User-generated content: for and by clients

Throughout the day, you’re bombarded with endless advertising: both offline and online. From videos to posters to adverts on social media. Through this advertising, companies try to convince you that their product or service is the best. That’s all well and good, of course, but how ‘genuine’ are these claims? A clever way to stand out is by using user-generated content (UGC). It’s a successful method that’s increasingly being incorporated into marketing strategies.

What is user-generated content?

The literal meaning of ‘user-generated content’ is: content created by the user. So the organisation does not create the content itself; instead, clients or fans do so. They do this in the form of text, photos, videos or audio – often relating to the product or service. Clients and fans post the content on their own channels, such as Instagram, YouTube or a blog. With user-generated content, the focus is on the benefits of a product or service for the user, not on promoting the brand. For example: someone buys a new jumper and posts a photo on Instagram wearing it. This person is therefore not promoting the brand, but simply showing the product.

The value of user-generated content for organisations

Word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising an organisation can get. Clients talk about your organisation, product or service. They share this with colleagues, friends or family. This is also why user-generated content is so important for organisations. This is because the content is far more credible than if an organisation were to produce the advertising itself. User-generated content therefore has a more positive impact on the credibility of your product or service. There are three different types of user-generated content:

1. Crowdsourcing content
2. Social proof content
3. User moment content

1. Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing encourages users to make a contribution. This allows you to involve your customers in the content optimisation process. Some brands try to encourage this further by linking it to a reward. How you reward customers can vary. For example, you could offer a discount code, turn it into a competition or support a charity. Whatever you do, the aim is to ensure that customers become more engaged with your organisation, product or service.

2. Social -proof

With ‘ social -proof content’, the user provides feedback. This may relate to the organisation, a product, a service, etc. There are various types you can utilise:

• Reviews: The client provides a review of a product or service. This review contains a value judgement. As a result, the review may be negative, neutral or positive. It is therefore really about an assessment, not necessarily a recommendation. The emphasis is therefore on the customer’s experience with the product or service.
• Recommendations: The client recommends the product or service to other people. Because the client is enthusiastic, they want others to purchase the product too.
• Ratings: The client provides a review of the product or service. This may be in the form of a numerical score or a star rating.

3. User moment

Clients share moments of use on social media. For example, they might show themselves using the product or unpacking it when they receive it. Think of unboxing a new phone or item of clothing.

Example of user-generated content

A prime example of successful user-generated content is the Coca-Cola success story. A few years ago, Coca-Cola launched the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign. Cans and bottles of cola were printed with around 150 names. The brand asked people to share a photo using the hashtag #ShareACoke. The user-generated content campaign was so successful that 1,000 names were created. The result: within a year, more than 500,000 photos had been shared using the hashtag. In addition, Coca-Cola’s Facebook page grew by as many as 25 million followers.

The campaign’s success likely lies in its simple design. The call to action was clear and easy to carry out. The campaign’s growth may also have been a factor in its success. As not all names were available, customers could order a bottle with a personalised name via the online shop. As a result, user-generated content generated even more publicity and revenue.

There are many more examples to mention. Think, for instance, of girls showing off new clothes on Instagram or people proudly posting photos of their pets on Facebook wearing a collar from that one popular brand.

Why should you use user-generated content?

Using user-generated content offers three distinct benefits for your organisation:

1. Trust

Good marketing builds trust – you probably already knew that. But when potential customers want to buy something, they want to know exactly what they’re getting. That’s why they look for reviews of a restaurant they want to eat at or watch a video about a new mobile phone they’ve got their eye on.

Did you know that over 90 per cent of Dutch people look at reviews? In the Netherlands, we still base a large part of our purchasing decisions on the reviews of others. This behaviour ties in with the ‘try before you buy’ mentality. Organisations must therefore come up with original and creative solutions to replicate this experience online. User-generated content is the perfect solution for this.

2. Authenticity

Clients perceive user-generated content as authentic, particularly when compared to content produced by organisations themselves. When an organisation utilises user-generated content, it enhances its credibility.

3. Influencing purchasing decisions

Trust and authenticity influence purchasing decisions. Did you know that 80 per cent of people say that user-generated content influences their purchasing decisions? By showing how satisfied others are with your products, you can win over potential customers.

Benefits of user-generated content

By utilising user-generated content, you can enjoy a range of benefits. What are these benefits of user-generated content, and how does it benefit your organisation?

