Raise Your Social Content With This User Generated Content Strategy:

Do you wish your posts were more relevant? Wondering how to make the most of your great content?

In this article, you will learn where you can find user generated content (UGC) and how to share it effectively. You will also find out how UGC can benefit your market and find out why it is so helpful to find and publish this type of content effectively.

Why Use User Product Content?

UGC is actually against content with name. Whether it includes photos, videos, or text, UGC always comes from people who are not affiliated with your company such as customers, social media followers, or promoters.

You can find this type of content on almost any social channel. Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are some of the most popular UGC channels but you can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. With permission from the original creator, you can share UGC on your social media or on the website.

Uplift your content socially

For example, this Facebook post by @insomniacookies shares a photo made by fans of a dairy product cookie. Using UGC allows the product to promote special store offers and produce interactive, authentic content that does not look like an ad.

The UGC may sound very simple but the benefits it offers are far more impressive than you might think. If you are unsure if you have started sharing UGC yet, check out these benefits.

Be More True:

Do you see that the content of the social media platform you are publishing does not fit your audience at all? You are probably right. Even if you create healthy content for the home, most consumers can still say that there is a brand, which brings a quick response.

UGC is an ideal partner for named content. Because the UGC comes from people as your customers and fans of the social media platform, they naturally view it as very authentic.

Build Trust and Integrity:

UGC can generate more likes and comments, but for many businesses, the profits go beyond promotional engagement. Sharing with customer-created content can improve the credibility of your business and make it appear more credible.

That’s because customers tend to watch the UGC as they do in the reviews. Many buyers trust online reviews as recommendations from people they know personally. As a result, a good UGC can help your business build a more credible image.

This @DaiyaFoods tweet includes a video of plant-based products in action. UGC acts as a form of authorization, which can increase consumer confidence in the product.

Connect with Customers:

Sharing with UGC gives you a unique opportunity to connect with the people who created you. By re-publishing content created by consumers, you can expose your big fans and build the most rewarding relationships with them. Because the UGC does not require a production budget, your team can publish it at no additional cost or essential resources.

For example, this @CholulaHotSauce tweet includes UGC from Plan Burrito, a popular restaurant. Re-posting this image allows the brand to continue engaging on Twitter while strengthening relationships with the real creator.

Now that you know how consumer-created content can improve your business, here's how you can implement your social media strategy so you can see those benefits.

1: 4 Ways to Use UGC:

Start by identifying what your business wants to achieve through UGC. Do you want to improve interaction, drive sales, increase trust, or achieve another goal? Use the ideas below to further your creative process.

Add Your Products

As biodiversity access continues to decline, finding social media followers to engage with live content is not always easy. If your branded content does not meet the criteria for communication, using UGC authentication can be a wise step. High quality UGC can add new energy to your product feed while giving your team new opportunities to ask questions and encourage comment.

In an Instagram post below, @ followyourheart shares a reel that includes several brands. The caption encourages fans to comment on their favorite product, which leads to more positive engagement and product enhancement.

Show Consumers How To Do Something

Do your products or services have a learning curve? UGC is very good at showing social media fans how to use products and services effectively. As a result, you can encourage customers to get more value for their purchases.

In this context, the UGC can be more convincing than the nameless content. That can have an additional impact on sales, which creates a winning atmosphere for your business and your customers.

For example, this Instagram post @hotforffood shared a series of dishes that fans make using a product cookbook. The pictures enhance the quality of the recipes and provide proof that the cookbook really works — and that consumers can use it to make delicious food.

Shout out to Fans

Getting customers to buy for the first time is a huge win. But encouraging them to buy more or buy more often is a big job.

Building a strong community around your business can be of great benefit to integrity and sustainability. With a well-thought-out UGC campaign, your product can help that community improve and improve their quality of life.

For example, this @GoPro YouTube video shows some of the most experienced product users. The creators featured in the video have won the GoPro Awards, which include cash prizes and branded equipment. The concept promotes continued loyalty to the product while giving the winning creators both exposure and tangible rewards.

Share Style Ideas

Can a little style inspiration help your fans buy or solve a difficult shopping decision? Fashion, beauty, and home decor brands often use UGC to share style ideas and showcase the versatility of their products.

