User Generated Content
1# User generated content: an ultimate guide, must read
Table of Contents
What is UGC (User Generated Content):
User generated content or UGC simply means content or inputs made by the users or the audience for your brand, organization or projects. It can be in the form of anything like videos, photos, comments, reviews, testimonials etc. It can be done through platforms like social media platforms, search engines like Google , websites, apps etc. It is mostly organic which means brands don’t need to pay for having UGC as it is in the forms of reviews, comments or social media posts. But, it does not mean that paid UGC doesn’t exist. It can be in the paid form as well through User generated content creators.
It is a form of modern marketing which enables brands to showcase their authenticity and increase their brand loyalty. It is a low cost marketing tool which is becoming important these days. It has become a very versatile tool in branding these days and many companies are engaging in this segment.
Nowadays even different platforms are promoting user generated content. Platforms like Google search engine have also updated its algorithm towards UGC while social media platforms are good ways for promoting UGC for your brand. UGC is much needed for brands nowadays and has become a very important organic marketing tool which makes the brand look more authentic.
Why is UGC important?
UGC can be important in many ways out of which some are listed below:
Authenticity
User generated content tends to increase the level of authenticity for brands. This is because of UGC in the form of customer reviews, comments on posts, social media posts related to appreciation of the posts etc. This can be a very authentic way of marketing because it showcases the real customers and their reviews towards the product or services. It can be in the form of photos and videos also. It makes the potential buyer more interested in the product or service as it provides a sense of trust amongst the potential buyers about the quality of the product or services. It increases the chances of conversion of clicks into customers.
Cost effective
This technique is very cost effective if done organically. No marketing cost is involved in generating comments or review based User generated content for loyal customers and the clients who liked the services and products. For this the brand needs to work on its products or services delivered to generate positive UGC for the same which will encourage the buyer to buy that product or service.
Loyalty towards the brand
This will also increase brand loyalty. This is because mostly UGC is not created by the brand directly but it is created by customers and brands can build faith and audience support through these practices and by encouraging happy customers to participate in the same.
SEO friendly practice
Generating content form the users makes the content of the website or brand more SEO friendly and helps the google algorithm to rank the content as it is interactive and user friendly.
Types for UGC:
User generated content can be created through various means and platforms. Some types of UGC are:
Images and videos:
Images can be a very interactive form of UGC which enables the brand to showcase their actual product photos and videos shared by the existing customers while appreciating the product. This can be done on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook stories, reels, feed posts etc. on their accounts or reviews posting on different guests sites for example trip advisor, google reviews, guest posting on sites like medium or blogger, or other third party sites apps such as Amazon or Flipkart.
User generated content can be bought through customers posting videos on their Youtube channels, making a product review from it without having sponsorship and recommending the product to their viewers. But for this the product or service needs to be good. It ca be a form of unpaid or organic marketing for which the brand needs to work on the product or service to have good review or comment posts.
Comment
Posting comments on third party sites or apps. Customers can post their authentic reviews on retail and third party sites and apps like Amazon, Flipkart, Trip advisor etc. These reviews are considered as marketing if written positively. These reviews helps the company to increase its sales as potential buyers get influenced and convinced through these reviews and look forward to buying the product or services.
Blogs and case studies
Blogs and case studies are another way of referring to the product. It is indirect marketing. It can be in the form of review on any site or app, case studies about products, backlinks for products etc. A third party website referring to a product gives it an authenticity and makes the buyer believe in the product or service.
Platforms used for creating user generated content :
Social media platforms:
Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin etc. are a very good way of promoting products through user generated content. This is because these platforms enable users to express their feelings towards the products or services that they appreciate or that have helped them to grow in any way by showcasing videos, images, appreciating paragraphs etc. This is organic if the customer is willingly promoting or praising the product without sponsorship. Brands can also post their customer reviews and ratings on their social media to look more authentic with social proofs.
Some social media platforms also have formed community groups in which people interact and suggest products or services to other people in the group by understanding their needs. This is a form of referral through social media groups which have a large number of people interested in that particular group topic or niche.
