What is User-Generated Content Marketing?

Introduction

The web today is vastly different than it was a decade ago. People are constantly bombarded with advertising and call-to-action centric content. Consumers overall crave authenticity more than ever. This is where user-generated content (UGC) marketing comes in – a strategy that leverages the power of customer-created content to promote a brand, product, or service.

In this short article, we'll explore the concept of UGC marketing and how it can be leveraged to help your audience both find value in and fall in love with your brand.

Benefits of User-Generated Content Marketing

While the benefits may be obvious to some, it's worth stating that there are numerous advantages to any UGC marketing strategy.

• Increased Trust: UGC is seen as more trustworthy than traditional advertising. Multiple studies have shown that the authenticity of User-Generated Content resonates very well with Millennials and Gen Z specifically. [1]

• Improved Engagement: UGC increases engagement rates across the board, which further leads to better brand awareness and loyalty.

• Cost-Effective: UGC is often free or low-cost, making it one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies available. Your customer creates and shares the content with little to no effort on your part.

• Increased Conversions: UGC can increase conversions and sales significantly as it can be seem as a form of "digital word of mouth".

Types of User-Generated Content

There are multiple types of UGC. Some of the most prominent are:

• Reviews: Customer reviews are a powerful form of UGC. They provide social proof and can increase conversions.

• Social Media Posts: Encourage customers to share their experiences with your brand on social media.

• Videos: User-generated videos can be used to showcase products, services, or customer experiences.

• Photos: Customer-created photos can be used to showcase products or services in a real-world setting.

How to Encourage User-Generated Content

There are hundreds of paths a brand could take in designing, running, and maintaining a successful UGC campaign. Some of the more common ones are:

• Run a Contest: Run a contest or sweepstakes that encourages customers to create and share UGC. Example: "Upload a short Tiktok video showing yourself doing X for a chance to win Y"

• Offer Incentives: Offer incentives such as discounts or free products in exchange for UGC. This is often commonly used with promo codes and coupons.

• Make it Easy: Make it easy for customers to create and share UGC by providing a simple and seamless experience. Don't needlessly over-complicate the process. The simpler it is the better.

• Respond to UGC: Respond to UGC in a timely and personalized manner to show customers that you value their feedback. Commenting back on a user's post can sometimes make their day. Don't hesitate to follow your most loyal participants on social media platforms like Twitter either. It can help them become longtime advocates.

Example Cases

1. Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" Campaign: Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign encouraged customers to share photos of themselves with personalized Coke bottles. The campaign was a massive success and had millions of impressions delivered with barely any work on the part of the campaign coordinators. [2]

2. Starbucks' "Red Cup Contest": Starbucks' "Red Cup Contest" encouraged customers to decorate and share photos of their red cups.

3. GoPro UGC Campaign: GoPro encourages users to share their best photos and videos taken with GoPro cameras, often running contests to incentivize submissions. This is massively lucrative for the company as you can imagine because the type of content the users create is extremely unique and sticky.

Conclusion

User-generated content marketing is a powerful strategy that can increase trust, engagement, and conversions. By encouraging customers to create and share UGC, brands can create a sense of authenticity and social proof. Remember to make it easy, offer incentives, and respond to UGC in a timely and personalized manner.

If you want to know more about User Generate Content or any other topics for that matter, check out some of the other questions we've answered below.