User-generated content has grown tremendously over the years, just as marketing itself has evolved. The content application known as Hootsuite defines this term as, “Original, brand-specific content created by customers and published on social media or other channels. UGC comes in many forms, including images, videos, reviews, a testimonial or even a podcast.” User-generated content is able to expand itself beyond a specific client and agency setting, and transforms to giving consumers, brand loyalists, and other employees a chance to show why they love a specific product, ultimately supporting the user’s consumer decision journey.
According to Social Media Today, there are six key benefits to utilizing user-generated content:
- Take Advantage of Content Curation
- Boost Social Media Reach and Growth
- Get SEO Perks
- Gain Audience Insights
- Find Unique Content
- Increase Personalization
While all of these aspects and more are extremely beneficial for the marketing organization, the question remains, what does this do for the consumer? To put things simply, user-generated content is the purest form of marketing. There are a few key points that Crowd Riff highlight that supports the user in this form of content:
User-Generated Content puts the customers front and center
Instead of marketing to the consumers, you are working together as one. Since the content is coming from individuals that use the products themselves, their own voices are telling the story for the organization. Spotlighting authenticity is crucial and leads to greater success!
User-Generated Content is social proof
Seeing content from the company’s own customers provides credibility and ultimately tries to uphold the brand promise.
Consumers find the brands more trustworthy with User Generated Content
UGC is the purest form of marketing because it’s using promotions by individuals that genuinely love your brand. Consumers are pushed to trust this type of marketing more than any other because as Crowd Riff describes, “There’s not a sales pitch to wade through, and it’s more — well, human.”
Furthermore, User-Generated Content is a win-win for both the agency and the consumers. Not only will the brand be even more supported in this way, but the customer gets a more personal experience with the product. More times than not, human beings are searching for this element of authenticity, and User Generated Content offers a realistic approach to a concept that oftentimes is the opposite.
Here at Burkhart, we believe that user-generated content will lead to successful and long-term relationships with consumers. Learn more about helpful marketing strategies on the Burkhart Marketing website under “Solutions”.
