Psst! Do you want to know the secret to boosting brand visibility, credibility and sales while nurturing steadfast brand loyalty? Here it is— user-generated content. Wouldn’t it be amazing if rather than your business spending resources on ads, you could instead get your customers to willingly do the advertising for you by creating and sharing content about your brand all over their social media and networking channels? It’s totally possible with user-generated content. Just like the name says, user-generated content (UGC) is content created and shared by supporters of your brand. It is the absolute superpower of marketing that every business needs! With 79% of people influenced by UGC in their purchasing decisions, and 29% higher conversion rates among marketers who use it, we will enlighten you on how you can start unleashing the power of UGC in your brand today.
Ask for Reviews and Feedback
Sometimes, the easiest way to get what you want is to just ask for it! Instead of waiting for reviews, prompt customers to leave a review after they’ve made a purchase by sending a follow-up email website pop-up survey. You can also interact directly with people who engage with your posts on social platforms by acknowledging their comments and asking their feedback on their experience with your business. With the permission of your customers, you can then share their feedback on your website and other social platforms.
Create Branded Hashtags
Creating personal hashtags for your brand not only gives your customers the tools to actively promote your brand online, but it also allows your business to track and gather all user-generated content about your brand under that hashtag. Nike, for example, created a #JustDoIt hashtag, encouraging customers to share their athletic achievements and other inspirational stories. The positive message behind the hashtag which speaks to a healthy lifestyle through exercise and keeping fit makes it a hashtag that customers will find convenient, motivating and easy to use. In the same way, your business should strive to create hashtags relevant to its customers’ emotions and experiences rather than focusing on the product or service itself.
Run a Contest for your brand
Hosting a fun activity such as a contest is a unique way of encouraging customers to share their experiences with your brand on your social pages. Content may come in the form of photo and video submissions or writing prompts. Encourage participation by offering enticing prizes for the top three winners at least. That way, more people will be encouraged to participate if the chance of getting selected is wider. And, of course, the more people who take part in the contest, the more user-generated content that will be created and seen all over social media, thus amplifying brand visibility.
Get Acquainted with Relevant Influencers
If you want user-generated content that converts, having an influencer in your circle is a powerful way to go. Their testimony alone can expose thousands of others to your brand and encourage them to become loyal customers as well. Allow your chosen influencer to experience the value of your product firsthand and free of charge, so that they are more enthusiastic about helping you promote it. It’s a win-win situation where the influencer gets to experience your product or service for free, while your business gets exposure to a much larger audience, translating to more sales for you.
Get Your Employees to Do the Talking about your Company
Think of your employees as your own personal ambassadors. They represent the face of your business. They are also the ones who know your brand best and are likely already using your product or service. Therefore, getting them to willingly rally behind your brand is one of the fastest and easiest ways to start creating UGC for your business. Leverage the power of your employees through advocacy programmes which encourage them to share personal experiences with your brand on their own social pages; or through an incentive or recognition programmes which reward employees who contribute to sharing UGC content online.
There is no doubt that User-generated content is a game-changer for any business. Why? Because it is essentially online word-of-mouth marketing shared by the public to the wider online community through pictures, videos, hashtags and text. And if you know anything about the power of word-of-mouth, you understand its potential to rapidly spread and gain consumer trust, faster than paid or promotional advertising ever could.
You know what to do. Go out there and turn your customers into your personal content creators and watch your brand flourish.