When you consider that 86% of millennials say that UGC is a good indicator of the quality of a brand, it becomes clear why businesses are investing more time and money into getting user generated content that makes their brand shine.
So should your business be gathering more UGC for your campaigns? Read on to discover the top 3 benefits of user generated content.
What is user generated content?
User generated content, or UGC, is any form of content generated by consumers for a brand.
This can come in many forms – images, videos, social media posts, reviews, or testimonials.
An example of this is when Coca Cola released their personalised Coke bottles and started their ‘Share a Coke’ campaign. Buyers were asked to share photos of themselves enjoying their personalised bottle online. The marketing strategy was a huge success.
Read Tools to help generate engaging content ideas
What are the benefits?
UGC can be a huge asset to your business if used properly. With digital forums, comments sections on blogs, and the ability to publish content for free, UGC is at an all-time high. But what exactly are the benefits?
Consumers trust UGC more
2020 has seen a change in the way average consumers shop. No longer are they convinced with pushy sales gimmicks. Now buyers crave a connection with other followers. More importantly, they want to know that real people are behind the products they buy.
This is why user-generated content is considered more authentic and trustworthy than company-generated marketing. Think of it as a digital referral or online word-of-mouth.
And when you consider that 92% of people are more likely to trust a recommendation from another person over branded content, it’s easy to see why UGC is so important.
It creates a sense of community
Every business owner wants to build a large company. But that can isolate your buyers, and create a ‘us versus them’ mentality.
If you do have a bigger business, UGC will help you create a strong sense of community amongst your followers.
According to marketers, the four things that encourage people to feel like a part of a community are:
- Membership
- Influence
- Integration and fulfilment of needs
- Shared emotional connection
By commenting on, posting and reviewing your content, your followers will feel like they have influence over your brand. And they can have an emotional connection with other consumers via discussions and private groups.
UGC is cost-effective
You don’t need to pay for an expensive marketing team to create UGC for you. Your followers and fans will do that for you – for free.
People will create this content for you for several reasons, but mostly to:
- Share their experience
- Win a promotion or prize
- Build a connection with like-minded people
Often this content performs far better than something created by yourself or a marketer. So you can feel safe in the knowledge that you haven’t wasted your budget on content that may or may not perform well.
UGC ideas
Here are some ideas to start gathering user generated content from your followers for your social media channels:
- Encourage people to post photos of themselves using your product to receive a free gift or discount off their next purchase. Other brands can join in as well – business owners are often happy to tag your product in their posts as it generates more exposure for their own company.
- Run a photo competition. Encourage your visitors to upload photos of them at your establishment and give a prize to the winner.
- Encourage your followers to post photos in the comments section of your post.
- Offer 10% off the bill if a customer checks in at your bar, restaurant or store.
Social media is a great platform to have a two-way conversation with your potential customers. So get chatting – you’ll learn a lot about your customers’ needs, frustrations, fears and desires (which is great information to have for future marketing campaigns.)
Focus SME’s vision is to help B2B and service-based businesses grow their business effectively through social media marketing. If you would like to find out more about our services, we’d be delighted to speak with you. Contact us here to get started.