‘93% of marketers agree that consumers trust content created by customers more than content created by brands. People trust people.’- Tint
Did you know the myriad of photos and videos posted on social media, 60% of them are from the happy customers of the brand they purchase from expressing their satisfaction among peers?
Behavior is assessed by marketers as an inexpensive and lucrative strategy to reach potential consumers and drive sales. That’s true, right? It is a common human behavior to look up reviews and ratings on the internet before actually purchasing the product.
Your target audience includes the Idealist millennials and the globalist Genz that have refused to believe in actors faking their experiences and shifted to hearing from actual customers and their real-time evaluation. So, using old customers to gain new customers seems like the right approach.
The tool once used to aggregate information (the Oxford English Dictionary is a result of public contributions) has now secured an obvious seat in the annual planning calendars. In a survey conducted by Tint, the State of UGC 2021 Report showed that more than 90% of marketers believe that the content created by their customers is more persuasive than the content created by them.
But, what exactly is User-Generated content?
Any type of content, pictures, videos, testimonials, blog posts, or anything created by users displaying the use and worth of your products gets treated as user-generated content. So, it’s your customers promoting and vouching for your products and not your marketing team. The buzzword has immense potential to guide brands towards impeccable success.
Do you know why?
Because your audience trust real users
It is an undeniable fact that consumers look upon online reviews and ratings before actually purchasing the product. An honest opinion from your customers is more likely to impact the purchase decision than a piece of content made by your marketing team.
Source: Photoslurp
Also Check: Strategic Synergy In Content And Social Media Marketing
Because your customers love appreciation
When you feature your customers’ content on your social media pages, they feel appreciated and want to increase engagement with your brand. This stimulates their loyalty and confidence in you.
Source: CMX Hub
Because UGC reaches a wide range of audience
Your customers share their experience with your products to their audience, and when you re-share their content on your page, it reaches your audience. So, in a way, your products get broadcasted to the maximum number of users. The more the audience engagement, the happier you would be as a brand.
Source: Flocker
Because UGC drives sales
Tuning with the rising digital marketing trends, everyone wants to secure new success factors such as engagement, collaboration, etc. But, can you call off the need for sales? No right? Because at the end of the day, SALES is your primary target as it has always been for decades. USG helps you promote sales for your business as it is authentic, and that’s what your audience is craving.
Because UGC is cost-effective
The content generated by your customers saves you time and resources to innovate and create engaging content for your audience.
You can already imagine the impact of UGC on your business. To dive further, here are some of the best examples that will demonstrate the power of UGC and inspire you to set your campaign.
Coca Cola’s “Share a Coke” and “Share a Coke and a song” Campaign
Source: B&T
Source: Brand Channel
The marketing team at Coca-Cola is always applauded for their out-of-the-box campaigns that not only involve the consumers but also create a feeling of belongingness. The “Share a Coke” campaign resulted in the sale of more than 150 million bottles, more than 18 lakh media impressions, traffic on the Facebook website increased by 870%, and the Facebook page earned 39% increased followers. This massive success encouraged the team to launch the innovative “Share a Coke and a Song” campaign.
Starbuck’s “White Cup contest”
Source: Success Agency
Doodle your imagination on a white paper cup and share it on social media platforms; upon winning you can lay your hands on the limited edition reusable plastic cup from your favorite beverage brand. The 2014 contest not only earned the brand loyal followers but also sparked the popularity of the winning prize (so much that it was put up for sale the next year).
Netflix
Source: Customer Think
What can stop Netflix from creating a buzz within their community by promoting fan-made pictures on their social media channels?
GoPro
Source: Veeqo
Next on our list is GoPro’s Instagram page filled with stunning UGC collected across the globe. What’s more- they add the best posts to their feed!
Online media has made UGC a lucrative tool for marketers, and many brands are correctly leveraging its power. If you are passionate about making valuable connections with your audience and expanding your business, it is the right time to employ UGC in your content calendar.
Final Thoughts
User Generated Content is a tool that many companies have started to leverage. And why wouldn’t they, as authentic stories of brands can be displayed.
Look around you, everything that you own is based on an experience someone shared. It could be something that you read online or your friend sharing their reasons for buying a particular product. We humans are social animals, and we feed off each other’s interests and energies. User Generated Content is the best example of converting leads into sales.
