WTF Is UGC And Why Is It Important?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard of UGC. And if you have no idea, no worries! I’m about to explain it all to you now, so listen up…

WTF Is UGC And Why Is It Important?

Universal Glitter Club? No.

UGC (must make sure I don’t type UFC – this isn’t about Conor McGregor) stands for user-generated content. Content that isn’t made by big brands and businesses, but by the consumers themselves.

Let’s say, Todd drank a really delicious protein shake for breakfast and posted about it on LinkedIn. That’s UGC.

Or, Beth bought a new pair of Crocs and posted a story about them on Instagram? That’s UGC.

Or Team Spag had a day out to the Sea Life Centre, and posted photos and videos from their day? You guessed it – it’s UGC.

You might create UGC content daily, without even knowing… And you’re probably working wonders for businesses, just by living your life!

So why should I care about UGC?

Well, UGC is pretty handy to include in your marketing plan. It’s real-life proof that people are buying, using, and loving your services and products. You could even incorporate it into your social media plans.

It’s better than a testimonial – because as they say, the proof is in the pudding.

According to the Nielsen Consumer Trust Index, 92% of consumers trust organic, user-generated content more than they trust traditional advertising. And it’s easy to work out why – because brands don’t pay for UGC, it’s unbiased, more authentic, and honest.

Some other benefits of UGC include:

• Easy gathering and sharing of genuine reviews
• Building a loyal fan base and community around your brand or business
• Driving visitors to your site with a strong intent to purchase
• Generating an affordable marketing stream – no need for expensive photoshoots!

Show me the UGC!

Some brands have incorporated UGC into their marketing plans seamlessly.

Some of my favourite examples are…

Glossier – they absolutely smash it with their user-generated content. They have a die-hard fan base who aren’t shy about confessing their love for their beauty products.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Glossier (@glossier)

So clever old Glossier use photos taken by their customers for their social media. Not only does it make their customers feel seen, appreciated, and loved – but it shows their audience the benefits of their products.

Alfred Coffee – this coffee shop in LA trawl Twitter for tweets that align perfectly with their brand, and they post them. Easy, right?

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alfred (@alfred)

A little closer to home… Peach Pubs often scour the geo-tags of their pubs, and share photos of people drinking lovely pints in their lovely pubs! Hey, look – it’s me!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Peach Pubs (@peachpubs)

How you can encourage users to generate content for you…

Without outright telling people you want them to create content for your marketing plan, there are a few sneaky tricks you can do…

• Run a giveaway on your socials – encourage your followers to share photos of your products and tag you in their posts. Easy! Also, encourage the winner to post their prize too – even more UGC!
• Use hashtags – choose a hashtag for your brand and run with it. Scream it from the rooftops. We use #TeamSpag? (yes, you can use emojis in hashtags now too!). Now you have a whole page dedicated to you, your brand, and your products.
• Combine these two and you’re onto a winner – run a contest where the prize can be won by using a hashtag. Ala Starbucks red cup contest.
• If you sell physical products, it can be really handy to pop a little promotional card in with customers’ orders, with a CTA on. Things like: share on socials with a link to your socials, or your specific hashtag.

So there you have it.

You now know what UGC is, and how to incorporate it into your marketing plan.

Some final tips for you…

• Always ask permission before sharing – it’s quite easy to repost something you’ve been tagged in on social media, but it’s always courteous to send a quick DM to the creator to ask permission to share. It’s polite, and it can go a long way in building long-lasting relationships and a stronger community.
• Credit the original source! – Whether you’re posting on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube, make sure you credit where you found the content, and link back to the creator too!

Are you struggling to get your head around managing your social media presence?

Finding it difficult to know what to post?

Get in touch with us. We do it every day, and we might be able to help you!

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