Third Party apps and websites
Third party apps and websites who welcome comments and reviews are a good platform for generating UGC if it is positive. When the traffic goes on these sites or apps, they feel that the product is good because of its ratings and reviews with images and explanations written by the existing users. It helps them to get convinced to buy it. Some examples are Quora, Trip advisor, Amazon or other retail sites etc. Apart from reviews there are also some sites and apps which provide the provision of asking questions about the product and allow replies form the existing customers.
Own website
One more platform is your own website on which user generated content can be displayed in the form of testimonials or showcasing the reviews of happy customers. This leads to maintaining faith in the mind of the buyer that the brand is genuinely good and the people are liking its product or services. It can also be in the form of blogs, case studies on their customers or posting relevant FAQs which can make it more attractive and interactive with the user.
Impacts Of UGC:
- Increase in sales: Simply the sales increase if the product or services is liked by many people and people are sparing time to appreciate the product or service which builds a sense of trust in the potential buyer.
- Brand image and awareness: Brand awareness increases if the audience read the name of the brand or see the logo or simply see the product anywhere apart from their paid promotions. It builds brand image not only for a particular product but for the overall brand.
- Personal touch: If the brand has user generated content then the potential buyer feels a personal touch which is a good feeling for the customer. According to a study 80% of the people are more likely to like a particular brand if they watch the brand giving their customers a personalized experience.
Case studies:
Here are some case studies of brands which grew due to the impact of user generated content for their product or services in different forms and at different platforms
Coca-Cola “Share a Coke” campaign:
The “Share a Coke” campaign of Coca-Cola created a big impact and created user generated content in a large amount. This is because Coca-Cola replaced its icon with initials of first names and initiated to engage audience and share their photos with the bottles on social media platforms using the personalized hashtag – #shareacoke
It generated millions of engagement and the product was all over the social media as the buyers were excited to share their name initials and the bottle. In this way many new people came to know about the campaign. This also created a personal connection of the customers with the brand.
Starbucks: #WhiteCupContest
Write cup contest was launched by Starbucks in which by inviting customers to design or write something on their plain white cups which would become the special limited edition cup if selected. The designs were to be submitted via social media with the hashtag which improved engagement and received 4000 designs in just three weeks. This is another type for generating user generated content.
Apple “Shot on iPhone”
The Apple: shot on Iphone campaign made iPhone users to post their camera or photography skills in form of images and videos shot on their iPhones on the hashtag #shotoniphone which created high user engagement and made many people believe that the camera of iPhone is really different from other brands because the results were in front of everyone which were authentic because it was posted by real people using the product.
SEO rankings:
User generated content can also help in increasing the ranking of the website on Google because it includes interactive content which is of different varieties and also 100% original and authentic. Google has also made a separate segment for user generated content which is done through adding a HTML tag in the heading of the content. Google algorithm pushes websites with user generated contents more. It has been given a separate category or segment. SEO also help in forming lead generation strategies for creating more UGC.
Conclusion:
User generated content also known as UGC is a modern term in the world of marketing which is emerging as a more authentic and cost effective way of marketing. It simply means the content created by buyers and customers in form of comments, reviews, testimonials, blogs, product appreciation, etc. It can be done via various platforms like third party apps or sites in the form of reviews, comments etc.
For example product or service reviews on third party retail sites like Amazon, Trip advisor etc. It basically means engaging the customer with the brand and making connections with increasing customer retention and brand loyalty. It is not only restricted to selling because for this authentic form of marketing the product or services needs to be up to be mark and liked by most of the people. It can be also done through social media platforms like sharing product review, unboxing, etc. via videos and images without paying any sponsorship to the user.
Some of the case study examples for the same is the share a coke campaign by coca-cola, white cup contest of Starbucks, shot on iPhone by Apple etc. through which there was significant rise in sale of these products through user engagement , SEO and user generated content.
At Last, User generated content is a game changer and an unexplored world currently for any business!
General FAQs
- What do you mean by user generated content
- What is an example of user generated content
- What is UCG and how does it work
- How do I get user generated content
- User generated content creator
- User generated content Instagram
- User generated content jobs
- User generated content ideas
- Do you get paid for UGC
- How do I start UGC
