User-generated content (aka UGC or consumer-generated content) can be an extremely powerful marketing tactic. UGC is often considered one of the most trustworthy forms of content available, so it’s no wonder brands are eager to incorporate it into their marketing strategies.
UGC – any form of brand-specific content that has been created by users – is typically posted on social media, review sites or online forums. It offers a reliable and unbiased view of a product or service, with 92% (Nielsen) of consumers saying they trust it over any other form of advertising. It can also be an extremely cost-effective way to maximise reach and strengthen brand-consumer relationships.
So, how exactly do you get consumers (or employees) creating content on your brand’s behalf? Here’s how your brand can leverage UGC:
Set Clear Goals
Before you embark on your UGC journey, be clear about what you want to achieve and where you want to achieve it. Ask yourself where your desired advocates spend their time online, and how best to engage with them. If your target audience uses Instagram, reposting their Stories and using a brand-specific hashtag can help to build a sense of community. Whereas TikTok is full of UGC and is a great place to connect with brand enthusiasts.
When including UGC in your content strategy, it’s important to think about your goals. Word-of-mouth marketing can free up valuable content creation time, and spark new ideas and conversations. It can also educate your consumers, by using advocates to answer frequent questions about your brand, and boost sales via unboxing videos and channel takeovers. To be credible, UGC should be collaborative – sometimes all it takes is a simple Retweet. Don’t be afraid to determine the type of content you’re after either by encouraging your audience to interact with campaign-specific hashtags and social media contests.
Be Transparent to Build Trust
Who remembers the Fyre Festival saga? Consumers spent thousands of dollars on tickets to what they thought was going to be an immersive, luxury festival on a private island in the Bahamas…which turned out to be grotty tents in a field with no food or electricity. It’s no wonder 96% (Inc.) of consumers don’t trust advertising.
People trust people and product reviews are now an integral part of the online shopping experience. By asking your consumers to leave you an honest review, not only will your consumers feel like their voices are being heard but your brand will appear authentic. Incentivising reviews provides the opportunity to increase engagement, while negative reviews enable you to address pain points and areas of improvement, but both will grow brand loyalty. Being accessible and genuine is crucial, so admit to mistakes when your brand makes them and implement changes based on consumer feedback. In turn, you’ll quickly build a following who are naturally enthusiastic to shout about you on social.
Promote Your Brand’s Values
Effective UGC doesn’t always have to include your product. With 70% of respondents saying they buy from brands they believe reflect their own principles (Ipsos), promoting your brand’s ethos can be an equally strong move. Take Burt’s Bees as an example who pride themselves on caring for the planet and our bodies, using responsibly sourced and natural products. Their #SelflessSelfie campaign not only produced a heap of UGC but it also donated 5,000 wildflowers for every selfie posted. It showed that Burt’s have stayed true to their founding philosophy despite their huge success.
Employees can play a key role in promoting your brand’s principles too. When they upload UGC, they tell the story behind your brand – images of happy employees indicate they’re well respected and valued. Whether it’s a video of them serving a customer, packing an order, or a testimony of why they love working for you, this behind-the-scenes content can really help to establish a positive brand identity.
What Not to Do
Now we’ve covered the do’s of UGC, what about the don’ts? As UGC is all about building trust, before you post someone else’s content, always ask for their permission. Just because they’ve posted publicly on one platform, it doesn’t automatically mean they want their content shared across every possible channel. Establish an agreement on where they are happy for the content to appear, and how frequently you intend to use it.
Ensure you credit the creator too – it’s frankly immoral to try and pass off someone else’s work as your own and audiences are quick to call out this behaviour. Giving proper credit will portray your brand as honest, while inspiring others to upload their own UGC. In a world of fake news, data breaches and privacy concerns, being truthful is key to success.
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