5 Reasons Why Brands should use User Generated Content

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When discussing about the power of users, the success of Share a Coke campaign almost seems like a cliché but there are so many lessons still to be learnt that people tend to overlook.

Just by letting people decide the label of the Coke bottle, Coca Cola increased its US sales by 2% while doing so it turned the tables on the regressing sales which plagued it's economy for more than 10 years.

Not just coke but there are several user generated content examples that will tell you that when people are given the power to express their opinion, they do it with passion and dedication. With too many passionate people on the Internet, the opinions become resources and add up to a volume which can even serve as a great guide if curated properly.

Top brands like Burberry and Belkin could only achieve the success they have because they could properly harness the power of user generated content.

The power of UGC can simply not be overlooked and below are X reasons why brands should use User Generated Content if they haven't already.

  1. Marketers have increasingly awful reputation:

How many times have people been fooled by sleazy online marketers? The answer is too many; so many that people are starting to develop a prejudice towards marketers. Not just the credibility (or dis-credibility in this case, the power of word of mouth can simply not be ignored. A study showed that 92% of people are more likely to trust a recommendation from another person over branded content on their screens.

  1. UGC is mostly authentic

Apart from some spams, the user generated contents are mostly authentic and the spams too are blatantly obvious if you pay enough attention.

Too bad for Televisions but the days of manipulating visual adverts persuading the customers seem long gone. People now prefer reviews because it is generated from people like them who share a common sentiment. UGC works because it is authentic and people like honest, authentic contents than brand generated manipulative ones.

Tip: While studying reviews usually the people who have given 3 stars make the correct assessment of both positive and negative attributes.

  1. Larger Resource

User Onboarding is a 'must have' characteristics for brands. To think like their customers helps the brands develop a product that well go well with the consumers but even the best of the on-boarder falls short on the amount of knowledge that can be obtained from content which is generated by users.

With many dedicated people expressing their views, it creates a tons of reference for people to back their decision and helps to reduce the 'regret factor' which people instantly develop after getting something they know less about. This can be later used by leveraging your Instagram for email marketing and other owned media tools.

  1. It is cost effective:

You can always hire the people you think are the best and ask them to create content but will it be better than the users who have passionately written nothing but honest things? Will it go down easy with those users? These questions prick you right? That's why it is better to save money by using user generated content.

Though 'professionals' might give you contents that looks flashy but it's the users who put their souls on it. Since its users who will be using the content, UGC seems a win-win here.

  1. People Feel Powerful

Starbucks started a White Cup Contest back in 2014 where the consumers were encouraged to make their own drawings over the white Starbucks coffee and submit their images in the competition for the best design.

As many as 4000 people participated in the contest in only 3 weeks. This suggested that people were willing to engage with the coffee giant and suggested their own ideas for company's good.
UGC does exactly that, it makes people feel like they are actually in charge and have power to control the brand as per their liking. This increases engagement and constructive criticism which helps to make the brands better.




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