How UGC Content Creators Enhance Your Content Marketing

So get it on your feed.

But how?

The 411 on UGC

 
Just what is considered UGC? At its simplest, UGC is modern day word-of-mouth marketing, such as someone showing and/or talking about your product or service online: a mother gushing about a moment where her daughter’s daycare team went above and beyond; a grad student remarking how they’d never get by without XYZ coffee; your niece sharing Instagram stories of her besties at a new local hangout. The common denominator, though, is that it’s organic. No one’s paying them to do this and it’s not sponsored.

In other words, your brand now has access to content it didn’t have to pay for or use company resources/time to make. Awesome! Let’s download it and start getting that sweet, sweet UGC on the feed ASAP — right?

Not so fast.

Just because it didn’t cost you anything doesn’t mean you can use it for free. Even if someone tagged you in their post, it’s crucial to build trust with the person creating content on your behalf. For starters, if you don’t, it can have severe consequences in brand perception (like when Crocs used an image of a child without the parent’s permission). If that’s not enough incentive, it’s also your legal responsibility.

No matter how you plan to use someone’s content, make sure you always ask them for permission. Not only does it keep your brand standards and safety top of mind, but it’s a great way to establish and build a trusting relationship. This can be done through a simple comment or direct message, and we recommend being specific about your intentions. Some users may be fine with reposting on social media, but opposed to it being used for other digital media. Alternatively, they might ask you for compensation, and you might decide not to move forward — but you always need to ask first.
 

Oh, the places this content will go

 
So you got permission to use an incredible piece of content created by a follower. Now what?

When incorporating UGC into your social media strategy, it’s important to consider not only what platform is best suited for that particular type of post, but also where the majority of your audience will see it. Getting this right can pay big dividends for your brand: The 2021 Sprout Social Index, Edition XVII: Accelerate found 86% of consumers look to the brand they follow on social media over a competitor. A Sprout Social puts it, “Thoughtfully selecting a network and crafting a social environment to not only deliver content, but to meaningfully engage with your customers there, helps you stand out from the competition and nurture long-term relationships.”

Think first about what format the UGC is in. Video works well on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Twitter can be useful for sharing images. And TikTok is, of course, taking off with younger demos and short-form video. Instagram, though, is the pinnacle platform for UGC as it supports multiple content options; from photos to videos to Stories and Reels, it’s easy to collect and share UGC there.

But what if the type of UGC you want can’t be found?

As the old saying goes, “If you build it, they will come.” Or, in this case, if you create a hashtag, they may use it.

The premium example is Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign which started in Australia before expanding worldwide. It fostered more than 600,000 uses of the hashtag on Instagram alone, and helped the legacy brand transition its target audience from baby boomers to millennials. Another example is our very own client Best Western® Hotels & Resorts’ #BWsmiles, which guests can use to share their remarkable experiences at the company’s locations worldwide.