From a marketing perspective, today’s audiences are no longer satisfied with a polished brand campaign that feels remote and composed. Audiences seek authenticity, channel, and real experiences. UGC ushers in an approach that can be very powerful for marketers.
UGC encompasses any content – photos, videos, reviews, or even social posts that have been made by consumers, not the brand. UGC is authentic content, but more importantly is very cheap, which is great for small businesses and startups looking to make a big impact, while stretching their funds.
Why UGC Feels More Authentic to Audiences
Traditional ads often struggle to build trust because we all know it is a paid piece and has been composed to sell. In contrast, user-generated content comes from real people, who have genuinely engaged with a product or service.
When a consumer shares a picture they took with a product, writes a consumer review, or posts a video testimonial, the opportunity for relatability increases exponentially. Ultimately, that relatability leads to authenticity that equates to trust, and in marketing, trust connects with conversions.
UGC as a Low-Cost Marketing System
One of the biggest advantages of UGC is that it is cost-effective. Companies do not have to allocate marketing dollars for photo shoots, video production, and other larger campaigns if they can use content created by their customers. For example, a fashion startup can ask its buyers to post selfies of themselves wearing their products and tag the brand.
This will not only help build brand awareness organically, but it will also be an endless supply of marketing material that the business can use without incurring any costs; the customers will be unpaid brand ambassadors.
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Gaining Engagement and Driving ROI Using UGC
UGC is cost-effective and maximizes ROI. Often, user-generated content performs better than company-generated content because it is more relatable. A positive review of a product or an unboxing video will convince a customer to buy more effectively than a multimillion-dollar television commercial.
We know that social media is very competitive; we want to create authentic content that is rewarded with higher visibility, thus forcing a cycle of increasing engagement by UGC, which is converted to higher visibility, to ultimately drive sales, and increase revenues and ROI.
Tips to Promote UGC
Small businesses can foster a culture of clicking “share” if they intentionally make it easy to post and reward people for doing so. Examples of how to boost original content: create hashtags, run contests, feature customer posts on your official pages, or demonstrate appreciation (e.g., a small discount) for content that is shared.
The main idea is to create a playing field of community where customers will feel valued and heard, so they will continue to share the experience.
Creating Brand Loyalty
More than brand marketing, UGC harnesses brand loyalty. When a customer experiences “hey, we love this photo, post, or quote and we want to share it,” they feel appreciated and connected to the brand. This connection ultimately retains you as a customer beyond that singular experience.
This can turn one-time customers into repeat customers. Eventually, that will change the identity of the brand to one that embodies customers’ experiences and engagement instead of a simple purchase. Instead of selling a product, a brand can share and harness a customer’s Serendipity with a community engaged in the story.
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UGC is the Future
In an evolving digital marketing ecosystem, paid ads are becoming increasingly expensive and competitive, while consumer behavior is also shifting to authenticity and peer recommendations. UGC brings a fortuitous blend of being authentic, cost-effective, and ultimate return on experience all at the same time. Businesses that take the opportunity to embrace UGC right now will create a sustainable growth model for the future.
