UGC or User Generated Content is one of the growing trends in social networks that consists of content creation by people who do not do it professionally. Their publications range from product reviews and testimonials to images or videos.
This is a technique that helps improve brand credibility, sales-focused conversion, and lead generation. In fact, 87% of businesses that practice it say that UGC has improved their sales, and 92% that it has boosted their brand recognition, according to the Consumer trends survey conducted by Hubspot.
Due to its importance, in this article we tell you what UGC is exactly, the benefits it brings and how you can use it in your marketing campaigns. In addition, you will find several examples of companies that are already using it and what their results have been. Let’s get started!
What is UGC (User Generated Content)?
The term UGC or User Generated Content is used to describe any form of content that is created and shared by users on the internet. Thus, UGC can take the form of text, images, videos or reviews created organically. Its main characteristic is that it has been generated by users instead of by brands and that it is not carried out by professional influencers.
UGC stands out as one of the fundamental marketing trends because it provides authenticity and increases interaction with social media users. Sometimes, advertising actions created by brands experience the difficulty of mobilizing a true community of users. However, through UGC companies can create close ties with their potential customers and also boost their credibility.
As we explained, this type of content can be very varied, from vertical video, through TikTok lives to images in various sizes.
What Objectives Does UGC Pursue?
First, UGC seeks to actively involve users and encourage their participation in the creation and exchange of content. Applied to an advertising strategy, this interaction takes place around a product, a service or an action that the brand puts in place. Based on this initial approach, UGC pursues a series of objectives that we summarize below:
- Boosting credibility and authenticity: UGC seeks to increase the credibility of a brand, its products or services, since content generated by users enjoys greater credibility than other advertising techniques considered more invasive.
- Increase in sales: one of the main objectives of UGC is the increase in sales of a certain product or service as a result of the organic publication of content and the interaction that is generated with the audience.
- Direct conversion: in addition to having an effect on sales, UGC also pursues conversion through a call to action made by the user. For example, when encouraging their community to register on a registration form to participate in a raffle, the brand can increase its base of contacts with potential customers. Similarly, the call to action may be to participate in a brand event or drive traffic to its website, among others.
- Audience analysis: another objective is to better understand a company’s target, analyzing how users interact with the brand, the type of content they prefer, or their interests and opinions about their products or services.
In short, the main objectives will be determined by the needs of the brand, which must establish a series of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), to be able to measure the results of the UGC action that it has carried out.
What Benefits Does UGC Bring?
UGC relies on the power of content generated by users to mobilize and inspire a brand’s target audience. In this sense, it presents a series of benefits that differentiate this technique from any other marketing content:
Trust in the Brand
UGC is perceived by users as more genuine than content created by the brands themselves, as it comes from real users who share their own experiences and opinions. In this sense, it is estimated that UGC has a 9.8 times more powerful impact for consumers, according to the study Bridging the Gap: Consumer & Marketing Perspectives on Content in the Digital Age by Stackla. In this way, User Generated Content is able to boost consumer confidence in the brand.
Impact on Sales Objectives and Conversion
As we mentioned above, a well-designed UGC campaign can directly influence sales objectives, by having a direct impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions. What’s more, 87% of companies that have launched a User Generated Content campaign say that it has had a direct impact on improving their sales.
Similarly, it is a strategy focused on conversion and obtaining results based on the established objectives.
Versatility
UGC can take various formats: product reviews, testimonials, photos, videos, etc. Allowing brands to leverage a wide range of content to support their marketing and communication strategies.
Thus, these contents are key both in social networks and in review portals, but they can also have an important impact on email marketing campaigns or on the impact on media.
Brand Visibility
Since UGC is shared on social networks and other online platforms, it has the ability to increase brand visibility in digital channels beyond the company’s own profiles. In addition, the brand can also reach more potential customers among those who follow the users who generate content associated with it.
Sense of Belonging and Community Creation
UGC also seeks to promote the link of users to a brand and, ultimately, achieve customer loyalty and retention. In this way, the company can connect organically with its audience and create a community on social networks.
