Written by: Chynna Morgan, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When growing your brand, having a user-generated content strategy (UGC strategy) is vital to your success. There are several benefits of having a user-generated strategy, but three will benefit you, no matter your brand's level. Having a UGC strategy helps build trust, allows you to be cost-effective, and helps your brand create experiences that promote brand awareness. In addition, these three areas will enable you to engage with your audience, giving them the power to amplify your brand while saving costs.
It is very easy for brands to overlook the power of having a UGC marketing strategy. But you might also be wondering, what does UGC stand for? UGC stands for User Generated Content, a form of content shared by your audience and customers centered around their experience with your brand. It could be in the form of reviews, feedback, photos, or videos. Creating a strategy around user-generated content is engaging for your audience and allows you to be cost-effective while getting the much-needed ROI for your company, depending on your goals.
It's all about trust
One of UGC's biggest strengths is the ability to be more trustworthy and authentic than any other type of content. When you see a real person vouching for a brand, your audience is likelier to check out your product simply because a real person is relatable. When you think of an ad campaign or a paid influencer, it could look more forced and not as authentic to your audience. According to a report, 84% of consumers trust peer recommendations above
all other advertising sources.
When your audience sees real people interacting with your company, it significantly influences their curiosity about whether they want to buy your product. User-generated content puts your customers at the forefront of your brand and allows them to vouch for your brand, which is the best type of marketing.
Want to save on Marketing Spend?
User-generated content is the most effective and converting content and is essentially free. As a brand, we all know how important it is to balance marketing and content dollars. With user-generated content (UGC), you're creating experiences that invite your customers to create content around your brand while also getting the ROI you need. A recent study states," the average cost of hiring an influencer can run into millions of dollars.
The average cost of asking your customers to share posts of them enjoying your product? Next to nothing." You are getting a massive library of authentic content that you can use throughout your calendar year to help market and promote your brand while minimizing cost. Content created by your customers or employees can be highly cost-effective while maximizing ROI. Your goal is to create experiences that invite your customers to create content around your brand seamlessly, and boom, there goes your content for the year.
Brand Awareness
When customers love something, they want to yell to the mountains about how much they love your brand or product; amplifying this is a part of brand awareness. As a brand, you need to create opportunities that allow your audience to boost your brand to their network. Social media is a great tool that helps your audience to spread your brand through UGC. When someone shares, retweets, comments, or mentions your brand, it helps build awareness and relationships with your customers. The question is, how do you create opportunities for people to do this?
First, you must be clear on what type of content you want your audience to make and think about the content that will benefit your brand the most. Once you finalize that goal, you can create specific campaigns and invite customers to create content for you. For example, the platform Viddey, allows brands to create user-generated video campaigns within minutes. You create a campaign that generates a QR code or URL link that you send your audience, and they can create video content, depending on the prompt you give them. Giving your audience the power to create content is fun and amplifies your brand because they are most likely to share with their network. Studies show that consumers are four times more likely to make a purchasing decision when referred by a friend.
The benefits of having a UGC strategy are endless; one thing we know for sure is that it is fun, engaging, and empowers your audience's purchasing decisions. Can your brand benefit from a UGC strategy but need help figuring out where to start? Check out Viddey – it makes UGC campaigns simple and easy!
Chynna Morgan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Chynna Morgan is a trailblazer in the marketing and music technology industry. She has worked with several companies around the world to create shareable brand experiences using the power of sound and music. She is on the cutting edge of adtech with her tech startup Viddey. She is dedicated to sharing innovative ideas and perspectives on how you can engage with your audience and, most importantly, get your ROI.
