Unlock the power of user-generated content
Driving positive customer reviews and UGC for your brand.
Customers love creating it, social media users engage with it, and brands often drive higher conversions with it.
What is this magical sales tool? User-generated content (UGC).
What is UGC?
Put simply, UGC is content about your brand that is user-generated, that is, created by genuine customers. So, it is not brand-generated, nor is it made by a paid representative or affiliate of your brand.
It’s a customer photographing herself wearing a piece of clothing and tagging your brand on social media, or a happy consumer creating a ‘how-to’ video featuring your brand’s make-up products. It could be a review (written or videoed), a podcast or any other type of content that can be shared to their (or your) friends or followers.
User-generated content includes:
- Written reviews
- Social media posts
- Unboxing videos
- How-to videos
- Blog posts
- Case studies
- Testimonials
Why UGC pays off
UGC is fast becoming one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools for marketers – and for good reason because it highlights the positive – and authentic – experiences of happy customers.
“Consumers are 2.4 times more likely to perceive UGC as authentic compared to brand-created content,” explains Matt Siddle, head of strategy at Webprofits. “So, the time invested in creating a UGC strategy typically pays off if executed correctly. ”Research even shows that customers are willing to pay more and wait longer for products that are introduced to them via UGC."
Why is UGC so successful? Because it’s the ultimate form of ‘show rather than tell’ and it offers ‘social proof’ or validation that your products are loved and recommended by others.
It all comes down to trust, according to Alpha Digital’s head of 'organic social' Sarah McGowan, who says that consumers are increasingly seeking more authenticity from brands. She points to research from Nosto that found 79 per cent of shoppers report that consumer content is important when deciding which brands to like or support.
Plus, says Siddle, it’s a great way to source assets and content – from photographs to videos and testimonials – that puts your customers front and centre at little to no cost.
"It's the ultimate form of ‘show rather than tell’ and it offers ‘social proof’"
Getting started with a UGC strategy
So, how can you start leveraging UGC to drive sales?
Although user-generated content is, by its very nature, created by your customers, brands that want to lean into UGC need a strategy. It’s not enough to simply hope that your customers will post content that you can then share.
To create a strategy, you’ll need to:
- Decide which type of UGC you would like to encourage: photos? Videos?
- Identify which platforms you will focus on
- Decide how to incentivise customers to share content
- Consider the legalities
1. Decide on the best form of UGC for your brand
There are so many forms of UGC that it’s important to identify which are the most effective for your brand or industry.
For example, a teeth-whitening brand such as HiSmile might focus on visual content, such as video and photography, because these formats convey the before-and-after effects of its products. Whereas a service-based business, such as a content marketing agency, might focus on written endorsements.
Video
Video is commonly used in areas such as fashion, beauty, food, pet products – anywhere that the impact of products or services can be conveyed visually.
For example, a beauty brand might encourage videoed product demonstrations or before-and-after shoots, while a fashion retailer might share videos of try-ons, ‘shop hauls’ or customers wearing pieces at an event. A food retailer could reshare filmed recipes or unboxing videos.
You can also be creative with the length and style of filmed UGC and create video montages that feature several customers’ videos.
Video is worth considering for every brand because it is so popular and because many social platforms favour video by prioritising it in users’ social media feeds.
“Video is the most consumed digital format by a long way,” says Siddle. “And with the rise and success of platforms like TikTok and YouTube, leveraging video UGC throughout your marketing strategy is essential for engaging consumers and prospects natively where they’re typically spending a lot of time.” Presence on these platforms is critical in fostering brand awareness.
Images or photography
Video may drive higher engagement, but photographs (or stills) can deliver extremely valuable UGC, too. And while videos can be reshared on social media platforms, it’s worth remembering that photographs can also be included on your website, in email newsletters and more.
Written
Written UGC – or words, quotes and testimonials – can be a powerful way for brands to succinctly relay how customers feel about them and their products.
It’s also a useful strategy to break up video and image content on social platforms, and a quick win for time-poor marketing teams who need powerful content that won’t take long to create.
Siddell explains that quotes and testimonials can easily and quickly be taken from online reviews and transformed into a ‘quote tile’ or social media post.
“With 93 per cent of customers reading an online review before buying a product, generating a consistent flow of positive online reviews is likely the most cost effective and impactful way to continuously build trust in your brand digitally, with a high chance of increasing sales.”
2. Choose your platform
The next step is to consider where your brand will ultimately reshare customers’ user-generated content. “Before you put a user-generated content strategy in place, it pays to plan exactly what kind of content you’re trying to gather and where you will use it as this will impact the direction that you want to go,” says McGowan.
There is little point in sourcing lots of horizontal videos if your brand doesn’t have a YouTube presence. Similarly, stills photography will not be useful for brands seeking to grow their TikTok channel. You can read more about the platforms and different strategies for leveraging them in Square’s Social Commerce Guide.
Video UGC is typically found and reshared on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, but McGowan warns that each of those platforms tend to attract different audiences who are at different stages of the customer journey. Consider the target audience for each outlet.
She explains: “While TikTok [and Instagram] can provide a path to purchase, often audiences are looking for short, snackable content. On YouTube, customers are hungry for a more detailed product synopsis, indicating significant progression on their purchase journey. Category is also key here – if your product needs a more detailed review then YouTube could be your channel.”
User-generated images or photography tend to be shared on Instagram Stories and Facebook, but they can also be edited together to create a video.
It’s also important to remember that user-generated content can be used at every stage of the customer journey – and not just on social media. Your brand’s email marketing, website and e-commerce store can be highly effective – and less saturated – places to share your UGC and reinforce how much customers love your brand. Quay Australia is a great example of this, with countless images of customers wearing their sunglasses on the site.
