UGC Marketing: Everything You Need to Know

Authenticity is fast becoming much more important in the world of marketing than ever, causing the brand-driven advertising to lose its hold. Nowadays, people choose to trust people, rather than companies, which has led to the rise of UGC marketing.

From reviews to social media posts, photos, and unboxing videos, UGC is a tool every marketer should learn how to use. Here, we’ll look at how it can help you build the trust, engagement, and customer conversions you need.

TL;DR

• User-generated content, like photos and videos made by consumers, not the brand, is growing in popularity as consumers trust content from real users more than brand ads.
• UGC marketing can help you boost trust, cut your production costs, drive higher engagement, and even directly increase your conversion rate. 
• By using branded hashtags, running contests, asking for reviews, and collaborating with UGC creators, you can follow in the example of brands like Coca-Cola, Airbnb, and GoPro to leverage UGC to great success.

What Is UGC Marketing?

User-generated content (UGC) is a term that applies to all forms of content, be they images, videos, text, reviews, or testimonials that are created by the real users/customers rather than the brand itself.  From a marketing perspective, it’s all about fostering the creation of this content, curating it, and then sharing it as part of your own promotional strategy.

While influencer marketing strictly relies on paying creators to represent a product, UGC is a wider term, applying to content from everyday consumers, which gives it the authenticity it needs, as it’s unsolicited, making it even easier for other customers to trust. 

UGC marketing generates positive social proof. People are a lot more likely to believe that a product or brand is worth trusting when they see others trusting it. As such, it’s become a lot more popular lately in social media campaigns, websites, email marketing, and even paid ads.

Benefits of UGC Marketing

The unique nature of UGC marketing, making use of the perspective of the average customer, rather than a message created by the brand, also leads ot some unique benefits, including the following.

1. Authenticity And Trust

According to one study done by Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust “earned promotion,” including organic and user-generated content, more than they trust traditional advertising.

People feel like they’re hearing the genuine opinions of others just like them, rather than being asked to buy a branding message. As such, UGC marketing feels much more human and credible. 

2. Cost-Effectiveness

When you create any kind of brand-led advertising or marketing campaigns, you either have to pay to produce it in-house or pay an outsourced production company to make it for you. In case of consumers creating content for you, like UGC, it allows you to cut way down on production costs, providing a fresh perspective for free.

3. Higher Engagement Levels

People like to see content that features real people like them. As such, they are more likely to leave a like, to comment, and to share it than a branded advertisement, leading to higher engagement metrics across the board.

4. More Likely To Gain Conversions

A study from Yotpo found that user-generated content (UGC), like customer reviews and photos, can increase conversion rates by as much as 161%, with having 50 or more reviews per product leading to an increase of 4.6% alone.

5. SEO and Social Proof

Reviews and testimonials are rich with keywords and fresh content, which search engines love. They also serve as powerful social proof that encourages new customers to trust your brand.

How Does UGC Marketing Work?

So, you are interested in UGC marketing, but not sure where to begin? Just like with any other marketing strategy, first you need a plan.

Outline the main goals you will try to achieve with UGC. Do you want to increase sales, awareness, product videos? Answering these questions will allow you to better understand what needs to be done and how best achieve it.

Next, think about the UGC channels you already have and what you want to attain. You may think you are starting from scratch, but there are already tools at your disposal. Think about happy clients, company partners, reviews online and scour the social media platforms for the mention of your brand name. All of these sources will provide you with a better understanding of the current status and where to go next.

Another thing you may want to consider is how you will be tracking the efforts. Sales attribution, online mention monitoring, site traffic, are all important metrics you can track with UGC marketing. In most cases, teams already have the tooling needed for such tracking, just need to set up the process.

Once you have evaluated the current standing, it is time to start your campaign. If you are new, it is a great idea to test out a couple of different approaches and gauge which is the best for you. Platforms like Billo are great for those wanting to explore multiple creators in one place, while direct reach out may work if an influencer already favors your brand.

How To Encourage And Collect UGC

Of course, your ability to enjoy the benefits above will depend on how effectively you can foster UGC creation, which depends on providing the right environment and incentives. Here are a few techniques that can help you do that:

1. Create A Branded Hashtag

If you’re able to get the public’s attention with a catchy brand-aligned hashtag, then you can find many users glad to use it to get feedback and eyes on their own posts when posting about your products.

