. From simple blogs to podcasts, there are multiple ways you can convey your brand message to your target audience. It need not be always the content that is developed by brands. Content generated by the users can give the best benefits to brands. There is a lot of discussion around user-generated content these days. Let us understand user-generated content in detail and the best tips and strategies to make the most out of it.
What is User-Generated Content?
In general terms, user-generated content is any content that is created by users rather than brands themselves. To be precise, user-generated content is original content published by users about a brand. It includes images, videos, reviews, podcasts, and more. It is other ways referred to as user-generated content or consumer-generated content. User-generated content may be created by customers, brand loyalists, reviewers, etc.
Given the popularity of user-generated content, there is a group of content creators called UGC creators as well. They create paid content that appears authentic but promotes a product or service. Brands can hire them to create UGC content.
How Does User-Generated Content Add Value To Your Business?
User-generated content is becoming more popular than ever with the growth of social media marketing platforms. Listed below are some of the reasons why user-generated content is advantageous for brands.
- Builds authenticity – In the current competitive marketing scenario, brands that can create an authentic image are more likely to succeed. When users review products or services, your target customers will get affirmation for it which influences their buying decision. When real people share their experiences or emotions about the product, people will more likely trust them.
- Cost–effective marketing – UGC opens a great opportunity for businesses with a limited budget for marketing. They can promote user-generated content about their products or services through social media channels. It will largely help to grab the attention of people who are interested in the brand’s product offerings without spending thousands of dollars.
- Improve brand loyalty – User-generated content helps to initiate conversations between the brand and the customers. It promotes interaction between both parties leading to an improved engagement rate. When customers are encouraged to be a part of the brand’s growth journey, they will stay loyal to the brand. Moreover, sharing user content deepens the relationship between the brand and the consumer.
- Boost sales – User-generated content has a positive impact when prospective buyers make a purchase decision. In other words, user-generated content works as social proof for people who are interested to buy the product. Adding user-generated content to your marketing strategy wisely will ultimately lead to better sales and grow your business.
Different Types of User-Generated Content
Unboxing videos
People like to watch unboxing videos as there is a curiosity element in it. It is one of the common types of user-generated content which helps the brand to raise awareness. It can be done as curated videos or even through the live-streaming feature.
Campaign hashtags
Hashtags prompt users to create content on a specific topic or idea that the brand is associated with. You can come up with creative hashtags and ask your followers to upload content related to it.
How-to videos
How-to videos tell your followers how to use a specific product. You can hire influencers to do how-to videos or encourage your users to come up with such videos. It is a great way to improve the authenticity of your brand when customers put videos on product usage.
Reviews & testimonials
Unpaid customer reviews and testimonials from your users come under the category of user-generated content. It need not have to be videos all the time but may include quotes, brand mentions, tweets, tags, etc. from your customers.
Tips For Making The Most Out of User-Generated Content
There are multiple ways that you can improve the effectiveness of user-generated content. While you develop the content marketing strategy, you can come up with a plan to amplify valuable content developed by users as well. Here are a few tips to make the most out of user-generated content.
Repost and Reshare
It doesn’t take much effort to repost or reshare good customer-generated content on social media. All it takes is a single click to add the content to your feeds or Stories. Instead of sharing it just like that, you can thank the creator, add a funny emoji, or even use the content to prompt further conversations around the brand.
Share it on Other Platforms
You can use the in-app sharing tools to post the content on other social media platforms and improve visibility. However, you may not be able to edit the images or videos without permission. When you share posts organically on other platforms, you can thank the creator for tagging your brand or posting content related to your brand. Additionally, you can add a link to the purchase page or product description if required.
Promote UGC Content
When you get valuable user-generated that can give good outcomes, you can repurpose them as ads. For example, if a UGC post is giving you a good engagement rate, you can think of boosting it and maximizing its impact. Before boosting the content, make sure you have permission from the creator to use it.
Work With A Strategy
It is good if your users create content that positively impacts your brand. To make it work the way you want, you can develop a guideline or strategy for UGC as well. Also, you can prompt the customers to create content that aligns with your specific social media goals.
Call Us Today!
Wondering how to amplify the effect of UGC? Leave the task to the experts at Fresh Content Society. We develop, execute, and monitor content marketing strategy and help you achieve your social media goals. Get in touch with us for further information.
