The importance of user-generated content in social media
The importance of user-generated content in social media
User-generated content in social media is on the rise. The chances are, you’ve seen this type of content in your social newsfeeds and across the internet without realising it. Let’s run you through what it is and why it’s important to your social media strategy.
What is user-generated content (UGC)?
User-generated content (UGC) is any form of social media content that’s created by users and shared on the brands platforms. The brand post this content on their own social media channels as a customer review of the product/service. Another term is user-created content.
User-generated content in social media can be images, text, video, or audio across many forms –
- Live streams of people using your product
- Testimonials and reviews
- Transformation reels (such as outfits or make-up)
- Product unboxing videos on YouTube and TikTok
- Blog posts with their thoughts
The idea is not new – think how long you’ve been able to edit Wikipedia pages or comment on news articles for. Audience participation has been used in marketing for many years now to encourage people wanting to join in on trends.
With the rise in social media marketing, UGC has become even more popular and accessible. It puts real people front-and-centre of the content and grows your word-of-mouth reputation.
Build credibility with authentic social media content
Adding user-generated content in social media strategies is a great way to add authenticity to your brand.
Why is authenticity important?
Recent studies show 90% of consumers say authenticity is a key factor in their buying decision. This statistic is at an all-time high. The same study also finds consumers are 2.4 times more likely to see UGC as authentic.
Using user-generated content in social media will develop a strong sense of trust and credibility, forming better client relationships and loyalty. After all, people buy from people. If you see your friends talking about how great something is, you’re more likely to buy it.
How is UGC different from influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is a cash transaction. For an agreed sum, they will create a social media post promoting your products/services to their audience. Influencers have a large following. The number of followers to be considered an influencer is constantly changing for each platform.
With user-generated content, the items may be gifted but often no money is exchanged. It’s also for people with lower followers. UGC can be made by anyone who can use social media platforms to record and edit content. So, if you’re able to make an Instagram reel or a TikTok, you’re able to create UGC!
User-generated content in social media takes up hardly any of your much-needed marketing budget. It’s a cost-effective way to get your brand in front of a bigger audience.
What makes good UGC?
Good UGC will be created by people who fall within your target market. You need people to relate to that user in the video or photo. If they can see themselves in the content, they will be curious to take the next step in your customer journey.
If it’s an unrelatable piece of content they can’t connect with, they will keep scrolling without a second thought.
You don’t want your user-generated content in social media posts to come across as fake. Using real people who are going about their everyday lives will work most successfully.
How do brands apply user-generated content in social media strategies?
There are many ways you can build user-generated content into your social media strategy. When you’re creating your social media calendar, you can add in a focus on gaining UGC. The way you approach this will depend on your business, but let’s look at a few ideas…
UGC for new brands
Reviews are hard to get from customers. To get a catchy, well-structured review that improves your brand image is even harder, especially as a new company.
UGC can help newly formed companies to quickly add an element of social proof and credibility. For example, if you’re launching a new brand that has no pre-existing customer reviews, UGC can be a great choice. You can get a better time and cost return than most other marketing strategies.
Grow a community with UGC
Open an honest conversation line with your customers through user-generated content in social media posts. By sending your target audience products to try and share their experiences, you’re able to get instant feedback from your potential customers.
Even if you’re giving away products for free, it can give you key insight to what your audience thinks. In any marketing, this is gold dust for your messaging.
Encourage user-generated content with prizes or competitions
A great way to encourage people to create UGC is to launch a challenge or competition. It could be a prize-draw to win a certain item of your range or picking a winner of someone who responds to your challenge. Either way, you will create a buzz around your brand and be seen in front of many more people.
You can also create a custom hashtag for the campaign to boost the campaign and give users a place to easily see other people’s posts. Here’s everything you need to know about hashtags for social media.
One thing to remember is when you’re asking for your users and audience to take time out of their day to create UGC, you need to respond. There needs to be an open dialogue between your brand and the users posting content, else it will be one-sided, and people will no longer see the benefit in taking part.
How do I get started with UGC?
Anyone can benefit from UGC to promote their brand. Here at The Thinking Cap, one of our clients was struggling to gain compelling social proof for their social media content. For a new consumer audience (as they sold previously to trade-only) in a competitive field, UGC was a great approach.
If you need help with your social media content strategy, we can help. Our LINGO course is perfect for people who need to brush up their skills on generating business through LinkedIn. Get in touch for help finding people to create user-generated content in social media posts for your brand.
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I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post.
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