Why User Generated Content Makes More Sense
User generated content is the newest trend for the marketing world. If you are into writing content, unfortunately that era is coming to a close in the near future. Video is the next big thing. Taking over the content realm, video is making some moves when it comes to the internet. A high of 80% of the internet will be moving to having and utilizing video content by the year 2021. That’s huge, so if you haven’t jumped on the video bandwagon, you better hop on soon or you’ll risk being left behind. Trust us, no one wants to be irrelevant just because they don’t use video content.
With that being said, video doesn’t appeal to all of the masses. Some people enjoy reading much more than watching a video about the same topic. It’s just like how some people prefer to read the book opposed to watching a movie about the book. If this is you, you’re in luck. There is a way to embrace the trend without over exerting yourself.
When thinking about user-generated content, we’re not talking about creating new content, but instead finding content that is already out there. There is so much potential user-generated content to utilize, it’s more about where to look.
Why UGC?
Simply put, about 90% of consumer purchasing decisions are influenced by user-generated content. Ads are not hitting home with as many people as they used to. Audiences are less responsive to advertisements and corporate messaging and more responsive to recommendations from peers and influencers they can relate to. What you say about your own business is not as impactful as what other people say and think about it.
Then, video comes into the picture. Some companies have experienced an increase of over 280% more engagement than images, just from incorporating video into their marketing. Now add in some user-generated content and prepare to make an impact in your market and industry.
Finding the Content
Sometimes spending an ungodly amount of time searching for videos that mention your brand is not worth it. This is an opportunity to invest in a video analysis program that can recognize words or captions that mention your brand/company. This tech is so new in development that there isn’t a name for it quite yet, but there are companies out there that have “social listening” mechanisms. This searches video databases identifying logos of your brand across all social media platforms. This in turn gives you a plethora of options of UGC to choose from.
How To Use It?
One option is to share reviews. Reviews are essential for potential customers and clients. They provide that “real experience” aspect and help the company become more relatable. A good review can change a person’s mind and if you’re providing those honest reviews for them, they don’t have to go searching for it. Save them time while sorting through the not-so-legitimate reviews as well. That’s not to say you should only provide the most glowing reviews, but throw in a few that are rightfully concerned and honest, and you’ll gain trust pretty quickly.
Although this option is much harder to find, try throwing in some new uses of your product. Find ways people might be utilizing your services or product that haven’t been done before and brag about it!
Lastly, find influencers! The world is running to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. to know what their favorite people are using. The fitness industry does a great job with this. Research some people that have influence (in followers) in your industry and do your best to reach out to them and recruit them as an influencer of your brand.
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