User generated content, or UGC for short, is important for brand promotion, building trust and providing a way for your company to cut through the digital noise of ads and promoted content. Still not convinced? In a Stackla report, 79% of respondents stated that UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions.[1] The correlation is clear: UGC is important for your bottom line.
In this article we’ll outline exactly what user generated content is and delve into its benefits.
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What is user generated content marketing?
User generated content is content such as reviews, videos, social posts etc that is created by a person rather than a brand and its affiliates. Also referred to as consumer generated content, UGC is a growing trend in marketing. Creating rich customer experiences and customer advocacy helps retain and deepen customer relationships.
Take a look at our “Focus On” blog to refresh your knowledge of customer advocacy marketing strategies that work.
How user generated content is important and useful for companies
Why does UGC matter? Done properly, a user generated content plan will benefit your sales pipeline from top to bottom. Let’s look at how in more detail below:
- UGC promotes authenticity and trust – Firstly, content produced by real people is a great form of social proof that increases brand credibility. Against a background of flashy ads and overt promotions, UGC can help your brand to stand out for all the right reasons. How about this statistic: 47% of millennials and 36% of baby boomers trust UGC whereas only 25% of both demographics are reported to trust branded content.[2]
- UGC creates dialogue – Secondly, promoting your customer stories in your marketing and responding to user content shows that your brand is engaged with its customer base. This paves the way for a richer customer experience. Users are seen, heard and acknowledged.
- UGC makes your budget go further – Thirdly, as the opening Stackla research showed, user generated content increases revenue. Customer generated content and the sharing of this content is a cost-effective form of brand promotion. However, UGC can also offer a superior ROI; consumers find UGC 9.8x more impactful than influencer content when making purchasing decisions.
In summary, user generated content continues to increase in importance for your content marketing strategy. Why not check our article on the benefits of driving customer advocacy to see how to delight and retain customers.
When user content increases advocacy
UGC is both an enabler for more sales as well as a solidifier of customer advocacy. Ultimately, the objective of customer experience and brand strategy is to create advocates for your products or services and your brand. However, customer content is an often-overlooked element of customer advocacy. If you liked the experience you received, start to show affinity with the brand and then you see UGC that supports your opinion, customers may become advocates sooner.
Let’s take a simple example. You buy a service and you are happy with your experience and receive a whitepaper about further services. How likely are you to buy the second service? Alternatively, you buy a service and you had a great experience followed by seeing and hearing the feedback of other satisfied customers who bought a related service. Now, how likely are you to buy the second service? Eureka! You just crossed from a customer who may see out their subscription and leave to a customer who has two services and wants to tell others about them.
Your hub for content marketing strategy support
Think Beyond is a management consultancy with agency services. Our focus is on finding the best solution to help your business fulfil its marketing potential. We prefer to start with a solid foundation based on expertise, advice and listening to make recommendations that benefit you. Our team then help you deliver those recommendations so that you can focus on doing what you do best.
If you would like some support crafting a content marketing strategy that works for you, get in touch today. We have a fantastic array of expertise to create your inspiring content from first-rate copywriters to top graphic designs, animators and web designers.
Call 01565 632206 or email sales@think-beyond.co.uk to book a free, no obligation chat.
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