User-generated content is unquestionably one of the most powerful tools at the disposal of marketers, and the advantages of UGC are being utilised and researched globally.
User-generated content is, at its core, a declaration of trust. The largest supporters of your business are taking pictures, posting reviews, and creating blog articles that advertise your goods or services, sometimes without being asked.
But how might user-generated content assist your business in particular? We’ve got your back, so don’t be alarmed. We’ve done the research and uncovered some reliable statistics and information about UGC to highlight its advantages in marketing.
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What Is User-Generated-Content(UGC)?
UGC is the collective term for any consumer-generated content provided for free use in promoting a company or item. UGC is by definition organic content, typically of a novice calibre.
But social media users find it appealing since there are other people who endorse things rather than brands.
Reviews, endorsements, social media postings, blog articles, case studies, polls, and other types of material are all examples of user-generated content.
The marketing trajectory of an app may be significantly impacted by UGC, even in its most basic forms.
Nearly half of customers say it’s one of the easiest and most memorable ways to learn about new goods and companies, and about 30% of millennials say the bulk of the material they read is UGC-based.
Top 7 Benefits Of User-Generated Content For You
1. Boosts User-To-User And Customer-To-Brand Connectivity
Users have a place to discuss goods and services thanks to social aspects. You gain from more natural encounters and traffic so long as there is meaningful discourse.
Talking about goods and services encourages natural interactions and traffic. This lays the groundwork for upcoming business operations and marketing initiatives since a number of crucial marketing objectives—such as tracking metrics, lowering churn rates, boosting sales, and promoting repeat business—require user interaction.
The significance of customer-brand interactions cannot be overstated. CRM systems are essential to the company for a reason: they assist in gathering, managing, and organizing vital data that demonstrates how customers connect with your brand. UGC benefits from higher connectivity and reach.
2. You Get More Authenticity With UGC
Trust is one of the most potent benefits of user-generated content. People relate to those who are similar to them easily.
Similar to how customers rather than brands resonate with consumers. They have the same objective of discovering a product that brings them joy.
Customers recognize in user-generated content (UGC) someone who is similar to them and who conquered a particular challenge utilizing a certain resource.
It makes sense for customers to purchase the same efficient instrument to reproduce the solution.
3. Puts Users Into It
The demands of the user should always come first when developing a brand. Unfortunately, things are rarely that easy.
The public may voice a variety of issues as your product matures, some of which may contradict one another.
You must be aware of what the bulk of your user base wants and needs in order to guarantee the best levels of consumer satisfaction.
The benefits of user-generated content platforms are that they enable your users to take centre stage and actively participate in the development of your brand.
Feedback analysis may show that early adopters of the applications desire to preserve some features while new users have suggestions for improving what has already been developed. UGC platforms provide a forum for these talks, enabling users to participate actively in the creation process.
4. User-Generated Images Can Reduce Your Budget And Support Branded Content
Budgets for marketing are frequently overspent. Since resources (and money) are frequently few, many marketers must use their creativity to get additional visual material.
The good news is that user-generated material won’t break the department budget. There is minimal to no expense as you are getting your photographs directly from your social media followers.
Additionally, because so many individuals share pictures and videos on social media, marketers may access these resources widely. The largest and fastest-growing source of graphic material available to marketers is user-generated content (UGC).
Marketers may therefore employ both branded and custom content, as well as people for the benefit of user-generated content.
And this mixture is effective: When user-generated content and expert material are utilized together to promote a brand, brand engagement rises by an average of 28%.
5. UGC Enhance Conversion and Retention Rate
People unquestionably prefer to do business with brands that pay attention to their customers. Clients who have access to a platform for user-generated content will feel that they have a better understanding of the goods and services being offered.
By reducing the pressure of the decision process, a transparent, unbiased knowledge base encourages leads to move down the sales funnel.
Another factor that UGC improves is retention. Having a community enables consumers to spend time talking about your goods, events, and services while also interacting with other users and employees of your business. A business that values customer feedback is more likely to experience reduced attrition rates.
