What makes user-generated content (UGC) so fantastic and unique? It’s not some new type of UGG footwear; it’s the content created by users! This guide will explore different types and examples of UGC, where to find and use it, and much more.
What is User-Generated Content?
UGC encompasses anything on the internet created or influenced by users. Most online photos, videos, and posts fall under this category. Essentially, if it’s not made by a brand (though they often utilize it), it’s UGC.
Diverse Forms of User-Generated Content
The possibilities with UGC are limitless. Here are some key types:
- Blog comments
- Facebook comments and posts
- Reviews
- User-created videos
- User-generated blog entries
- Forums
- Podcasts
Some popular UGC streams involve brands collaborating with users. Remember those “Elf Yourself” Jib Jab videos that resurface every Christmas? Users upload faces of friends and family, which Jib Jab overlays onto animated dancing elves. The example below shows a user incorporating Harry Potter characters for a Hogwarts-themed Elf Yourself video.
Jib Jab provides the technology and tools, while users add their creative touch, resulting in custom UGC that gains immense popularity and shares.
User-Generated Content Examples: How Brands Can Repurpose It
Previously, we discussed how brands effectively repurpose UGC by sharing brand-inspired fan art and customer testimonials across social media. Let’s revisit some favorite examples.
Domino’s took an eloquent endorsement from a Twitter fan and overlaid it on an image, crafting a shareable visual UGC piece for Facebook and other platforms.
M&M’s runs a “Fan Pic Friday,” sharing UGC across social media, showcasing a user generated content marketing strategy that leverages user creativity.
Starbucks frequently posts fan-generated content. People adore their coffee, and Starbucks proudly shares UGC highlighting that love.
GoPro excels at utilizing fan-generated content, often sharing and promoting impressive customer-created videos on their YouTube channel.
This UGC marketing strategy has been incredibly beneficial for GoPro. As their videos gain popularity, more users aspire to create their mini-films, leading them to purchase GoPros and generate more unique UGC, further promoting the brand and boosting sales. It’s a marketer’s dream cycle!
Reviews are another easily repurposed UGC form. A glowing Amazon review might significantly benefit your website.
Big Barker Dog Beds effectively utilize Amazon reviews on their websites.
Maximize your UGC potential—let your fans contribute. A popular brand naturally attracts fan attention, making the resulting UGC incredibly valuable. Why? Creative individuals discover innovative ways to discuss your brand or product, surpassing even the most imaginative marketing teams.
The result of a highly creative individual
There are countless ways to repurpose UGC across online platforms. An Instagram post tagging your business can be shared on Pinterest, while a Twitter shout-out can become a Facebook testimonial. The possibilities are endless. Don’t waste your UGC—make the most of it!
User-Generated Content: Facts and Statistics
Okay, this all sounds great. You understand UGC and how brands utilize it across their marketing. But the real question is, does it work?
It’s tempting for digital marketers to jump on the latest trends, wanting to stay ahead of the curve. However, this becomes problematic if a trend doesn’t yield significant results.
Luckily, that’s not the case with UGC. Let’s examine the facts and figures:
- Influencer marketing, on average, generates a 650% return on ad spend (ROAS).
- Social media posts incorporating UGC achieve substantially more engagement more engagement than standard posts.
- Using employees to communicate brand messaging leads to way, way more more social media shares.
- Two-thirds of consumers actively seek online reviews before making purchase decisions.
- 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as recommendations from personal connections.
- Three out of every four of consumers rely on social media content to influence their purchasing choices.
- 84% of millennials say on-site UGC impacts their purchasing decisions.
- 74% of millennial travelers find UGC more impactful than professionally captured photos.
- Ecommerce ads featuring UGC receive four times more clicks compared to those without.
- You can effectively implement UGC throughout your marketing funnel, or focus on stages you find most valuable.
User-Generated Content Strategy
Let’s delve into why, strategically, UGC is a valuable addition to your marketing toolkit.
It boils down to one word: trust. People rarely purchase from companies they don’t trust, especially when online payments are involved. Earning new customers requires building trust.
Ask yourself: Would people rather trust your claims about your product or hear it from fellow consumers?
Precisely. As the statistics highlight, consumer trust in other consumers is incredibly high. That’s why UGC is such a potent marketing strategy. When you incorporate it, whether on Instagram, Facebook Stories, or landing pages, you tap into the same consumer behavior that drives them to check Amazon reviews before buying.
Furthermore, curating UGC from existing customers is a fantastic way to engage them in your marketing efforts. The business-consumer relationship isn’t purely transactional. Many customers feel connected to your brand, and curating UGC fosters reciprocity in that connection.
These two key benefits—building trust with prospects and establishing reciprocity with customers—should guide your UGC strategy. When evaluating potential tactics, ask if they’ll cultivate trust and engage your audience.
Consider this example from Starbucks’ Instagram:
While simple, this user-generated photo conveys two messages: to potential customers, “Our drinks bring people together and brighten their day,” and to loyal customers, “We appreciate your content featuring our products.”
Two birds, one stone, right?
Where to Find User-Generated Content
Feeling excited about all this readily available high-quality UGC? But where do you find it? While numerous user-generated content sites exist, knowing where to look is key. (Don’t forget to check out our list of free content marketing tools.)
Here are some UGC powerhouses:
DeviantArt
DeviantArt is the premier platform for aspiring artists worldwide to showcase their work. It’s a haven for creative individuals, offering a diverse range of art forms, from fabric design and computer-generated art to 3D modeling, drawing, and more.
