Digital Marketing
What is User Generated Content and How to use it?
Got some cool sneakers and posted about it on social media? Whether you know it or not, you have created User Generated Content for a brand!
In this digital age where content is the king, User Generated Content or UGC emerges as a powerful tool for brands to amplify their content and reach wider and niche audiences. Encouraging and featuring UGC on a brand’s social media accounts shows that the audience is loyal to the brand.
What is User Generated Content?
User Generated Content or UGC (also consumer-generated content) is original, brand-specific created by social media users rather than the brand itself.
Due to its raw and authentic nature, it can provide priceless credibility for a brand.
Common forms of User Generated Content include - Unboxings, Consumer reviews, Photos, Videos, Blog Posts, and social media posts.
Types of User Generated Content
There are two types of UGC content -
Organic UGC: This is the unsponsored or unpaid content shared by genuine brand users on their own accord. This is UGC's most genuine and authentic form and leads to the highest brand goodwill. This is the type of content businesses aim to achieve from their customers.
Sponsored UGC: This type of content is made by UGC creators. While UGC creators bring authenticity and transparency to your brand, influencers provide significant exposure and help to reach new audiences. Sponsored or paid UGC is gaining a lot of traction in recent times. This is especially beneficial for new brands that might not have a huge customer base sharing content yet.
What are the benefits of User Generated Content?
- Authenticity: In current times where brands face immense competition online for brand visibility and customer retention, an addition of UGC content will make a brand appear more authentic. People are more likely to engage with a brand that has UGC content as compared to influencer content. Ensure that your content is not just limited to creators but also includes brand loyalists, real customers, or even employees.
- Curated Content: With its plethora of content options, UGC can serve as a major source of inspiration. It provides you with a vast content bank full of photos, videos, blog posts, etc.
- Cost Effectiveness: UGC is a cost-effective way to scale a business and diversify it’s content. For Smaller brands running a UGC campaign can prove to be much more economical than hiring an influencer or celebrity.
- Social Visibility: UGC can turn your customers into trusty salespeople. Every review or video serves as an authentic endorsement for the viewer and increases brand trust. UGC content is more relatable for the general public. This can drive conversions and amplify the brand’s visibility on various platforms.
How to leverage UGC content for your brand?
Integrating User Generated Content in your strategy is not just limited to reposting others content. Here are a few tips which tell you how to use UGC to your advantage -
- Encourage Customers for UGC: You can motivate your real consumers to create authentic content for your brand by featuring various Calls to Action on the Website, social media platforms, emails, etc, and providing incentives for it. It would help you maximize quality content organically.
- Work with UGC creators: The category of UGC creators is a widely expanding domain and now is the best time to introduce this strategy for your brand. You can get high quality brand specific content developed for your business. This will generate a wider reach for your brand and is cost-effective in the long run.
- Identify and Moderate Content: It is necessary to keep an eye out for User Generated contempt being posted by your consumers, creators, and brand evangelists. The ideal way of doing it would be checking for hashtags, social media mentions, tags, and message box. Make sure to moderate the content to ensure optimal quality and filter out spam or inappropriate content and avoid copyrighted music.
- Highlight UGC on various platforms: Showcase User Generated Content across all your platforms like websites, social media, Emails, etc. to maximize its visibility and lend a personal touch to your brand’s visuals.
- SEO opportunities: While creating content like reviews and unboxings users generally use various keywords and phrases and relevant tags which can broaden a brand’s keyword reach, boost visibility and ranking on social media and search engines.
- Monitor and Measure the results: Continuously monitor the analytics to determine the results of your UGC strategy. Understand its impact and make necessary adjustments to your strategy.
Final Words
Incorporating User Generated Content in your strategy can help build trust and an engaged loyal community for your brand, amplify your online presence, social proof, and enhance SEO performance.
Utilize the power of UGC today to unlock new opportunities for your brand’s growth and success.
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