User-generated content (UGC) is one form of content marketing in the current era. This content can be in all forms, whether videos, blog articles, testimonials, reviews, photos, or tweets made by unpaid contributors, customers, followers, or fans of your brand.
UGC refers to promotional content published by users, rather than by brands or companies. Unfortunately, there are still many companies that miss this crucial social media strategy. In fact, this user-generated content can improve your social media strategy, increase brand awareness and build customer trust.
As many as 84% of customers trust product reviews and recommendations from fellow consumers more than other advertising sources. Before deciding to buy a product, 64% of customers are also actively looking for reviews online.
In this article, we will cover everything about user-generated content, starting from the understanding, benefits, and how to apply it to level up your social media strategy:
Why is User-Generated Content Strategy so Important?
As technology develops day by day, user-generated content becomes an essential part of the business world. It becomes a powerful tool to incorporate into your social media strategy. Considering that social media is the most crucial weapon in doing anything, especially for marketing purposes because it has a billion active users worldwide.
In addition, the benefits of user-generated content in principle are more focused on the impact of selling a product. It is unavoidable that consumers today prefer to make purchases on product reviews on social media.
The reason is that potential customers need opinions from parties who are considered neutral to get more authentic, honest, and real information. That way, you will easily turn potential customers into loyal customers.
9 Best Ways to Use User-Generated Content
After knowing the meaning and benefits of user-generated content, here are some of the best ways to help level up your social media strategy:
1. Leverage Visual Content
Visual content is a powerful way to create user-generated content. It allows you to engage more with your audiences in ways other media can’t. According to research, visual content about a brand was viewed 10 times more than visual ads.
This content can be in the form of videos, infographic ideas, images, and so on. This content has great potential to be shared and an even greater chance of going viral. That way, it can improve your brand awareness, and increase your followers, and conversion sales.
2. Use the power of hashtags
Hashtags make it easier for social media users to find the content they are looking for. It works very efficiently in increasing brand awareness and winning your customers’ hearts.
So, when someone posts content about your brand and uses your relevant hashtags, many people participate. Then, their followers will click on your brand hashtag and see more UGC about your brand. This strategy can increase their trust in your brand with a wider reach.
So, create your hashtag to introduce new prospects to your brand.
3. Consider Multi-channel Approach
When you use multiple social media channels, you will automatically expand your reach. It can be the right social media strategy for those of you who have a business with a worldwide target audience.
So make sure you create two or more social media accounts. It will help your user-generated content through audience comments, reviews, hashtags, and sharing visual content from every social media channel you have.
4. Make the most of influencers
The following way is to make the most of influencers. Influencers who share their experiences with a product can not only increase brand awareness of your business, but can also inspire their community of followers to also use the same product.
However, before using influencer marketing, it would be best to ensure the influencers you choose to have followers that match your business’s target audience.
Then, choose the right platform. For example, if the influencer is better known through Instagram, then use that social media for your brand campaign.
In addition, find out his credibility. You can find out the influencer backgrounds, and whether their values match your brand’s campaign material. Moreover, this is a paid strategy. So make sure you have a budget and choose the one that meets your business goals.
5. Gamification
Another way to create User Generated Content and engage users is through gamification. Create gamification where users have to complete several tasks. For example, to get rewarded for their participation.
Use concepts like levels, leaderboards, points, and more to get users to complete several tasks and share their achievements on social media.
The results of this gamification can then be shared by users on social media. Customers may share the results because they are satisfied that they have completed a mission.
On the other hand, the brand will also benefit because when customers share the content on social media, it indirectly also helps increase the presence and visibility of the brand on social media. Hence, this can level up your marketing strategy.
6. Stay on top of the trends
The next way to get user-generated content is to always be on top of trends or challenges. These days, there are many trends or challenges that you can use to get user-generated content from your brand followers to enliven and participate in these trends.
Especially with video-based platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. It is easy to make content go viral, especially visual content such as viral infographics, video content, photos, etc.
You can start by creating a trend or challenge, and try to encourage your followers to participate in it. It can be in the form of product reviews, photo contests, or something else.
7. Feature real user reviews
Encourage customers to leave reviews about your brand on your social media channels or the reviews section of your website.
User reviews are one type of UGC that can increase the number of followers, improve traffic to the site, and increase conversion rates. You can also provide incentives such as giving out coupons, points, and gift cards to motivate them.
Use email marketing to get them to write these customer reviews and show your courtesy and concern for their views and experiences of your brand.
8. Give them something
If you want consumers to always give UGC, offer them a reward. There are many ways to be rewarded. Starting from holding contests, giving merchandise discounts for those whose content is displayed, and many others.
However, don’t focus too much on rewarding UGC creators. Because only 32% of users make UGC because of the lure of rewards. Meanwhile, 60% said they created UGC to get likes or to have their content displayed.
9. Set goals and measure results
When it comes to marketing a product, setting goals and measuring results are the key to success because this is where you can focus on achieving and seeing how far you are achieving your goals. Just like user-generated content, there are several goals that you can consider in your UGC campaign:
- Content creation,
- Increase conversion rates
- Improve brand engagement
- Brand loyalty
- Educating your audiences
When you have set your goals, it will be easier for you to realize them because you already know what to do. Keep in mind that always measure your results after putting an effort into achieving the goals you’ve set.
Takeaway
There’s no doubt that user-generated content is the most effective marketing strategy that you should have because of its advantages that can build your customer’s trust and increase brand awareness.
Unfortunately, there are still many businesses that miss this opportunity. Therefore, it’s time for you to start leveraging user-generated content. With several methods mentioned above, your brand will be able to give a good impression to your audience.