Nike’s #JustDoIt or Fenty Beauty’s #FentyFace have helped generate tons of UGC, for instance.

2. Run Contests And Giveaways

You can incentivize user posts with prizes for the best out of the lot. This works well with photo sharing contests, and you can add a hashtag and ask users to tag your account so you’re able to collect and share them more effectively.

3. Ask For Reviews

Even just sending a follow-up email after a purchase can make some users much more likely to post a review. You can even offer a small discount for a written or video testimonial.

4. Feature Customers Publicly

Some people are a lot more eager to participate when they get their own face and voice out there. Tagging and crediting anyone who contributes fosters goodwill among your audience.

5. Use UGC Content Creators

There is a wide range of UGC content creators available on platforms like Billo who are ready and willing to create fitting content to match your marketing campaigns that can help you bolster your naturally occurring UGC.

Explore UGC creators today

Best Practices For Using UGC

There’s a lot you can do to improve the impact of your content while avoiding any legal or brand safety issues, like the following best practices.

• Always Get Permission – Ask for consent any time you intend to use a user’s content. Sharing it through social media might be fine, but posting it under your own account or websites requires permission.
• Credit The Creator – Never share a creator’s content without tagging or mentioning the creator. It shows appreciation and also provides another good incentive for others to share.
• Curate For Quality – Not all UGC is going to have the same effect. You should take the time and use AI tools to curate the photos, videos, and testimonials that perform the best and align with the brand.

Explore the latest performance trends for TikTok

• Stay On-Brand – You should try to share content that fits the brand image. If your brand is wholesome and friendly, you might not want to focus on sharing any particularly edgy or risque content, for instance.
• Optimize For The Platform – UGC can be used on Instagram stories, TikTok, your website, or even in email newsletters. Tailor the content format and message for each channel.

UGC Marketing Challenges And Considerations

No marketing method is without its risks of going wrong, and that applies to UGC as well. Here are a few instances of challenges to be aware of:

• Brand safety mistakes like aligning your brand with content that’s offensive or misleading. Vetting your content before sharing it is always recommended.
• Copyright & legal issues, like sharing content without permission, is a classic mistake.
• Moderation is important, as not all submissions will be suitable.
• Representation & inclusion are important, so be sure to showcase diverse voices.

Measuring Success In UGC Marketing

Given that the posts are often not of your own making, you may wonder how, exactly, to track how successful UGC marketing is. Here are a few ways to look out for the markers of success and optimize your future campaigns:

• Engagement Metrics: Likes, shares, comments, and saves on UGC posts (including your own and popular posts from the community) can give you a better idea of the trust and reach of your campaign.
• Conversions and Sales: Using tools like tracking links that you share with users alongside your branded hashtag can help you better see how much revenue is generated by UGC-powered campaigns.
• Traffic Sources: Identify how much traffic is coming from UGC links, hashtags, or social profiles featuring user content.
• Brand Mentions ANd Sentiment: Social media analysis tools can be helpful for monitoring the volume and sentiment of UGC related to the brand.
• Customer Loyalty Metrics: If users see themselves or peers featured, they’re more likely to stay loyal to your brand. Track repeat purchases and lifetime value among engaged users.

Real-World Examples oF UGC Done Right

Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” Campaign

By replacing its own logo with a wide variety of names on its products and encouraging people to share when they find their own or friends’ names, Coca-Cola was able to generate a true trend, leading to millions of shares.

GoPro’s Adventure UGC

Encouraging users to film their adventures using their cameras and featuring them on their channel led to an explosion of popularity for GoPro.

Starbucks’ #RedCupContest

Starbucks’ seasonal red cups have led to a lot of UGC produced during the holiday period, using a contest to turn it into an annual engagement booster for the brand.

Airbnb’s Guest Photos

Rather than glossy professional images, Airbnb often uses guest-submitted photos to show real-life travel experiences. It’s a trust-building tactic that works wonders.

UGC Marketing Final Thoughts

UGC marketing can be a powerful tool to get the user feel more connected and trusting of your products or services. Platforms like Billo can help you get an easy start with thousands of vetted creators in the biggest English speaking markets.

Explore the UGC creators today

FAQs

Continue learning:

• Good review examples
• Tips to reduce social media advertising cost
• Combine ad sets and social media campaigns
• What is a Facebook digital creator
• What are social media content creators