Authenticity, credibility, and customer engagement – all these elements are key to the success of a modern company. If you are wondering how to effectively promote your brand online, reach a wider audience, and generate more sales, the answer might be user generated content, i.e., content created by the users themselves (UGC). Users are no longer just recipients – they become creators who help build genuine and close relationships with the brand, while also increasing its visibility online. Find out what user generated content is and what benefits it can bring to your company.
What is user generated content?
User generated content, or UGC for short, refers to content generated and shared by users themselves, which are authentic and unique materials related to a specific product or service. This type of content is created not by the brand but by its customers. It is spontaneous, created on users’ own initiative, and can take the form of reviews, photos and videos, texts, blog posts, or social media posts. An important feature of UGC is its non-commercial nature – this type of content is neither sponsored nor paid for by the brand.
UGC in social media
The development of social media and other digital platforms has enabled consumers to freely share their experiences and opinions with a wide audience. As a result, user generated content (UGC) has become a great source of information and inspiration for potential customers. Research conducted by TurnTo Networks shows that user-created content is more trusted than traditional forms of advertising[1]:
- 90% of consumers claim that UGC has a greater impact on their purchasing decisions than other types of content, such as promotional emails, newsletters, advertisements, and search results;
- 92% of users are more willing to trust recommendations from other people than content created by the brand;
- 48% of customers say that user generated content is a great way for them to discover new products;
- 84% of consumers say they trust online reviews to the same extent as personal recommendations.
It is no surprise then that companies are increasingly boldly using user generated content to build trust and credibility among their target audience. By publishing user-created content on their websites, social media profiles, and other promotional materials, they leverage the power of social proof – confirmation by customers of trust, authenticity, and reliability of products. This approach allows us to build lasting and deep relationships with customers, influencing their engagement and loyalty, which in turn leads to increased sales.
Types of UGC
One thing is to talk about the importance of content created by users themselves, and another is to use them in your company. However, to skillfully harness the potential of user generated content, it is worth knowing what types of content are at our disposal. Here are some types of UGC:
- Reviews and opinions: There is no better way to use UGC than reviews, i.e. personal user experiences related to a specific product or service. Such brand content can appear, for example, on a fan page, in an online store, or on a Google business profile. To maximize the potential of user generated content, the obtained reviews can be published in many different places – from a tab on your website, in social media, to including them in advertising.
- Video materials: For many people, posts of this type seem relatively complicated. After all, we often feel the need to shoot footage, edit videos, and even add special effects to make them as attractive as possible to viewers. However, with user generated content (UGC), the expectation is that content created by users themselves will be amateurish and thus more authentic. Whether the client creates a tutorial, favorably presents a product, or does something else, videos showing the service or product are extremely valuable and, above all, easy to republish on social media.
- Photos: They are a great form of brand content, especially when the purchasing decision is influenced by the look of the product. Photos not only help audiences get a better idea of the possibilities you offer them but also allow for easy placement on blogs, websites, product pages, or social media, especially Facebook and Instagram. Posts on these platforms are the most widespread type of UGC and should be the focus of our efforts.
- Success story: Success stories are content that most often appears in the context of HR or employer branding. Such content usually focuses on the profile and achievements of a particular employee, presents their career path, and includes positive words about the company they work for and the atmosphere there. They are extremely valuable in the context of UGC because they provide authentic and credible testimony of employees’ experiences, which increases trust in the company as well as its attractiveness as an employer.
Benefits of using user generated content
Content generated by users offers brands many benefits that can help them develop and build stronger relationships with audiences. Here are some key benefits of UGC:
- Authenticity: UGC is created by real customers, not by the brand itself, which makes it more authentic and genuine. The fact that this type of content comes from people who have actually used its products or services adds greater credibility. Customers, seeing real opinions and experiences of other consumers, feel more confident, which helps build trust within this group. Such use of user generated content undoubtedly builds a positive brand image.
- Credibility: Content created by users themselves (UGC) enjoys greater trust among audiences compared to content published directly by companies. Opinions – both positive and constructively critical – attract the attention of many people. Users, guided by reviews from others, form their own views on new brands or products, which is why a strategy based on leveraging user generated content can be extremely helpful in building brand trust and transparency.
- Engagement: UGC influences increased customer engagement by encouraging them to participate in the brand’s marketing activities. This in turn helps build a sense of community around the brand and supports deeper relationships with customers. Users encourage other users to interact. This strengthens interest in the brand’s products and services, which translates into growth in its followers.
- Brand visibility: Brand-related content, user generated content can be shared across many channels, including social media, review sites, and other online platforms. UGC is a good way to increase reach and visibility, reaching a broader audience and new groups of recipients.
- Financial efficiency: UGC can be a cost-effective way to generate high-quality brand content without the need to invest substantial financial resources. This is because user generated content is often created by customers who already use the product or service, rather than by professional content creators and influencers whose work we would need to pay for.
- Understanding customers: By analyzing generated content, you can gain valuable insights into user opinions, their preferences, and behaviors. Such insight will be extremely helpful in further developing products and services, as well as in providing a deeper understanding of the target audience of your activities, their needs, and preferences.
- Increasing conversion and sales: As many as 74% of consumers state that sharing photos of products by other customers increases the likelihood of making a purchase. At the same time, companies observe an average conversion increase of 29% when user generated content (UGC) is published on their websites.[2].
Disadvantages of user generated content
Although using content created by the users themselves can bring many benefits, it is also important to be aware of the other side of the coin. There are certain challenges and risks associated with integrating UGC into the content marketing strategy, which may arise during the UGC creation process. It is worth remembering that it is also possible to outsource this task to external entities, such as agencies offering services in public relations or social media. Below are some risks and disadvantages of user generated content:
- Time and effort: Although the process of creating UGC itself will not affect you, since it is content created by the users themselves, you still need time to properly monitor what people say about your products or services online. We should also not forget to develop a plan for how to distribute the acquired content and schedule publications to effectively utilize the generated content.
- Quality control: UGC is created by customers, so the quality of content may vary. Therefore, there is no guarantee that posts and content about the brand will meet its standards. We also cannot forget about potentially controversial or offensive posts shared by users. This challenge may require additional resources to monitor and moderate the published content to ensure it aligns with your brand’s values and does not negatively impact its image.
- Legal issues: The use of user generated content may involve certain legal challenges such as copyright infringement or data protection. That is why it is extremely important to obtain consent and credit the original creator of the content. In such cases, it is advisable to have not only knowledge of these legal aspects but also experience working with user-generated content, i.e., UGC.
- Negative content: There is always a risk that you will encounter unfavorable content about the brand. This can be: a negative review, posts, or comments criticizing services or products – you need to be prepared for them. However, remember that such situations can be a valuable source of information about customer expectations and perspectives and can even serve as a starting point for making changes and better understanding your audience’s needs.
In summary, user generated content (UGC) is an effective tool that can help build brand credibility and customer trust, demonstrate authenticity, increase engagement and visibility, reach new audience groups, and consequently improve sales results. However, it is worth remembering that UGC requires certain resources – such as time and experience – and also carries some risks that you should be aware of.
________[1] TurnTo Networks (2017), Hearing the Voice of the Consumer: UGC and the Commerce Experience https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-shows-user-generated-content-tops-marketing-tactics-by-influencing-90-percent-of-shoppers-purchasing-decisions-300475348.html
[2] Bazaarvoice (2022), Shopper Experience Index vol. 16 https://www.bazaarvoice.com/resources/shopper-experience-index-2022/
