Who doesn’t wanna generate more buzz for their brand?
But you know what?
You don’t just have to rely on your own efforts to make that happen.
That’s the old way!
In 2023, the game has slightly changed.
You see… your audience wants to actively participate in shaping your brand’s narrative.
They crave authenticity and genuine experiences.
And that’s where UGC (User-generated content) comes in!!
A tool that allows your customer to become the hero of your brand story.
And help you attract more customers.
Contents
👥 Using the power of your audience
UGC is simple.
It’s basically any content created by your customers or audience about your brand.
The best thing about it?
It leverages the trust and authenticity of real people sharing their real experiences.
Why wouldn’t you wanna use it?
Especially when it serves as social proof and fosters a sense of community around your brand.
Social proof. Community. Brand.
Those are some BIGGG words.
But the real question is…
🤔 How do you use it?
Feel free to pick any of my 3 favourite ways:
1/ Contests and giveaways:
- Create contests or giveaways that prompt your audience to share content related to your brand
- Encourage them to use specific hashtags or tag your brand in their posts
- Offer attractive incentives or rewards to motivate participation
2/ Hashtag campaigns:
- Develop a unique and catchy hashtag that aligns with your brand and campaign objectives
- Encourage your audience to use the hashtag when sharing content related to your brand
- Showcase the best UGC on your social media channels or website
3/ Influencer collaborations:
- Partner with influencers who align with your brand values and target audience
- Encourage them to create and share content about your brand with their followers
- Your goal is to amplify the reach and impact of UGC by leveraging the influencers’ existing following i.e. ask the influencer to run a giveaway or contest for their audience (which is also your audience!) so that the audience creates content
The last method works best if you don’t have an existing customer base.
Influencer marketing + UGC = 🤑🤑🤑
✌🏻 Two brands smashing it with UGC
GoPro and Apple.
GoPro’s majority of marketing is UGC.
They run contests and giveaways all the time.
Plus, let’s not forget their hashtag campaign as well.
Even I bought a GoPro because of it!
Apple, on the other hand…
Who hasn’t seen a #ShotoniPhone ad or billboard?
Even their whole Instagram strategy is around that hashtag campaign.
You know.. in their own words…
“Everyone has a story to tell”
They use it quite well to tell their own.
And so can you!!
🧐 The Next Step:
Regularly feature UGC on your website, social media, or other marketing materials.
Don’t let all that valuable content go to waste.
But make sure that you obtain permission from the creators and provide proper attribution.
It only works because you showcase real experiences with your brand.. and for that, it needs to be clear that it’s coming from an actual, real person.
Authentic stories for the win!!
🧠 Keep in Mind
You need to establish clear guidelines and policies for your UGC to ensure it aligns with your brand values.
Otherwise, it’s just gonna be random shit.
Carefully monitor and moderate UGC to maintain quality. Filter out inappropriate content.
Encourage positive engagement and respond to user-generated posts to foster a sense of community.
As I said.. community. a bigggg word.
You wanna create true raving fans who are crazy for your brand and will have your back even when things go sideways?
Give them importance.
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