Trust and authenticity

People trust other people more than they trust organisations. That’s hardly surprising, as all companies promise you the best. These days, we no longer fall for that so easily. By using user-generated content, you show your followers that it’s not just you who’s enthusiastic about your product or service. After all, customers are buying it too. ‘Real’ photos or images are also more highly valued than product photos. This increases your chances of persuading potential customers to go ahead and make a purchase.

Savings in time and costs

Creating content is expensive. It also takes up a lot of time. If you hire a photographer and perhaps a model, you often end up spending a lot of money for a limited number of photos and videos. Because clients help you with content creation, you save time and money. What’s more, the content is less likely to become stale.

Endless possibilities

The use of user-generated content also leads to creative campaigns. By enlisting the ‘help’ of clients, you gain access to an endless supply of content (and therefore opportunities). If you have many international clients, you can share photos and experiences from all over the world. Clients often come up with creative ideas that align with the brand. Furthermore, it’s also enjoyable for clients to see their content being shared by a company.

Disadvantages of user-generated content

There are those who focus primarily on the downside of user-generated content. One potential drawback is that, as an organisation, you have little control over the content that others post. The ball is entirely in the client’s court. Particularly when negative content is posted, it can be damaging to your organisation. Generally speaking, this disadvantage does not outweigh the opportunities offered by user-generated content. Furthermore, user-generated content is likely to increase even further in the future.

How can you use user-generated content effectively?

There are various ways to make effective use of user-generated content. We’ll explain how to do this in three steps.

1. Creating desire

People are, by nature, always a little envious. When you share really great user-generated content, you make others a little envious. Just think, for example, of that one friend who shares stunning holiday photos or that colleague with a stylish new sofa. When products or services are presented attractively, someone else will want them too.

2. Inspiring through loyalty

By creating desire, you contribute to the first experience people have with your organisation. By inspiring loyalty, you focus on the long-term relationship with your organisation. This also leads to more purchases. The customers who create content about your product or service are likely to be your biggest fans. If people aren’t yet very familiar with your product or service, user-generated content allows you to show that you have loyal fans. They are delighted with their purchase or experience. It also works the other way round. When you share user-generated content yourself, you demonstrate just how much you care about good customer experiences and happy customers.

3. Building a content library

Creating new content for your social media channels on a regular basis is not only expensive but can also be challenging. It is difficult to keep producing innovative and creative content that is also engaging. User-generated content solves this problem. It provides a fresh supply of content that you can share. Save the content so that you can use it in the long term. Encourage your customers to share their photos using a hashtag. This allows you to develop a continuous source of content that you can keep sharing.

What should you look out for with user-generated content?

Are you inspired and do you think user-generated content is a good fit for your organisation? If so, bear the following tips in mind before you begin:

1. Ask for permission

The user always retains ownership of the photos, videos and information they share. Before sharing this content, it is important to ask for permission. Fortunately, this is not difficult. You simply ask for permission by posting a comment beneath the post, asking if you may share the content. Often, the creator will feel honoured and will be more than happy to allow it.

2. Credit the creator

If you’re sharing someone else’s content, always credit the creator. You can do this simply by tagging them or by providing a detailed description. This naturally depends on your own preferences, but also on any agreements you may have with the creator.

3. Make sharing attractive

If you don’t have a good strategy, your fans or clients won’t take action. It is therefore wise to consider in advance what might motivate someone to create and share content.

One reason might be that the content is posted on a successful social media platform or on a successful website. If this isn’t the case for you, you can come up with other ways. For example, a competition where everyone gets a 10 per cent discount and a winner is chosen.

Learning from content

As well as contributing to your marketing, user-generated content is also a useful tool for market research. If you study the posts from customers and fans carefully, you’ll learn more about the user experience. Perhaps they’re using it in combination with another brand, which could lead to interesting collaborations.

You can also look at the other hashtags used by clients and fans. This allows you to expand your reach, as you’ll start using hashtags you hadn’t used before. User-generated content also contributes to the analysis of language use. What terms are being used, and how are people talking about your product, service or organisation? You might even discover ways that resonate even better with potential customers.

Need help?

Would you like to use user-generated content but find it difficult to get started? At Traffic Today , we’d be happy to work with you to figure out how you can utilise user-generated content for your organisation. Get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to help!