is User-Generated Content? And How Can You Use It? //

Do you want people to spend more on your product? Research shows that you should promote your product with user-generated content. User-generated content has the potential to impact key performance metrics, both positively and negatively. It is essential to learn how to earn it and how to use it properly.

Let’s take a look at some examples and best practices from top brands.

Understanding and importance of UGC

UGC is a term used in marketing to describe content that has been created by someone other than an official representative of your company. This could be a review, social media update or podcast. It’s user-generated content if the content is related to your brand and was not created by your employees or affiliates.

Why is user-generated content so powerful?

Marketers and advertisers are, inherently, untrustworthy. Marketers and advertisers are often seen as untrustworthy when presenting products and services in their best light. We may remove details or alter images to influence consumer buying decisions.

You can make fast food more appealing by doing this:

93% of marketers believe that customers trust more content than brands. According to the State of UGC 2023 report People trust people.

Marketers need to include UGC in every step of their customer journey. Not just on the product page. Here are some examples of brands who have successfully used UGC.

Examples of UGC

Examples of UGC Samba

UGC can be effective throughout the customer journey. However, it is most effective on your main website. Samba bedding has user videos that show customers how better sleep (thanks for Samba) can make a difference in their lives.

Warby Parker’s #warbyhometryon

Warby Parker offers five pairs of glasses that customers can try at home before they buy eyewear online. Customers can keep the pair/pairs that they like, then pay online for them and return the rest.

Warby Parker asks customers to take photos of themselves before they purchase. There have been 23,934 Instagram posts to date, featuring people searching for advice and sharing their opinions on Warby Parker frames.

GoPro YouTube Channel

GoPro was instrumental in launching the UGC movement several years ago by incorporating customer content into their marketing strategy. It was estimated that 6 000 GoPro videos were uploaded daily to YouTube in 2013.

A YouTube search for “GoPro”, yields 40,000,000 results today. With more than 10 million subscribers, the brand is one YouTube’s most-loved channels.

Virgin American Airlines now offers a channel dedicated to the UGC pioneer. You can see world-class skiers and base jumpers as they descend mountains. Pelicans learn how to fly.

This content is so funny, you will forget that you are watching a continuous advertisement for GoPro.

T-Mobile break-up letters

T-Mobile asked frustrated cell phone users to send “break-up letters” explaining why they were leaving their current provider. T-Mobile would then pay for the cost of switching to their new carrier.

Users submitted their letters through a branded app and many shared them to social media.

More than 113,000 letters have been, and the campaign has received more than 67,000,000 social impressions.

Lululemon Sweat Collective

It is not easy to order activewear online. Lululemon activewear wearers will find it difficult to order clothing online.

Sweat Collective encourages customers to post photos of themselves doing something while wearing the brand’s gear.

• Represents the company’s motto of “sweat once a day”, inspiring internet users to exercise.
• This showcases the product in various positions.

How to include different types of UGC in your marketing

It is essential to plan how you will collect and use UGC. 86% claim to have tried to integrate UGC in their marketing campaigns. However, only 27% of marketers say they had a strategy.

Before you launch your UGC campaign, there are a few things that you will need to know.

Determine the ultimate goal of your UGC campaign

The impact of UGC on your business depends on the type of data you collect and how you use it. A hashtag campaign such as #TravelForReal by Loews Hotels on Instagram can increase brand awareness and create buzz about your product.

A campaign asking for customer reviews like this one from Amazon can help you gain the social proof that you need to increase website conversions.

UGC campaigns are designed to help customers make informed buying decisions. Instagram is not just for pretty photos. GoPro’s YouTube channel, for example, clearly shows all the ways that the product can be used. T-Mobile’s break-up letter outlines all the reasons to drop your current carrier.

Before you create hashtags or call for content, make sure you understand what you want from your UGC.

Set up a system for collecting UGC

T-Mobile had received more than 100,000 letters of dissolution by the end its campaign. The company needed a system for collecting and organizing it all to make them useful.

T-Mobile’s marketing department decided to use a branded application that was integrated with Facebook before they started their campaign.

Many companies use a simple hashtag to collect data. It can be difficult to collect UGC via social media using a branded hashtag, as it can be more difficult to get ownership rights over posts and photos. Companies can collect UGC through an app or portal to ensure that the content is legal and suitable for official advertising campaigns.

Clearly define what you want and offer what you are willing to provide.

GoPro is one example of a company that encourages UGC. This content is integrated into the product design.

For most brands, however, earning user-generated material requires an offer in return. You should clearly communicate the rules to your audience and offer a reward proportional for the work involved in collecting UGC.

Talk to legal professionals

From a legal perspective, running a UGC campaign can be complicated. The rules surrounding giveaways can be complex depending on where you are located and the medium used to collect them. You also have rights to any content created by your users. Before using UGC in marketing, you should consult legal professionals.

Don’t learn from the negative UGC. Instead, show your positive side.

UGC gives consumers an authentic buying experience. However, at the end, you are still a marketer. If they have the opportunity to learn from it, criticizing your brand, product or service can be shared with their internal teams.

You should carefully monitor your submissions and select the most valuable UCG for your company’s marketing campaigns.

Get started with UGC

It takes more than just a hashtag to collect valuable user-generated content. Good UGC can add value to a brand. UGC can help people see the potential of a product or service, increase awareness and promote social proof during the purchase process.

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Author: Ted Vrountas