Unleashing the Potential of User-Generated Content: Tips for Success
User Generated Content (UGC) refers to any form of content revolving around a product or a service of a specific brand. UGC comes in several forms, such as blog posts, videos, photos, testimonials, reviews, and even podcasts.
This form of content can be beneficial for both businesses and individuals and usually serves to build brand awareness, increase sales, and create a community of loyal consumers.
What is User Generated Content
User Generated Content (UGC) is any form of content created and shared by people who use the product or the service. At the moment videos are the most common UGC, as people share their experiences on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms.
UGC is not a part of the businesses’ marketing campaign per se, but it can become a key component of it. It helps brands harness the power of the audiences and people’s authenticity.
In turn, this helps businesses build communities, increase engagement, and build trust with users of products/services. Finally, brands that promote UGC may see boosted brand credibility and improved shopping behaviors of their target audience.
Additionally, some brands will go as far as hiring a UGC creator. These creators will create social posts that resemble “real, organic” UGC. Hired UGC creators are a part of the brand’s content marketing strategy, and are paid to generate content.
UGC, UGC Creators, and Influencers — Main Differences
There are several differences when it comes to these terms:
Real User Generated Content is hosted on the person’s social media profile. The person who made is a real user of the product/service and has made the content to share it due to high satisfaction. These regular people won’t be paid for the content they made.
On the other hand, UGC creators are hired employees who generate content that will sit on the brand’s social media accounts. They get paid for the social content they create and don’t have to bother with click-through rates, hashtag campaigns, and affiliate links.
This brings us to influencer marketing. When influencers create UGC, they will post it on their social media accounts and will likely be paid via affiliate links. That Consumer-Generated Content will help them earn a commission for the product they promote to their online community.
Benefits of UGC
Both businesses and individuals benefit from natural UGC.
For businesses, it brings:
- Cost-effectiveness — businesses lean on customers to promote products and services for free, which reduces costs
- Time-saving — with natural UGC, the marketing team can leverage the person’s creativity
- Ability to engage and grow an audience — think of UGC as the “word-of-mouth” marketing, which helps increase brand trust and builds a loyal customer base
6 Types of User-Generated Content
There are several types of UGC brands can rely on and leverage. The best ones include customer reviews and testimonials, but there are also blog posts, photos, videos, and podcasts. Furthermore, these can be turned into powerful social media content, to expand reach on multiple social platforms.
1. Blog Posts
Blog posts are the basic and most versatile form of UGC. Millions of people have websites and are keen to share their experiences with brands across industries. Additionally, blog posts give the option to expand on one’s thoughts and can turn into a full-on customer review in some cases.
2. Social Media Posts
Social media posts are the most common way people talk about brands today. Let’s look at some numbers: Instagram has 1.35 billion users, TikTok has more than 800 million users, and it remains to be seen how the whole Threads vs. Twitter situation will turn out.
All of these social media users are happy to share their experiences with brands they love, and they do so daily. What’s even better — this brand-related content is easy to access and utilize in marketing.
3. Customer Photos
Just like blog posts, customer photos significantly influence purchasing decisions and provide social proof. They build trust and authenticity among consumers and help people understand what the product is about.
4. Videos
Videos are one of the best examples of User Generated Content. They’re engaging, authentic, easy to digest, and highly effective in building trust. They provide a real-life example of the product in action, so they greatly affect purchase decisions.
5. Podcasts
Podcasts come in audio format and they allow for engaging and immersive storytelling. One of the best examples of UGC for podcasts is the moment a radio station invites listeners to submit their episodes and contribute to the overall content of the podcast.
6. Online Reviews
Online reviews are among the best UGC to build trust and increase conversion rates. Positive online reviews are a unique social proof that assures future customers that the product/service is of high quality and the brand is trustworthy. Online reviews can come in the form of blog posts, videos, photos, and similar content.
How to Earn Money With UGC as a Business?
There are several ways brands can incorporate UGC in their marketing campaigns. When it comes to natural Brand-Generated Content, businesses can reward their happy customers who advocate for them by offering discounts, gifts, and other incentives.
On the other hand, brands can also connect with influencers and hire UGC Creators to improve their recognition online.
Finally, leveraging different forms of content requires different approaches:
- Photos and blog posts — can be sourced and posted on the brand’s website
- Videos — can also be sourced, or the user can be inspired to create unboxing videos, video reviews, and testimonials
- Podcasts — brands can invite users to share their experiences on a particular subject
- Social media posts — can become a great inspiration for the marketing team
Employees can be involved in creating content for a brand. Prompting employees as brand ambassadors can promote the brand externally and internally. Employee-Generated Content can also be shared online, via email marketing, and act as a key part of User Generated Content marketing strategy.
Finally, the utilization of UGC can help brands create a sense of community around the brand. This deepens customer engagement and establishes credibility.
How to Make Money With UGC as a Customer?
As a product user, you can also benefit from creating UGC and sharing it on your social media channels. What’s more, you can become a UGC Creators and get hired by brands to create content and receive regular payments.
First, you can start as a micro-influencer. Connect with brands that offer affiliate opportunities, create content, and share your links across social channels.
As your audience grows, you can become a full-time influencer and get hired by brands to promote products.
Finally, you can become a UGC Creator and get in touch with companies you’d love working for. However, this requires that you invest in your equipment, practice how to generate content, and build a UGC portfolio. Once you’re sure you have what it takes, pitch to companies to get started.
