Each and every business nowadays has a digital presence and is constantly seeking ways to enhance it. Many have integrated email marketing or social media in their marketing strategy. The latest years, we have come across UGC. Everybody is trying to achieve it at any cost.
But what is really UGC?
It is an abbreviation (User Generated Content) or simply it is any kind of content created by consumers and not by the brands themselves. Even if it may sound easy, it really isn’t.
Why should UGC be part of a business strategy?
The importance of UGC is undoubtable for businesses. Authenticity and spontaneity are its main characteristics. It has nothing to do with the content of the campaigns we were used at and it is mainly based on user’s experience. In other words, it is a kind of WoM, and to say it in terms of digital marketing, e-WoM, the power of which is undeniable. As UGC is created by consumers, it is more likely to influence buying habits not only of existing but also of potential consumers.
Thanks to UGC’s authenticity, the consumers feel closer to the brand, which increases at the same time its social proof, its reliance in combination with its trustworthiness. The interaction with the consumers is much bigger. We can observe large well-known businesses with different industry fields having integrated UGC in their strategy as they have realized its super power.
Last but not least: how can a brand integrate UGC?
You have surely bumped into TikTok made me buy it. This is definitely a sort of UGC. Each brand can create its own hashtag. Reviews or testimonials constitute another form of UGC that a brand can use.
Otherways, a brand, in terms of a giveaway, may ask the consumers to create content. In this case, it would be better to give precise guidelines as far as the creation of content is concerned. At the end of this activity, the brand can create a sum up video with parts of the best contents giving credits of course to the creators.
Finally, it is crucial to reward the audience. It doesn’t have to be something huge: a small sample of products, a discount coupon or even a reply to a consumer’s comment is enough showing that the brand appreciates the consumers while building a more personal and human based relationship.
Extra tip: Attention, whichever kind of UGC you choose for your brand, be careful to ask for the creators’ consent.
It is time to answer the question asked in the beginning of the article: UGC is not merely a trend or it may be. Nonetheless, one thing is for sure: its power is undeniable and we will see it for many years to come.
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