2: UGC source you can share on Social Media

Finding a UGC for your product can be incredibly easy. In most cases, it does not have to cost anything. Here are some ways to find consumer content.

See Your Social Media

First, review your speech on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. If you are lucky, you will find a lot of lifestyle photos and product reviews that mention your product or products.

Search for Hashtags with Brands

If you rely on just talking, you will miss out on a lot of UGCs to share. To collect more content created by fans, search for your named hashtags on channels like TikTok and Twitter. Remember to search for your official hashtags and other versions and misspellings.

While happy customers and loyal fans often share unsolicited UGC, you can always invite them to create content with your product. Ask them to include your hashtag in the captions so you can easily find them, regardless of which social network they use.

Create a Campaign Hashtag

Remember that you are not limited to using name-only hashtags. Are you planning a season promotion or a new marketing campaign? Create a unique hashtag that customers can use to participate.

To find the UGC with the hashtag of your campaign, type it in the search bar of any social media platform. Alternatively, use an external company tool for listening to social media or monitoring the product. Many third-party tools require a paid system, but to get a monthly subscription, you can set up a UGC collection.

Run the Prize

In some cases, customers do not need to be notified to create a UGC that includes your product. But in some cases, you may need to encourage the creators especially if you need a special topic or want to expand the UGC significantly.

If so, consider hosting a prize competition such as free products and services or a cash prize. Not only are creators of the prize giving their time, but it can also increase exposure and produce more interest — often resulting in more UGCs.

Giving does not have to be big or expensive. For example, you can send a customer a lot of free products and invite them to share their transit on social media.

But if you are setting goals for your social media platform, consider expanding the prize range. For example, the @americaneagle TikTok shows the winner of the hashtag product hashtag #AEJeansHaveFun. A prize? The whole life of an American Eagle gene, a reward big enough to produce an amazing response from fans.

Due to the huge prize risk, this TikTok hashtag challenge has generated a lot of interest. According to the American Eagle, 740,000 creators posted 1.3 million videos on TikTok and Twitter, earning 4.4 billion views.

If you are planning to run a competition, keep in mind that some community channels have strict rules on how businesses can run UGC tournaments. To ensure that your competition is consistent, always read the rules carefully.

Because social media captions offer limited space, it is usually best to link to a separate prediction page with competition guidelines. Below, @Petco TikTok features a panel with a list of goals for the Halloween product competition. The company's website has a dedicated landing page with a complete list of legal rules.

Expert Tip:

To simplify the process of running a contest, it is a good idea to use a competition app that can clarify rules, help you avoid a single missed entry, and allow you to easily download content and creator details.

Boost your content socially

3: Share UGC on Your Community Channels:

Finding a UGC is relatively easy and publishing it can provide tons of benefits. So what's the catch? To avoid generating negative feedback or encountering legal issues, following these best practices is essential.

Request Sharing Permission

It's easy to share UGC on social media but that doesn't mean you can republish photos or videos of anyone. The original creator owns the copyright of the content so it is important that you get permission before re-posting.

An easy way to get permission is to comment on an actual post, saying you would like to share content. Alternatively, you can send a DM or private message to request permission.

To clearly specify what content you want to share, enter a link or screenshot of the post or send it directly via DM. To increase your chances of getting a definite reply, consider adding a positive note to your message or explaining exactly how you plan to include a photo or video.

In some cases, you may get permission with a hashtag for your campaign. If you go through this process, make it clear that the creators agree to any permissions they use when using your product hashtag.

For example, this @ canva Instagram post highlights the winners of the weekly design app challenge. The product invites designers to participate using the hashtag #CanvaDesignChallenge, which has clearly defined terms and permissions. When they take turns, the winners receive social media calls, app subscriptions, and product services credit.

Praise the Creator

Creating high quality social media content takes talent, time, and resources. Whether the UGC you publish is from a new customer, loyal fan, or a popular promoter, you should always inform the person who created the original content.

At the very least, give credit where credit is due. If the site you select has additional tagging capabilities, use them again.

In an Instagram post below, @mmushrooms talks about the creator in captions and tags in the photo.

Conclusion:

Whether you want to reward your most loyal fans, attract new customers, or promote interaction, UGC can help your business achieve ambitious goals. With effective workflows for finding and sharing content and paying attention to best practices and platform guidelines, you can make UGC a key part of your digital marketing strategy.