6. Brand Advocacy
Red Bull serves as an example of how much customers contribute when a company puts them in the limelight. In actuality, it is one of the select few businesses that emphasize brand advocacy in its social marketing.
Every time a furious Red Bull ambassador launches an activity, the hashtag #wingsteam is used. At this event, Wing Team athletes use creative methods to obtain samples from customers rather than giving them Red Bull cans for free. A college campus airdrop operation was one of the most memorable activations.
As a marketing tool, UGC benefits the power to convert consumers into active, devoted brand supporters. These customers not only replenish from the same brand but also get others to do the same.
Engage your community if you want to use your brand to start a movement. Encourage delighted customers to try more by leaving comments on their posts and retweeting them.
Increase the ante and transform their campaigns into once-a-week or once-a-month competitions using distinctive hashtags. The more advocates you have, the more likely it is that people will learn about your brand.
7. UGC Provides You With a Cutting-Edge
It may be challenging for a company to stand out in the crowd of advertisements and sponsored material that customers are subjected to on a daily basis. People develop what is known as banner blindness, or the ability to block out advertisements.
However, adopting user-generated content(UGC) might help you re-engage your audience without making them glaze over. User-generated content isn’t a standard advertisement because it’s produced by a specific member of your target market and isn’t pushy. Customers perceive UGC as being more authentic because it isn’t solely promotional stuff.
UGC includes the advantage of making your adverts more effective. Utilizing user-generated pictures in advertisements has been found to enhance click-through rates by a factor of three.
The numbers speak for themselves: using user-generated content to break through the clutter of competing for digital advertisements and information is a tried-and-true tactic.
User-Generated Content Examples
1. LuluLemon
The Canadian athleisure business LuluLemon, not to be confused with multi-level marketing firm LuLaRoe, is most known for its pricey leggings and yoga wear.
They requested that fans and brand aficionados post pictures of themselves wearing LuluLemon apparel on social media with the hashtag #thesweatlife in order to broaden the company’s reach.
This not only produced a wealth that LuLuLemon could reuse, but it also naturally increased the company’s brand recognition and social media reach as they shared material from brand ambassadors.
2. GoPro
GoPro, a manufacturer of video equipment, relies on user-generated content (UGC) to support its YouTube channel, with its top three videos all being made by users. The cumulative views of all three films reached over 400 million as of December 2021.
Not bad considering GoPro paid nothing to create the clip. The company’s UGC really became so significant that they now have their own awards ceremony and encourage regular picture competitions to encourage their customers to be inventive.
3. LaCroix
La Croix, a sparkling water company, utilizes the hashtag #LiveLaCroix to collect user-generated content on their social media platforms, following a similar strategy to LuluLemon. La Croix, on the other hand, is less reliant on brand devotees and shares material created by anybody, regardless of their number of followers.
Because consumers will see themselves mirrored in these photographs rather than brand spokespeople or ardent followers with more followers, this makes their user-generated content more relevant.
Two Main Tips To Build User-Generated Content
1. Know your target
The people who create UGC want you to distribute it. That indicates that they want you to let them know what sort of material you plan to publish the most.
More than half of customers want businesses to tell them exactly what to do when it comes to user-generated content(UGC), yet only 16% of brands provide clear instructions on the sort of UGC they want followers to produce and share.
Be particular and make it simple for individuals to contribute material that suits your demands, so don’t be hesitant to do so.
2. Asking permission is a must
It requires consent to share material. Always get permission before utilizing or republishing a customer’s work.
People may use your custom hashtags without being aware that you’ve connected them to a UGC campaign. Regrettably, reposting that message without express consent is a certain way to ruin goodwill and upset some of your strongest brand defenders.
By requesting permission, you may encourage the original poster to share its message with your audience by demonstrating your appreciation for it. Additionally, you avoid getting into trouble over copyright issues.
Conclusion OR what did we learn?
And here ends your short guide on the benefits of user-generated content.
We hope you learned a thing or two about user-generated content and how to use them to your benefit.
Just follow these tips and engage in getting the most out of all the benefits of user-generated content.