Looking for new ways to spark conversations and create engaging content that followers want to see? Featuring user-generated content (UGC) is a practice that you may want to include in your social media marketing strategy. When you’re ready to mix things up on your networking platforms, let your customers lead the way in bolstering your reputation. Here, we share more about the importance of user-generated content and how to get started incorporating this type of content on your profiles:
What is User-Generated Content?
If you interact with any brands on social media, you’ve almost certainly seen user-generated content on their pages. UGC is created by individuals who aren’t affiliated with the company they’re posting about, so brands often love to showcase these types of posts to build credibility. The images, videos, or simple text posts made by customers are authentic and serve as a fun way for brands to interact with their fans. If you’ve ever tagged a business in a photo of your new gear from a clothing company or a snapshot of your drink from a favorite coffee shop, you’ve produced user-generated content.
How User-Generated Content Can Benefit Your Brand
Although it’s important to produce branded content for marketing purposes, UGC can be helpful to:
- Establish trust. Building trust with your customer base is critical and will contribute to the long-term success of your company. You know what sets your brand apart from the competition, but it helps to show what real people are saying. UGC is similar to a review, so this type of content is great for showcasing on your social media pages. When you share what clients are saying, potential buyers are more likely to take notice.
- Build connections. As human beings, we crave connection. Engaging with your customers is essential for the relationship-building that will strengthen your brand. When you reach out to the real people that post about your product or service and ask their permission to share their content, you’ll nurture those crucial relationships and positive associations.
- Improve authenticity. Savvy web-users can spot an ad a mile away. Even though ads are important, carving out some space for authenticity is a wise decision. The best part is, UGC provides effortless authenticity that’s more likely to resonate with a larger audience.
Posting user-generated content on your social media pages serves several purposes that can work to your benefit. If you’re interested in incorporating UGC as part of your social media strategy, you may be interested in working with a marketing consultant to help you fine-tune your plan. We would love to work with you to create a customized strategy to suit your needs and budget, so please contact us to start the process.