When it comes to brand awareness and being in touch with your customer base, nothing shows you’ve succeeded as well as getting user generated content (UGC) shared with you. Most consumers have an instinctive trust when they come across user-generated content – and they will be more likely to buy into a brand whose audience raves about them than one who has no UGC to speak of.
This is because UGC is social proof – since it’s created by other like-minded consumers. It’s also a way in which brands can boost their sales, build SEO value, expand social followings, and instil trust while nurturing client relationships. Here are the UGC types you want.
Reviews
Reviews are usually the most scrolled-to item on a page after viewing an items price. They’re a way to share thoughts – both positive and negative – about products or services received. The more reviews and high ratings a product has, the more likely it is to be shared and talked about.
Get more reviews by leaving a link to the products review page after a sale and share these reviews and testimonials on your social sites. If you need to start getting reviews, then send email incentives for reviewers, like coupons and reward points.
Contests With Hashtags
Getting your consumers and clients to use your hashtag to win prizes is a great way to build brand trust and popularise your hashtag on social sites. Come up with a short and brand-orientated tag that can easily be shared. Content that is then shared from customers can be used on your brand page and social sites and doing this regularly builds good relationships and ensures your brand name spreads.
Video Content
While reviews were noted in full above, having reviews left via video content is a different kettle of fish. With video content users share their thoughts, feelings or even just showcase your product or brand name in the videos they make – be it product reviews or day in the life vlogs. These tend to be very well received by other customers, and they stand the chance of going viral.
One way to encourage this is to ask satisfied users to record a video testimonial which you can use at a later date in a larger marketing campaign – or you hold a contest and ask users to submit their video content and choose a winner from it, just like Indian casino sites have winners from their games.
Seasonal Content
As the holidays roll around, businesses have better opportunities to relate to the seasonal theme and get users involved.
Creating a seasonal campaign that speaks to users and positions your brand as someone to relate to which they can engage with on an emotional level is a good way to gain interest from those who aren’t yet customers, and to make current customers feel valued and heard. Seasonal tags and video reviews, or even just a brand icon update with a festive hat can have a huge impact on followers.
Remember to offer clear guidance as to what kind of UGC content you want from users, so they can better create something you’ll share.