UGC can also be used on site or in emails to show customers exactly how to use or style your products, too. They can even be used in abandoned cart emails to encourage customers to purchase.
"Before putting a UGC strategy in place, it pays to plan exactly what kind of content you’re trying to gather and where you'll place it."
3. Incentivise your customers to create user-generated content
The next step is perhaps the most important one: deciding how to encourage your customers to share their positive experiences with your brand or products.
Promote user-generated content
If you want your customers to talk about your brand online, you’ll need to prompt them.
In-store prompts
Consider creating in-store prompts that remind customers to leave reviews or share their experience. “For example, if you’re a business owner operating a Pilates studio then placing a sticker with a hashtag or your social media handle onto the mirrors where members usually take a fitness selfie/ picture, will encourage the user to tag your page or use that hashtag,” says Siddell. “Better yet, make your Pilates instructor accountable for taking a group picture and tagging users after each class – that way the chance of sharing increases exponentially.”
Another in-store approach is to set up a sign at the counter asking customers to share their positive experience.
Post-purchase prompts
Think about your post-purchase process and identify points where you could ask customers to share their experiences. For example, an e-commerce beauty brand could include a handwritten note inside each box or in packaging asking customers to leave a review or post on social media. Retailers could also consider adding a request at the bottom of receipts or onto post-purchase emails.
Automated prompts
Asking for positive reviews can be awkward, which is where automation can be useful. Consider creating automated emails asking for positive feedback or sending an digitally generated post-purchase SMS.
Another option is investing in a platform that allows customers to review and rate products easily, as beauty brand Sephora does (below). Software tools like Yotpo, Stamped.io and Junip all aggregate content and reviews and embed them on e-commerce sites.
Create a ‘social media moment’
A subtle way to encourage social media sharing is to create shareable ‘moments’ or settings in-store that lend themselves to social media posts – a flower wall or photo booth at an event for example, even an eye-catching store design or display that will play well on social media. Don’t forget to promote the social media handle or hashtag for your brand or store, too, so you can monitor content as it appears.
Reward those who share
If you’re new to the user-generated content game and want to start small (and cost-effectively), then consider a simple rewards system, says Siddell. This could involve incentivising customers to create and share content by putting them in the draw for a prize.
“Brands can then systematically pick and choose the best UGC they want to re-share to their own audiences. That said, make sure to build in a clause to your competition terms and conditions to allow you to utilise these posts for promotional purposes,” he adds.
Influencers
Reaching out to influencers or micro-influencers is another way to encourage UGC. After all, not only are influencers comfortable in front of the camera but they have content creation experience – and come with an in-built audience.
One strategy is to gift influencers product and hope that those who like the products create content about it. Another is to pay influencers to create content – and then request that they ask their followers whether they have tried your product.
“It’s as easy as the call to action in your influencer’s content, for example: Have you tried this? Show me yours! and What did you think?” Siddell explains, and audience responses can then be used as UGC.
The key thing to remember is to take every opportunity to encourage customers to talk about your brand.
“Really good UGC strategies make your audience feel like they’re seeing your product or service everywhere. You want to make [people] feel curious and give them a degree of FOMO (fear of missing out) around what your product is and what it can do for their status, so create an environment where that can happen organically with the likes of custom hashtags and shared incentives,” he adds.
"Really good UGC strategies make your audience feel like they're seeing your product or service everywhere."
4. Maximise the power of your UGC by sharing it effectively – and legally
Leveraging authentic content created by a consumer can be highly effective, but every marketer must ensure that all shared content is compliant with privacy copyright laws by first securing permission from the creator.
McGowan explains: “When repurposing content, it pays to do your due diligence. If you’re running a social competition and collecting photo or video assets, ensure you have terms and conditions housed on your website and that any social media copy clearly points to these.
“If you encounter content online that you’d like to use, it’s often as simple as reaching out to the creator to ask if you can share the post. It’s usually a resounding ‘Yes’ as the added exposure for the creator is beneficial for their personal branding.”
If you are collecting user-generated content at scale, such as via a platform like Yotpo or with competitions, ensure you notify customers that the assets could be used for promotional purchases. “When utilising UGC as a paid ad to generate more leads or sales, it’s essential to ensure you have a direct agreement with the content creator on the rights to allow for this activity.”
Once permission is secured, make the most of your user-generated content by repurposing it on as many relevant platforms as possible.
“Resharing UGC to your social media pages – via posting on your page, or story formats on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, for example – is a great way to give your followers a light-touch experience of your brand as seen through the eyes of an existing customer,” Siddell continues.
Case study: Bondi Sands on optimising customer-created content
Bondi Sands understands the power of user-generated content better than most. As a socially native brand, UGC has always been at the forefront of the self-care brand’s strategy. Not only does Bondi Sands reshare images and videos from customers but UGC is even factored into marketing campaigns and product launches.
“For the launch of Bondi Sands Skincare last year, we decided to dial up the UGC element,” explains global head of social media Megan Gunn. “We launched with a campaign called ‘Everyday Influencer’ where our community trialed products prior to launch, and filmed and captured content; this went on to be the lead creative, making them the faces of the campaign.”
And are their user-generated content tactics impactful? The proof is in the profit, with Gunn explaining that UGC on TikTok has lifted sales and even led to sellouts in certain countries.
“With the rise of TikTok, we have seen an even greater number of direct uplifts in sales – sellouts even in certain countries and with particular retailers – across products customers have featured in their videos. We now have a strong collective across tan, sun and skincare categories of products that are truly ‘viral’ and an increased new customer base of a Gen Z audience that has discovered us through this content,” Gunn concludes.
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