First Off, What is User-Generated Content & How Does it Help Your Brand?
User-generated content (UGC) is like a modern-day digital version of passing the parcel. It constitutes multiple forms of media created by the users of the brand’s services and products. This includes images, tweets, videos, posts, advertisements and practically any form of compliments that customers have to offer! You just need to get people talking.
Don’t take our word for it:
93% of users say that UGC helps while purchasing from brands
48% of consumers say that UGC is a great way to discover new products, brands, and retailers
Millennials trust User Generated advertising 50% more than traditional marketing messages
Sources: Tintup, Comscore, Emarsysglobal, Shortstack
Over 86% of businesses employ some sort of user-generated content strategy. This fast gaining popularity is because UGC is authentic, reliable & very often
free since brands do not have to cover any creative costs.
Nancy, Digital Strategy Lead, Socially India has worked on UGC strategies across multiple verticals from NBFCs to Lifestyle.
In light of the new ASCI ethical influencer marketing guidelines where sponsored content will be highly regulated to bring transparency to consumers, UGC is a great option to explore. It encourages brands to maintain their authenticity & build real connections with their customers.
We Know What We’re Talking About-Proven Results
We launched the iGaming company,
Pure Casino in India last year right at the start of the nationwide lockdown.
Being a casino company, we weren’t able to do any paid marketing
whatsoever. Therefore, UGC played a significant part in our launch strategy.
The goal: Increase followers and brand impressions, organically.
The solution: Create a UGC campaign where the results would be quick & effective.
We created a selfie campaign that folded in an attractive giveaway and
was further amplified by influencers. We received over 1000+ entries which
we repurpose for the brand even today.
Using UGC for Increased Conversion Rate
So, how can you encourage your audience to create more content for your brand? Here are four key strategies that you can leverage:
Create a Sense of Community: First & foremost, you need to highlight
your USPs to provide followers with an experience they wouldn’t get elsewhere.
Using a genuine emotional or nostalgic connect is always a good idea. For instance: ask your audience to share a selfie or a story with a message that
ties back to your brand. Engagement strategies like these create a sense of community that encourage your audience to share their stories organically.
Be Direct: Simply ask your customers for photos and reviews. Customers who
love your brand will always be happy to take a minute to do their part. If that doesn’t work, try creating a challenge that will be both engaging and easy to
do. Ask customers to take pictures of themselves using your product/service & encourage them to share stories that involve your brand.
Celebrate and Reward Their Presence: Featuring your customers on Instagram stories will garner a wider audience and customers will be more willing to share their experiences. Highlight and publicly acknowledge your fans. Also, folding
in contests and giveaways that reward your customers for their content is a
strategy many brands rely on.
Hashtags Are Important: An attractive hashtag will define a brand’s campaign
& strengthen its outreach. Hashtags are effective in finding relevant posts &
user-generated content. This way customers don’t need to scour for relevant information either. Ask your customers to share hashtags, tag others & bond
with them over the product or service to create a holistic & sure fire way to
get results.
As a marketing tactic, UGC is efficient & compelling. A 20% increase
in conversion rate is no small feat. However, well-implemented UGC
strategies are a successful tactic that all but guarantee these results.
At Socially India, we swear by it.
Meghali Banerjee
Junior Content Strategist
Meghali writes when she’s instructed to, obliged to and paid to, but mostly she writes because she really enjoys it. She believes life rests on three pillars namely puns, power & punctuality.