What Is The Importance of User Generated Content in Marketing?

Have you ever wondered how a newly launched brand gains humongous popularity in just a few days? Is this just the power of ‘digital’ which is coordinating well with the brains of the marketers or is there any catalyst which is driving this revolution? The answer to the above questions is User-Generated Content which is generally abbreviated as UGC.

What is User Generated Content?

Every one of us, who is active on social media platforms, must have contributed to the making of a brand in some way or the other. This is the power of user-generated content that we all possess without even realizing it. User-generated content, as its name implies, is any type of content (tweets, videos, pictures, feedback, comments, etc.) which is created and posted by the consumer of a brand to promote it. This content is unpaid, 100% authentic and relatable, so it automatically establishes a connection with other users and portrays the real image of a brand in front of its customers.

Why User Generated Content?

Gone are the days of one-sided communication between a brand and its users. In today’s fast-paced, digitally run world, it is not so easy to tempt your customers just by spending millions on an ad campaign. The consumers have become a lot more active, concerned and aware of their choices and demands in the market. And, this is why they have developed more faith in the opinions of their peers rather than the brand itself. This word-of-mouth marketing is in trend today and being adopted by everyone – from a luxury brand to a new startup.

Let’s consider the example of Starbucks’ famous #WhiteCupContest which proved to be a huge success with the submission of 4,000 entries in just 3 weeks. The loyal consumers of the brand were asked to share creative designs on their white paper cups, where the best entry would be selected as the new template of their upcoming limited-edition coffee cups. This UGC driven campaign proved to be a win-win situation for both the brand and its consumers.

Now, let’s have a look at some major benefits that (UGC) User-Generated Content offers to a brand:

Let us Check What Is The Importance of User Generated Content in Marketing?

UGC reflects authenticity:

In all kinds of businesses, authenticity has overpowered professionalism. And user-generated content is undoubtedly the most authentic form of content in today’s world. Almost every brand allows its users to post genuine feedback and suggestions on its social media channels. The marketers are also continuously in conversation with their customers on the same platforms which enhances the authenticity of a brand.

UGC is cost-effective:

The users are continuously posting rich content related to a brand on different social media channels. Every content is unique and created with a different perspective by a different user. Now, this is common knowledge that collating and curating this content would definitely cost lesser than creating a professional ad campaign which is not even sure to bring popularity and user engagement to the brand.

UGC builds trust & brand loyalty:

If the consumers/buyers are investing their time & money in a product, they expect the brand to invest in them too. There are numerous ways a brand can build trust with its customers. Some of them include:

Acknowledging feedback of the users
Rewarding users for their contribution in a campaign
Incorporating sensible suggestions posted by the consumers

How brands these days are leveraging (UGC) User-Generated Content?

The savvy social marketers today have left no stone unturned to harness the power of user-generated content. They have found out that the key to digital marketing is leveraging the original content created by users. Let’s now explore some unique ways of incorporating this user-generated content in different marketing strategies:

Reviews – The most basic and reliable form of user-generated content is the reviews, feedback & suggestions posted by the consumers of a brand on different social media platforms. These reviews are curated and the most relevant of them are embedded by a brand on its website to attract more users.

Hashtag Campaigns – All of us are well aware of the importance and popularity of the word ‘hashtag’. Many hashtag campaigns have proved to be a boon in bringing users close to the brand. In a hashtag contest, the consumers are asked to share personalized content (videos, pictures, etc.) using a branded hashtag. The best submission is then rewarded in some way or the other. This way, many new users are connected to the brand and the trust of the old users also get strengthened.

Social walls – It is one of the best ways to display user-generated content to a broader audience. Using a social media aggregator tool like Taggbox, a brand can easily collate all the relevant content on one big screen and establish a real-time conversation with its users. These social walls are most commonly used during events & concerts where a huge crowd is ready to participate in the show.

Conclusion:

Every brand has its own personalized way of leveraging UGC but the motive here remains the same – building trust with its users and offering them services in the most authentic and realistic manner. Now since you have gained some useful insights on the role of UGC in business marketing, when are you planning to roll out a path-breaking UGC driven campaign for your brand?