In recent years user-generated content (UGC) has become the digital ‘word-of-mouth’, making it a key ingredient in any successful marketing campaign.
Eighty-six percent of consumers believe that authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support and 60% of those people said that content is most authentic when created by consumers.
So if you’re not already creating content and utilising UGC within your marketing strategy, it’s time to get on board.
What is user-generated content?
As the name suggests, user-generated content is the content – such as images, videos, blogs, Tweets, testimonials or reviews – created by the users of your product or service. A UGC creator specialises in producing this type of content, often enhancing its authenticity and relatability.
User-generated content refers to things that can be used to help you market your business in some way. For example, it could be a photo with one of your products and a hashtag of your company name, a blog that mentions your services or a review left by a customer on your Google Business Profile.
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Benefits of UGC.
User-generated content is a popular tool to market a business or brand.. Here’s a few reasons why:
- Maintains brand authenticity: Consumers are more likely to view user-generated content as more authentic than brand-created content.
- Establishes trust: With the rise of influencer content saturating our social media feeds, sponsored posts and affiliate links have become overwhelming. As a result, nearly 90% of consumers have lost trust in influencers and are now seeking out user-generated content as a more authentic source of information.
- Brand Perception: More than 20% of consumers reported being influenced by well-written reviews when deciding on a purchase.
- Drives engagement: Social media campaigns that incorporate user-generated content get 50% more engagement.
- Cost-effective: Influencer marketing can be an expensive tool, while UGC allows you to generate personalised content without the cost.
- Increases conversions: UGC results in 29% higher conversion rates than campaigns that don’t use it.
- Showcase expertise: A compelling portfolio of UGC can attract potential clients and enhance credibility.
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How you should be using user-generated content.
1. Think of ways to encourage your customers to create content.
User-generated content (UGC) can be generated organically by your customer base, but it’s less common and can be time-consuming to find. A way to encourage its creation is to run social media campaigns with the intent of drumming up UGC. You might ask users to share an image and add a specific hashtag, or Tweet to your brand with a great idea, offering a reward or incentive.
2. Always request permission to post and credit the creator.
Before using a customer’s content, you must always get consent to repost what they have created. It will make them feel great to see you appreciate their content and will avoid any potential risk of issues regarding copyright.
Once you have the permission of the original creator, ensure you credit them within your post. This could be a tag in the post itself and reference to whether the image, video or text was created by them. Crediting the original creator not only shows appreciation but also helps in building their reputation as a successful UGC creator.
3. Put social listening practices in place.
Staying in the loop with what your customers are saying about you is key to leveraging UGC for your business’ social media strategy. Scanning social media, however, for customer-created content can be time consuming, particularly if you’re operating across multiple platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube. Engaging with the UGC creator community can also provide valuable insights and opportunities for collaboration.
Here’s some time-savvy ways to efficiently collect UGC:
- Set up Google Alerts: Google Alerts is a free tool that monitors the web for phrases you choose, such as your business name, industry, or location. Whenever your chosen phrase is mentioned online, you’ll receive an email notification. This helps you stay informed about online conversations related to your business, like blog mentions or positive reviews, which you can repurpose as your own content.
- Turn on tagged notifications: Ensure your notifications are enabled for tagged content from users you don’t follow on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. This ensures you won’t miss any posts, comments, or stories where your business is mentioned.
- Use TweetDeck: TweetDeck is a free tool that lets you monitor what people are saying about your brand on Twitter, even if they don’t tag your handle. By setting up a custom stream with specific phrases, you can keep track of relevant mentions.
- Try social listening tools: Consider testing tools like HootSuite or Buzzsumo, which offer free 30-day trials. These paid tools provide similar functionality to TweetDeck but across all social media platforms, making it easy to find and leverage UGC for your social media strategy.
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Examples of successful user-generated content.
No matter what size of business, brands utilise user-generated content to increase brand awareness, drive conversions and boost engagement in a cost-effective way.
Successful UGC creators often leverage these strategies to enhance their social media presence and drive engagement. Get inspired with these examples.
1. Images.
UGC content creators often excel in producing visually appealing images that resonate with audiences. Minbie, an Australian baby product brand, repackages pictures that mums share of their babies enjoying Minbie products online and reposts them to their social feed. What’s great about Minbie’s posts is that they create excitement around receiving customer images, encouraging users to take content and share it with the chance to ‘get featured’ on their Instagram profile.
2. Videos.
The authentic nature of a UGC video can significantly enhance viewer engagement and trust. Everyday Salon is a Melbourne-based hairdresser that reposts videos created by their customers to their Instagram feed. The video shared by one customer gives an insight into the best bits of going to visit this particular salon, selling the overall experience as a ‘pick me up’. This content works as a ‘free’ form of advertising, encouraging other followers to get their hair done too.
3. Reviews.
Reviews are a crucial aspect of UGC creation, providing authentic feedback that can influence potential customers. ABCO Plumbing is a plumbing service in New South Wales that shares top reviews written by customers in the form of a social media post. Reviews work to build trust with your following due to the expectation that if another customer was happy with the results, you will likely be happy too. Reviews are also a great opportunity to shout about the work you are doing and how well it is being received – straight from the customer’s mouth.
Time to get started?
User-generated content can demonstrate the capability of your product or service to potential customers, boost awareness, and increase social proof during the purchase journey. By leveraging UGC across various social media platforms, you can maximise your reach and customer engagement.
Get in touch with Yellow Pages’ team of experts to set up strategic Social Ads campaigns to reach new audiences and drive growth for your business.
