What Is User-Generated Content? | UGC for Brand Success
Love it or hate it, user-generated content (UGC) rules digital spaces. Whether touting the benefits of beauty products or lamenting a poor customer service experience, social media users eagerly turn to their favorite platforms to share their views.
But what is user-generated content, and how can brands leverage it? This article provides an overview of types of user-generated content, ways to integrate UGC into your marketing strategy, and the benefits of infusing digital channels with authentic user content.
What Is User-Generated Content?
UGC is any form of promotional content that contributors or brand users create and share on their own social media channels. From social media posts and Reels to Stories and TikTok videos, UGC might include customer reviews of a product or service, lighthearted videos, and in-the-moment content featuring interactions with a brand.
With UGC, you get the benefits of word of mouth without the price tag of advertising and promoting your brand. It's a cost-effective way to expand your reach and increase brand awareness with new audiences as users share content with their networks.
With users sharing content about your products and services, you develop confidence and trust among your target audience. Over time, UGC can build brand loyalty, especially if posts go viral.
Although users do the heavy lifting to create UGC, that doesn't mean brands should sit back idly and wait for users to create content about them. You can get involved in the conversations and encourage UGC in various ways, such as:
- Sharing discount codes or promotional offers with influencers and employee advocates
- Hosting experiential engagements, such as pop-up shops, where people can interact with your products or services
- Sharing users' content on your social media platforms
- Developing content that compels your audience to engage and share with their followers
- Requesting community feedback on new product innovations and encouraging your audience to share their ideas authentically
Why Is UGC Important?
User-generated content is valuable throughout the buyer's journey, driving engagement and boosting conversion rates. It complements existing marketing efforts and adds credibility to your brand's message, as it comes from a third party.
Whether it's reviews, social media content, or testimonials, all types of UGC serve to validate your brand in consumers' eyes. In fact, one type of UGC, online reviews, significantly impacts purchasing decisions, with 89% of consumers consulting them during the buying process.
Moreover, creating UGC harnesses what McKinsey & Company describes as a "community flywheel" model. In it, brands strategically identify target consumers and create emotional connections with their customers. Activating your brand this way can be a low-risk marketing medium with potentially high returns.
For example, grill company Traeger built a "Traegerhood" of over 1 million fans with 350,000 user-generated social media posts. That's quite a few grillmasters willing to sing the brand's praises. If you were to duplicate that type of success with customer-centric content, you could share it across numerous channels, from social media to email, landing pages, and checkout screens.
Types of User-Generated Content
Are you ready to ramp up your marketing efforts with UGC? Check out some common types of user-generated content you can leverage to build brand awareness and trust:
- Video content: Brand tributes, product demonstrations, and unboxings in which users record themselves opening new products
- Branded selfies: Selfies featuring customers with products or branded materials like posters, storefronts, and branded backdrops
- Reviews and testimonials: User-generated reviews and product review videos on Yelp, Google, your website, and other platforms with genuine feedback from customers
- Podcast conversations: Conversations between podcast hosts and their guests about their experiences with brands and products
- Articles: User- or employee-generated articles or blog posts about their experiences with a brand or related topics — published on personal blogs, recommendation lists, community forums, and digital journals like Quora or Medium
- Contests: Photos or videos users submit for a chance to win prizes, fostering community engagement while promoting the brand
How To Experience the Benefits of User-Generated Content
To maximize the advantage of UGC, you'll need to integrate it with your brand's identity. As you build UGC campaigns, you can incorporate the methods above that closely align with your brand, product, or industry. For example, a product-oriented company lends itself to unboxings, while a service-based business might do well with contests and blog content.
Consistency is key. Ensuring your UGC complements your existing content campaigns provides website visitors and social media followers with a cohesive brand experience.
Brand monitoring tools will also help you listen to the commentary surrounding your company and products. These tools enable timely engagement with users, allowing you to respond promptly to their inquiries, address concerns, and foster meaningful interactions.
Furthermore, brand monitoring enables collaboration opportunities and avenues for deeper engagement with your audience. By proactively monitoring and engaging with UGC, you can harness its power to bolster your brand presence and cultivate a loyal community of advocates.
Grow Your Brand With User-Generated Content
Leveraging user-generated content is not just about amplifying your brand's presence — it's about fostering genuine connections with your audience. The more you engage with your followers and respond to their content and feedback, the greater the potential for advancing your brand's growth and success.
Ready to take your brand to the next level? To discover how Optimize can help you create a content schedule to help boost your brand online, schedule your free consultation today!