How to craft user-generated content (UGC) for successful brand campaigns
The success of brands is often attributed to user-generated content. Why is user-generated content so powerful? To understand this, we must know what UGC is. It is content created by users, customers, fans, or followers rather than the brand itself and posted on the brand page or tagged to it. Think of the Instagram posts, YouTube videos, tweets, and honest reviews by users. These are authentic, relatable, and influential. Simultaneously, they showcase creativity, engagement, and brand love. When customers read reviews by fellow users, they assess the brand’s trustworthiness based on real-life viewpoints and engage accordingly.
Creating user-generated content
TripAdvisor thrives on UGC as users share reviews, photos and recommendations about hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Travellers trust this site as the reviews are by fellow travellers. Amazon’s product reviews are social proof in action, with millions of user-generated reviews influencing buying decisions. Research from Nielsen reveals that 92% of consumers trust peer advice over traditional advertising. A survey by Adweek found that brands using UGC experience 29% higher web conversion than those who don’t use the same.
But how will you create such killer content? The content should be strong enough to encourage your audience to join in and show their creative talent. Think of ways to make your promotions interactive; make them fun and easy for your followers to participate in. These can be through catchy hashtag campaigns, photo contests, or a storytelling challenge. For this:
- Give clear instructions,
- Set some guidelines,
- Offer incentives like prizes, recognition or just a shout-out.
Promoting UGC campaigns for brand success
Promote your brand beyond your platform. Apart from sharing UGC on your social media channels, websites, and email newsletters, use the following strategies to make the campaign successful:
- Reach out to influencers and partner with third-party brands like Yelp, Amazon, or TripAdvisor to increase the audience reach of UGC reviews and testimonials.
- Share on the most popular user-generated content platforms like TikTok, Reddit, or Pinterest, the goldmines for discovering and sharing authentic content.
- Create written or audio-visual messages on trending topics and post frequently.
- Identify peak hours for audience engagement on each platform by using analytical tools.
- Create dedicated hashtags, brand filters and CTAs that compel users to share and generate content related to specific campaigns.
- Use analytical tools to monitor and measure performance and feedback.
Examples of Successful Implementation of UGC
Let’s look at a few real-life cases of user-generated content. These will help you craft your campaigns better.
- GoPro has built an entire brand around UGC by showcasing the mind-blowing adventures captured by its customers. Users can participate in the #GoProAward campaign by submitting their best shots and being featured on the GoPro website, social media, or even their ads. This guarantees a constant stream of stunning content for GoPro while the users get their moment in the spotlight.
- Starbucks’ annual #RedCupContest brings coffee lovers together in a festive frenzy. It invites them to share their most creative holiday cup designs on social media. This strategy drives engagement during the holiday seasons. It also builds a sense of community among Starbucks customers globally.
- Airbnb excels at UGC. The brand highlights real people and their stories. The #AirbnbExperiences campaign allows hosts and guests to share their unique adventures and accommodations. This builds trust that money can’t buy.
So, go all out in tapping into the limitless creativity of your audience to cultivate a following that is engaged and in love with your brand. Remember, genuineness is critical to gaining loyalty. Inspire your fans to craft relevant stories they can identify with. The success of your brand is proportionate to the success of your user-generated content. Contact us and get started today. With our guidance, watch your brand soar with effective user-generated content.
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