You may well have seen the term user-generated content, or UGC, mentioned on various social media platforms. It’s actually very straightforward and, once you’re familiar with it, is great addition to your social media content plan, so here’s your handy guide on all things UGC.
What is it?
User-generated content is any content that has been created by individual users of social media, rather than brands themselves. This content can come in various forms, for example a written testimonial or a photo or video featuring a brand product.
Why Should I Use UGC?
User-generated content is great to use for several reasons:
- It’s a quick and easy way of creating new content
Firstly, let’s mention the obvious here – if you can share content that’s already been created by other people, it’s going to save you huge amounts of time when planning your social media posts !
- It shows real examples of your brand or product being used and enjoyed
Imagine a clothing brand shares two photos: Photo #1 is a shot of a model wearing one of their items against a plain white background, and photo #2 is a repost from a customer wearing one of their items on a day out in New York City . Which is going to have a greater impact?
Although the clothing may look great on the model, photo #2 has the added benefit of showing how the clothing looks on real people and suggests that customers are proud to be seen sporting the brand.
- It shows your brand is trustworthy
Sharing reviews, testimonials and real customer experiences is a great way to show that your brand is reliable and will make people feel more comfortable when deciding whether or not to purchase from you.
How Can I Use UGC For My Brand?
There are so many different ways to use UGC and so many ways to encourage your followers to create it too! Here are some ideas:
- Tell people to tag your brand when featuring a product in their pictures and repost your favourites
- Create a specific branded hashtag and ask your followers to use it in their captions if you’re advertising a campaign.
- Ask people to send in videos of themselves using your product and create a short compilation video from the footage
- Share a quote from a great testimonial to show how satisfied your customers are with your product or service
- Offer a free sample to your most loyal customers and request that they share a photo or write a review of the product
- If possible, host an event for your brand that influencers and customers can attend! This will be a great place for people to take pictures and create new content for you.
Things to remember
Make sure you ask permission before sharing someone else’s picture, and make sure you tag them if they’d like credit! It’s also a good idea to be specific when asking customers or influencers to post pictures or videos with your product – you need to make sure the content you’re sharing is high quality and representative of your brand. Finally, learn from your customers. They will have fresh ideas that you may not have thought of, and this could lead to great opportunities to promote your products in new and exciting ways.
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