The Meteoric Rise of User-Generated Content (with Examples)

Why you should turn to your customers for powerful marketing content.

There are many losers and very few winners as a result of the global Coronavirus pandemic, but one trend to emerge as a standout performer amongst the doom and gloom is user-generated content (UGC). Instead of creating their own original content, brands are turning to their users, who are some of their biggest advocates, to create it for them.

The global crisis really set the stage for UGC’s meteoric rise. With creative teams working remotely and at the mercy of government restrictions, shooting content has proved challenging. At the same time, many people have been stuck at home or restricted in their movements, leaving them with plenty of time on their hands, and more reasons than usual to create content to remain connected with loved ones and the world. By tapping into this, brands have been able to remain top of mind at a time when fresh content may have otherwise been out of their reach.

The grassroots nature of UGC makes it ideal for social media platforms, and with audiences spending longer on social media in recent months, a UGC campaign makes good business sense. UGC is also cost-effective and can be fairly quick to turnaround making it ideal for SMEs and smaller budgets.

The benefits of UGC are unmistakable: by allowing your audience to become part of your brand conversation, your marketing is more authentic, human and believable. When you take into consideration that a staggering 96% of consumers don’t trust ads yet 92% of consumers do trust earned media, it becomes clear just how powerful UGC can be as part of your marketing arsenal.

Here are some of the truly exceptional UGC examples which have emerged during the pandemic:

Campaign Example 1 - Microsoft Teams: To Every Mom Doing Their Best

This campaign released on Mother’s Day depicts my actual life as I attempted (and dismally failed) running my business from home while homeschooling. It was a great reminder that we are indeed doing our best and everyone is in the same leaky boat.

Campaign Example 2 - Mecca Max

The beauty giant said it best about their UGC campaign:

This year, our (and literally everyone else’s) plans changed. When our new Single Shadows arrived after working on them for a year, we were in lockdown. Instead of the photoshoot we’d typically have to help bring these to life, we sent the Single Shadows off to our MECCA MAX family to play with at home, before their official launch. And this… is what we got back.

 

Campaign Example 3 - Apple: Creativity Goes On

Everything about this creative is spot on. The music, the tagline, the aspect ratio, and the sentiment that the one thing that has not been dampened throughout this all is our ingenuity and creativity.

Campaign Example 4 - Samsung; See your world differently

While not quite as stunningly heartbreaking as Apple’s effort, Samsung also had a go with their own ad:

Campaign Example 5 - Vita Pet

A thank you from pet parents to their dogs and cats whose love and support has never wavered despite the world hurting and going into shutdown. Using existing and user generated footage, the social videos were produced in three days and are currently running on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube across Australia and New Zealand. 

Campaign Example 6 - Beats by Dr Dre on TikTok

The company’s first campaign on the video-creation platform taps into two of TikTok’s premium advertising offerings: Hashtag Challenges, which enable brands to directly engage the TikTok community, and user-generated content: with the #BeatsDaisyChallenge allowing the community to contribute to Ashnikko’s new video.

How brands can set the stage for effectively generating UGC themselves

Set the tone: 

Post what you want to see. The more UGC you share on your channels, the more you are signalling to your audience that this content is encouraged, and will likely be shared. More than half of the furniture company Koala’s social feed is UGC sending the message to future contributors loud and clear.

Don’t ask, don’t get: 

It seems obvious but you need to be overt and specific with callouts for UGC content. Make it crystal clear what you’re looking for whether its a product review, serving suggestion, lifestyle shot or testimonials. Don’t be afraid to provide some creative guidelines — this will save everyone a bunch of time.

Make the process simple: 

The less hoop-jumping your fans have to endure, the higher the likeliness they will go to the effort. Ask your customers to tag your account and use a branded hashtag so you can easily locate content.

Give early access: 

Partner with micro-influencers and offer an exclusive first look at a new product or feature you’re offering. This can build excitement amongst their followers and lead to more sales.

Create incentives: 

Contests are a great way to grow your followers and encourage people to share your brand within their own networks. Even offering a small freebie or a coupon code can go a long way. The fashion brand Gorman received over 3000 entries into its Collaborate with Gorman artist competition.

Be authentic: 

Reach out to active UGC creators and let them know that you appreciate what they’re doing, even if you don’t end up sharing. Keep an authentic, positive image so that people feel good about your brand and the fact that they promote it.

Cultivate a strong sense of community: 

Easier said than done but it’s the brands with cult-like followings which enjoy the choicest UGC. Their customers carry their brands like a badge of honour. As illustrated above, Mecca considers their community 'part of the family', and they respond in kind.

Recognise and mobilise super-fans: 

It’s more than likely that a brand’s most connected and hyper-engaged fans will be the ones to kickstart the UGC. They are special and should be treated as such. A brand should be able to identify their super-fans and have created a strategy for turning them into brand evangelists.

Many brands have already seized the opportunities UGC offers in terms of better engaging consumers, strengthening customer trust and cultivating the social proof needed to drive success post the pandemic. By putting UGC at the heart of the customer experience, brands can bring customers together while ensuring a deeper connection with their brand.

This article was originally published in Entrepreneur's Handbook on Medium

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