Today, UGC is everywhere: from the content of other users that brands share almost daily, to campaigns specifically aimed at mobilizing this type of publication. In this sense, we share three examples of UGC campaigns that stand out for their results and that can serve as inspiration to develop your strategy:
Three Examples of Campaigns with User-Generated Content
1. Sephora
Sephora has put UGC at the center of some of its most successful campaigns. This is the case of its Beauty insider Community, an online community in which Sephora promotes UGC so that members actively share tips, tricks and product reviews. A widely successful strategy that has fostered the loyalty of these users, but also the discovery of new products.
In addition, Sephora has also integrated UGC into its online store, which includes photo galleries with images of customers using its products.
2. Crocs
The footwear company Crocs has starred in some of the most striking UGC campaigns. Its commitment to User Generated Content took a definitive step between 2018 and 2019, years in which they generated at least 15 UGC campaigns together with 170 creators, rising as one of the most successful companies in using this approach.
For example, one of its most outstanding UGC initiatives was based on the charms or crocs pins, the accessories that can be incorporated into this footwear to personalize it. In this sense, they invited users to show how they customize their crocs under the hashtag #MyCrocsEra, appealing to them to express themselves while promoting the creation of community around the fans of this footwear.
3. Pikolinos
The Pikolinos UGC campaign was based on the launch of a raffle in a video that exceeded 1.5 million views on Youtube and that achieved up to 2,500 participations by users.
In this campaign, designed by 2btube, the content creator on TikTok, Raquel Gonla, managed to connect with the public of the brand in a natural way, as she was not perceived as a professional influencer, but as a network user who stands out for her authenticity and for the quality of her publications.
As a fundamental pillar for the success of this action, the focus was placed from the beginning on creating a previous strategy with clear KPIs. Afterwards, the creation of the content that met these objectives, was attractive and managed to connect with the audience was left in the hands of Raquel Gonla.
9 Tips for Using UGC in your Advertising Campaigns
User Generated Content is understood in two ways: as a channel available constantly beyond specific campaigns, for example through the positive reviews generated by users spontaneously, and as a specific campaign that companies can create.
It is the second case that significantly amplifies the impact of UGC. In this sense, we share the following guidelines and tips to successfully develop a UGC strategy:
- Establish the objectives of the campaign and a series of KPIs to measure its impact and how it has been possible to fulfill what was initially proposed.
- Analyze on which platform the target audience of your company is and identify the networks in which the action will have a greater impact. This will help you select the content creators that best suit your brand.
- Design an attractive starting point to encourage the active participation of followers. For example, through a contest or a challenge.
- Select the content generated by users carefully, so that it represents the values and identity of the brand, but is also authentic and of high quality.
- Take advantage of the potential of success stories and customer testimonials as a powerful persuasion tool.
- Put interactivity at the center, beyond the fact that users generate content. For example, the brand can also interact with the content created through comments, or generate surveys or questionnaires around these contents, asking users for their opinion.
- Implement tools to promote virality, from collaboration with digital creators to the use of specific hashtags
- Analyze whether it is convenient to activate a payment strategy on social networks, such as with premium advertising on YouTube, to increase the reach of your UGC campaign.
- Measure and analyze the results to know the effectiveness of the campaign or make the necessary adjustments
How to Start Working on UGC in a Marketing Campaign?
As we have seen, any UGC strategy must begin with a previous analysis and by establishing what are the objectives that are pursued. Similarly, it is key to study the type of user to whom it is directed, the platforms that are going to be used and what actions are the most suitable to achieve the purpose of the brand.
In this sense, doing a good previous work is essential to obtain the results that are pursued. For this, the help of a professional agency is invaluable, which provides not only specialized knowledge in this type of strategy, but also access to the appropriate technology for the management and analysis of campaigns.
From 2btube we promote the impact of brands through the personalized design of marketing strategies on digital platforms to achieve the success of each action. If you are thinking of developing a User Generated Content or influencer marketing strategy, we are your perfect ally to create and execute the actions that best suit your needs.
Want to know more? Get in touch with us to jointly analyze how we can help you amplify the reach of your brand and design a solid strategy on social networks.