Wednesday, September 13th, 2023
Now more than ever, we know the importance of UGC (user-generated content) in elevating brand memorability and trust. In other words, you can’t sleep on good-quality UGC to make your brand stand out in the market and get your customers talking. UGC has experienced spectacular growth over the last few years, with brands harnessing the power to build brand trust with relatable, personal content.
In this article, we’re going through how you can get started on your UGC journey, and where to source the creators and customers at the centre of this content.
User-generated content is content created for your brand and product(s) by either consumers or content creators, and published to social media. This most commonly involves video creation, featuring a relatable face talking about the impact, benefits and features of the product, often making it personal to their own experience and how it’s solved a particular problem.
It can range from simple ‘how-to’ educational videos to fast-paced creative storyboarding, depending on your vision and the creators you use.
There are many different avenues to choose from when sourcing UGC, depending on the size of your brand and the investment you’re willing to make here. Let’s go through your principal options:
With the rise of UGC comes an new-found industry network of experienced content creators clued-up on how to create scroll-stopping, memorable UGC. You can reach them on talent platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, by writing a callout brief of your desired content/ creator and finding your best fit. Make sure you request and check their portfolio to ensure they’ve got what it takes to create high-quality content for your brand.
In your brief, make sure you clarify what you’d like to see- what B-roll should they film? Do they include a testimonial talking about the featured product, and if so, what should they mention, what angle should they focus on, and should they speak directly to camera or provide a voiceover?
It’s important to visualise what you’d like to see, and get that down in words as clearly as possible, so that your creators can easily understand exactly what you’re looking for.
Provide them with as much helpful information as possible, including your website, product page and any brand guidelines to guide them in the right direction.
💡 Need help sourcing the right creators- or want a streamlined, easy way to outsource this process? We’re here to help. Our UGC service does just that- working with you to source and create high-quality UGC for your brand. Get in touch and find out more – and get your UGC strategy elevated in time for Q4.
If you wish to delve into influencer marketing and find more recognisable faces in your niche, why not look into paid partnerships? You’d pay the influencer to promote your brand/product in sponsored social media content, from Instagram Reels/TikToks to posts and stories. By investing in your brand promoters, you’re increasing your brand’s credibility and bringing it to the attention of thousands of their followers.
Perhaps start with micro influencers (between 10k to 100k followers) or even nano influencers (between 1k-10k followers) if you’re just getting started.
A more informal way to secure memorable content from influencers, without the big-time investment, is gifting products in exchange for social media endorsements. This could be a shoutout/mention on their story, or a lifestyle reel featuring the product and the benefits it brings.
While risking the potentiality that the influencer doesn’t end up endorsing the product you gift them (as there is no contract or monetary agreement here), it is a much more economical way to work with micro/nano influencers and build awareness via follower bases and niches you wish to tap into.
You can also work with loyal ambassadors for regular brand endorsements (thought this is on a more contractual basis). These ambassadors fit the criteria of your target consumer, and help you communicate your brand values and product USPs on socials.
They become a face of your brand, and you can rely on them for a high-quality content stream- via both posting to their page and sending you content for you to use on your own social media account.
The easiest way for you to obtain social proof (ie clear recommendations and endorsements of a product), which is a simple form of UGC, is via customer feedback. You can ask your customers or social media followers to share their thoughts and experiences on their story/posts, tagging you in their shoutouts for a possible feature on your page.
It’s a win-win for you both, and an economical way for your brand to build trust via authentic customer feedback and experiences.
🚀 Need help building your social proof and want to delve into the ever-growing world of UGC? We’ve got you covered. Get in touch with our expert team now and find out how we can help your brand grow in trust and market presence.
