Heard a lot about user-generated content, but still not clear what it is?
User-generated content is like the selfies and videos you and your friends share on social media.
It’s stuff regular people like you and me create and put out there for others to see. Think about the reviews you read before buying something online or the funny cat videos you watch on YouTube – all of that is user-generated content.
Basically, it’s anything made by folks like us, not big companies or pros. It’s cool ’cause it’s real and comes straight from the people, not some big marketing team.
Expectations from a successful digital marketing professional begin with providing quantifiable results to your clients. To do this, one must have a grasp on various aspects of digital marketing, including content creation. Since it is impossible to constantly come up with creative and unique ideas for your content strategy, people rely on tools and technology.
But what if there was a better way to ace your social media game? The key is user-generated content, or UGC, in short. Any business can use this particular tool to meet their goals in a realistic way.
But before we explain how it benefits you and a few UGC trends that you should check out, let’s dive into its simple definition in the following:
User-generated content is any form of content whose creator is not any brand but its users. Furthermore, you can call any form of content shared by users as UGC as well. Reviews, comments, tagged photos, and videos are all user-generated content. But why do these matter more than professionally created content for businesses around the world?
That’s easy to understand from the following section, where we take a look at its benefits:
Builds authenticity
Any form of user-generated content is a genuine piece of content that your direct customers have created for your brand. Rather than spending hours creating an eBook that the majority of your audience would scroll right through, why not post about how much a user loved a product or service offered to them?
By doing so, you will not only be providing a real-life perspective but also building authenticity and growing credibility around your brand.
Multiply reach & visibility
As a social media expert, I know that a piece of content’s reach and the brand’s visibility are two indicators that should never go down. But when we deal with social media in a world full of unexpected turns of events, reaching your audience through freshly curated content can be a challenge.
So experts say why not use user-generated content, which can easily increase the visibility of a brand? Users who share UGC with their audience (including followers and acquaintances) directly expand the reach of a brand. Additionally, UGC is a great way to attract a brand new audience.
Brings rare insights
User-generated content can bring you some rare and equally valuable insights to improve your strategy. No other analytics or reporting tool can provide you with as much direct information about what your target audience likes and dislikes about your brand as user-generated content (UGC).
From this type of content, one can learn how to improve, bring about changes, and develop marketing strategies. Ultimately, user-generated content helps one achieve success by keeping track of what’s working and what isn’t. Specifically, it can be used as a measure of success that could impact your social media strategy.
The future of user-generated content
Now that we are somewhat aware of the few integral benefits of UGC, it is time to learn about what its future holds. In 2023, experts forecast that UGC will become one of the most popular types of content on social media globally.
To get used to UGC and have your audience take part in your brand’s success, simply plan interactions on social media. All of us have seen contests, giveaways, and trending hashtags on various social media channels that urge users to interact with them in order to win.
This is a great way to get your audience interested in creating user-generated content that benefits your brand. And the best part is that users always get something in return, even if it’s a simple acknowledgement from the brand itself.
Bottom line
User-generated content is a great way to promote your brand and discover new audience segments. So do not limit yourself; share UGC on social media, landing pages, and your website as well.
