You’re probably wondering “what the heck is UGC” and how is it pure gold. UGC is User Generated Content, and it’s pure gold because it builds instant credibility and trust for your brand. When someone jumps on social media and says a company or business just did an awesome job building their new gate, or detailing their car or whatever the item or service may be, people listen. Having this information delivered via a friend or someone they follow online resonates much stronger than an advertisement or commercial. Why? People trust recommendations, reviews and feedback from real people. This applies to any and all businesses so make sure you’re doing your best at generating UGC and promoting the positive praise from your friends and followers. 

Gone are the days when brands used stereotypical ways to promote their products and services. In recent times, one of the most used and practical techniques for marketing is the implementation of User-Generated Content (UGC). 

User-generated content includes reviews, comments and feedback, and it comprises all the content created by the user or regular customer of a brand. 

According to a recent study, users trust user-generated content more than anything else when it comes to advertising and promotions. This is because UGCs are usually unpaid and thus, let people know the reality of a brand without any biased opinions. However, it is crucial to know about the best ways of using user-generated content to see real results.

Here are some of the most effective methods of using user-generated content for marketing:

Reviews

Before making a purchase online, we first check the reviews of people who have used the product or service beforehand. As per data, more than 75% of customers check reviews to know about the reliability of a brand and its products. Thus, as a brand, you should find out ways to get reviews and ensure none of the customers leaves your website without reviewing the product they've used. 

Reviews can also be written on other sites like Google, Facebook and Yelp. The most important thing to remember is that positive and negative reviews help your brand look authentic.

Video Content

Another great way of using user-generated content effective;y is by asking the users to create videos that can be shared with your potential customers. User-generated videos are usually viewed by the customers more than any official video posted by a brand. This is because videos can easily be shared and thus have higher chances of being viral and reaching people looking for products and services offered by your brand.

Recently, some famous brands have been asking the customers to submit videos of them using the brand's products and then using those videos to create a combined video advertisement. This is an excellent way of using video content generated by the users to promote the brand or service. 

Event-specific Content

Festivals and holiday seasons can be a great time to use user-generated content for advertising a brand. 

Many leading brands have extensively used this technique, including Starbucks and other food brands. Starbucks launched the Red cup contest specifically for the Christmas season. Customers were invited to share the images of festive red cups through social media, and in return, the lucky customers were given gift cards. Thus, brands can develop such ideas and launch holiday-specific products to encourage social media marketing campaigns.

Collaborations 

You must have come across this word while watching your favourite YouTuber talking about the products they have been using recently. Collaborations are among the newest ways of promoting almost any service you may think about. It is the world of social media, and almost every internet user has social media accounts. As a brand, you can contact the leading content creators on youtube, Instagram and other popular social media platforms and collaborate with them to create content using your products.

Need more ways to promote your brand? Contact with Iron Marketers with years of experience with leading brands; we know all about the effective techniques to get your brand noticed by your potential customers.