A strong online presence is key to a successful business, in our data-filled digital world momentum matters more than ever. Using User-Generated Content (UGC) on social media is one of the best ways to achieve this. Sharing organic user-generated content not only promotes trust and interaction but also helps you increase your reach without spending a single cent. Here in this content, we will be finding the answers to why & how to share user-generated content.
User-Generated Content — What Is It? 🌟
But before we go into the how-to, let us break down what user-generated content is. In general, UGC is any content (text, videos, photos etc.), that is created and shared by non-paid contributors most often your customers or fans. This content can be hugely effective at converting new customers simply because it is not faceless branded content.
Advantages to Share User-Generated Content for Your Online Store 🌍
Establish trust and build credibility: 92% of consumers think that user-generated content is more trustworthy than traditional advertising — Nielsen.
Low Cost Marketing: UGC is generated by your users so it cost less when generating content for your business.
More Engagement: Content distributed by actual accounts gets more engagement, like and comments.
SEO benefits: Putting UGC on your site can improve your SEO, making it more appealing to search engines.
How UGC is a New Game Changer for Online Start…
How UGC is a New Game Changer for Online Start…As Gary Vaynerchuk has rightly pointed out “Your customer’s opinion on your brand matters more than ever” (Read More). Authentic reviews, testimonials and visual content created by real users can take a new business to the next level.
Data-Driven Insights on UGC
Consumers find UGC 5X more influential than brand content (source) — Crowdtangle Analysis
Peer reviews and recommendations are trusted by 70% of consumers more than professional content and copy (source).
How to Build Your UGC Strategy Step By Step
1. Goals & Audience🎯
You should define your goals before sharing user-generated content Do you want to build brand, create more leads, or boost sales? Equally important is being able to identify who your target audience is. Who you are trying to reach will have a significant effect on the UGC you select and repurpose.
2. **Customer-Generated Content ** 📝 (Wrap Up More Customer & Shop Clean)
2. **Customer-Generated Content ** 📝 (Wrap Up More Customer & Shop Clean)Now you need to push your customers for user-generated content. These are some powerful ways to do this:
Host Contests and Challenges: Have your followers enter into contests that involve creating content to share about your product.
Hashtags: Comes up with your own unique hashtag and ask the customers to use it when sharing their content.
Provide some kind of incentive: offer discounts, freebies or the like to customers with the best creations.
From “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Dr. Robert Cialdini as written in (source) “People prefer to act if they are paid off for it”.
3. Create a selection 📸
NOPE Some user-generated content is not up to the standard of your brand. It is important to use selective content that matches with your brand’s values and imagery. Search out professional photography, engaging storytelling and authentic feedback.
4. Ask Permission + Credit Where You Got it From
Ask Right Politely before Sharing UGC Not only is this respectful of the creators’ copyright, but it’s also good karma. If you’re sharing, be sure to tag or post the complete handle of the original content creator.
5. Post it to Other Platforms 📲
5. Post it to Other Platforms 📲Distribute Curated Content on Different Social Media Platforms to Extend Maximum Reach Optimization methods may vary a little differently for each platform:
Instagram: great for imagery, images and short video clips. Behind-the-scenes looks with Stories, and quick engaging videos on Reels.
Facebook: Longer posts and customer testimonials. Improve real time by utilizing Facebook Live.
Quick updates, retweets of your customers and participate in relevant Twitter chats.
LinkedIn (B2B content): Professional testimonial, and case study.
6. Measure and Analyze Your Results 📊
Keep an eye on the effectiveness of your UGC initiatives by measuring indicators such as engagement rates, reach, and the number of additional followers or customers you have secured. Simply track your progress with Google Analytics, social media insights and other UGC-specific platforms.
NEW ANGLE: BLENDING UGC + INFLUENCER MARKETING
If you include both user-generated content and influencer marketing into your mix, well, burn the building down because you are reaching outer space. Jointly endorsing with the prostituting person ( stirring his/her INFLUENCE ) of sumilar likes, and interest. Nobody can say it better than Seth Godin in his book “Tribes” when he claims that “People want to be part of something bigger than themselves”(source). Influencers can feed into this sense of community your fans have around your brand.
Dispelling Common UGC Miunderstandings
One of the biggest reasons businesses are at a standstill with UGC is that they do not want to compromise brand and quality factors. Yet, as demonstrated through the success of brands such as GoPro & Starbucks, capitalizing on the authenticity and diversity present in UGC can lead to a more genuine brand portrayal that has not only remained popular but also trusted.
What to Expect of User-Generated Content in the Years to Come
What to Expect of User-Generated Content in the Years to ComeThe way that UGC is used will also transition as social media platforms evolve. Emerging trends include:
As more and more brands adopt such technologies, we see products like IKEA inviting customers to share their experiences of viewing products in AR.
Interactive Content: Asking users to take quizzes, poll or share their views using interactive- form of content such as infographics and well-crafted stories.
Video: Over the last year, we saw video become more popular with platforms like TikTok (very short, authentic and engaging) growing rapidly.
Real-World Example: Lush.
For a company in the beauty niches, it is almost impossible not to embrace user-generated content when promoting their goods evidenced by Lush Cosmetics who were able to use UGC effectively in promoting their ethical beauty products. They encourage their customers to share real-life experiences with their products by encouraging the hashtag #LushLife which not only created a great online community but also increased Loyal Following and 10-15% sales growth annually (source).
CONCLUSION: Your Time to Sparkle ✨
Although sharing practices of user-generated content on social media is already a thing, it remains a potent and long-lasting way to win the heart of your user-base, reinforce brand authenticity and encourage action. For a new online endeavor, capitalizing the power of UGC can be one aspect that separates you from a countless number of other digital businesses.
Ready to take the plunge? Begin by having your customers generate content, aggregating the best work, and pushing it out for consumption everywhere. We cannot stress that enough, and as always, measure your results to improve your tactics.
Have an inspiring user-generated content story or tip? We’d love to hear it! Let us know in the comments or tag us on social!
Check out our all blogs on starting an online business Guide for more detailed guides and tips.
Did you learn something valuable today? Fantastic! Well, actually, so much more — some of which I’ll dive into further down the line (not only about user-generated content but other digital marketing strategies). So keep an eye out for those on [businessprelite. com]. Let’s continue this journey of growth and mutual discovery! 🚀👩💻
This blog post addresses the issue based on a compilation of ideas from different sources and thought leaders, creating both the ultimate guide on how to share user-generated content and an opportunity for further research and discovery.