Flickr
As one of the few photo-hosting platforms offering a terabyte of free storage, Flickr attracts numerous users posting their photography. If you find an image you love, reach out to the user and inquire about usage.
Prefer not to request permission? Flickr offers Creative Commons-licensed photos for free with attribution. You can find them by conducting an Advanced Search on Flickr and selecting the “Creative Commons-licensed only” option at the bottom.
Reddit is a treasure trove of UGC, offering images, forum discussions, and comments. If you’re seeking authentic user-generated content, “the front page of the internet” is a great place to start.
Where there are users, there’s UGC, and Facebook boasts a massive user base! Facebook’s recently updated search tool helps you find brand-related discussions.
Finding user-generated photos and posts about your brand is simple with a quick Facebook search. Give it a try and reap the rewards.
Twitter is a hotbed for discovering brand-related conversations. Hashtag your business and see what people are saying. The Advanced Search feature helps you find topic-related discussions within a specific timeframe. You can even embed relevant tweets directly into your content.
YouTube
YouTube is home to the crown jewel of UGC: video content. As the undisputed king of content, video captivates and holds viewers’ attention incredibly well. much longer than text or photos.
Taco Bell’s breakfast menu generated considerable buzz. Searching “Taco Bell” on YouTube yields numerous user-generated video reviews.
Assuming they’re positive, user-generated video reviews can be excellent UGC to showcase and repurpose for your business. Video endorsements carry immense word-of-mouth power, especially since viewers see real people recommending your product, increasing trustworthiness. Text reviews, while valuable, can be perceived as potentially fake, given the internet’s damaged track record with quoting individuals.
In case you missed the humor – this image features a Yoda quote (Star Wars) attributed to Dumbledore (Harry Potter) with an image of Gandalf (Lord of the Rings). For maximum misquotation, the link should lead to “My favorite Star Trek quote.”
Pinterest is another fantastic source for UGC. Users love pinning images, especially food-related ones. Search for your brand and browse through pins to discover any gems.
Instagram has become the leading platform for mobile photo sharing, overflowing with excellent UGC. It’s an ideal platform for hosting contests and giveaways to generate user-generated content (more on that later).
For efficient Instagram photo searches, I recommend using GramFeed—a convenient site that lets you search posts by topic or hashtag.
Amazon Reviews (and Other Review Sites)
As mentioned with YouTube videos, reviews heavily influence hesitant buyers. Explore popular review sites for glowing endorsements of your business. Start with Amazon customer reviews and Yelp reviews, as they host the majority of online evaluations.
People value online reviews (though there are plenty of hilarious ones too) and put considerable thought into their assessments. Utilize the positive ones to your advantage!
No Brand-Specific UGC? No Problem—Think Broadly
The most effective UGC directly relates to your brand. This tailored fan content offers numerous benefits: it acts as a word-of-mouth endorsement, strengthens brand identity, and resonates with audiences. In short, personalized UGC is phenomenal!
Adorable bee illustration by cartoonist Gemma Correll
However, sometimes the “best” isn’t achievable, and the “next best” suffices. If acquiring specific brand-related UGC proves challenging, don’t fret! Instead, seek UGC relevant to your industry. For instance, if you sell mountain hiking gear, target UGC from outdoor enthusiasts. Look for photos, blog posts, gear reviews, or videos from campers.
Goal Zero, a portable solar panel company, frequently shares UGC that aligns with their audience’s interests, such as a guest post on fly fishing.
Always credit the original content creators when sharing UGC. Acknowledge their contributions and experiences.
Need Custom UGC? Simply Ask!
Sometimes, obtaining what you need is as straightforward as asking. Hosting a contest requiring UGC as a submission will have you swimming in it in no time.
Consider Pillsbury’s contest, where fans submit photos of their most vibrant and daring baked creations on Instagram.
The concept is simple, yet bakers eagerly participate, resulting in a steady stream of UGC.
Contests effectively build brand awareness and reach. Incorporating UGC adds another layer of value by providing a collection of fan-created content that can be repurposed across various mediums for years to come.
Winning photos can be compiled into blog posts (which fans will gladly share for self-promotion), pinned on Pinterest, tweeted on Facebook, and much more. What’s not to love?
Communal Blogs
Hosting a communal blog or forum is another avenue for generating UGC.
For instance, YouMoz is a platform where community members share blog posts and content, voting on them with thumbs up or down. Popular articles get promoted to the main blog. Such online communities effectively foster engagement and serve as a source of high-quality UGC.
Struggling with UGC? Fake It Till You Make It!
Still having trouble sourcing UGC? Create your own! While not technically user-generated, you can emulate the style and feel of UGC, which often resonates more effectively with users than overt branded advertising.
Research on user-generated content statistics from Crowdtap suggests that Millennials find UGC 20% more influential and 35% more memorable than branded content. They’re also 50% more likely to trust UGC over branded advertising. So even if your content isn’t genuinely user-generated, adopting that style will likely appeal more to younger audiences than traditional marketing.
It’s unclear if this photo on Starbucks’ Facebook page is fan-made or created by the company, but it embodies the style and concept (pop-culture driven) of UGC. It garnered significant likes and shares online. Nothing beats a touch of nostalgia.
We’ve presented a compelling case for user-generated content. If you’re not clamoring for UGC by now, it’s time for a reread! Your quest for fantastic UGC may take you down unexpected paths, but as long as you unearth some UGC treasures, it’ll be a journey worth taking.
Do you have a UGC success story? Share your experiences in the comments below!