‘User Generated Content’, the term which abbreviates into UGC, is a defining factor in a Brand’s digital presence and it’s business repute. Product ratings, reviews, unboxing and product tutorial contents are few examples to cite for User Generated Contents.
Did you know that more than 70% of the consumer behaviour indicates that they tend to heavily rely on UGCs to verify if a product is convincing enough for purchase?
Let us first probe into factors that have led User Generated Contents/ User Created Contents (UCC) to carve it’s way to such a large influence.
Here is why User Generated Contents are so important:
1. Consumer Awareness
In the present times, consumer awareness has expanded to such a vast extent, that traditional advertisements no longer come across as enough credible to guarantee a product’s authenticity.
In that footing, UGCs are far more persuasive as they gain attention for their thorough feedback about a product than a paid Commercial.
This further nurtures trust on the product due to their fair and honest review dispensed by the user.
2. Brand awareness sparked by website and social media posts
Often, Bloggers and Content Creators post tutorials or ‘how-to’ categories of contents, around product handling or application, that goes on to develop awareness about that particular Brand and it’s product.
3. Eye hooking contents that engages audience attention
UGCs very aptly and fruitfully hook the audience. As stated earlier, consumers today are much smarter and way more informed. This renders marketing and selling products a difficult mission to crack. This is where UGC comes handy. With a customer oriented approach, that is conveyed from one user to another, there is no act of brand advocating involved, which keeps viewers/readers/audiences hooked throughout, detailing a product out to them.
4. Arousing interest on the products
Often Content Creators or users who post their experiences on their social media handles, put in effect a virtual experience which begets interest and fancy among viewers for them to buy the product. It is thus well said, that people buy experience, not products.
5. Positive feedbacks boosts sales
When a satisfied user gives a shout out to their product, a word-of-mouth propaganda usually does the rounds.
This empowers brand reputation and sales as people happen to lay stronger belief on peers than advertising agents, whose sole purpose is to sell.
6. Compatible with the digital way of life
When promoting one’s brand, UGCs are a wiser option to go with. As people have switched to a digital life worldwide, it has come upon to be of utmost importance to take ‘clickbait’ measures for potential customers. Most of the products today, are only a click away since people spend a major chunk of the day online. Thus, UGC bridges the vast gap which traditional marketing no more can.
7. A well knit community to promote brand loyalty
Cementing brand loyalty is a significant asset of which UGCs are simply the wizards of. By building a community of users, Mama Earth has become a household name amid nationwide consumers. Through a circle of users and Content Creators, who take to the net with product reviews of the skin and body care brand, Mama Earth has stood tall among it’s competitors.
8. Viral posts leading to a sense of belongingness
Given it’s virality, brands that harness UGC, kindle a communal feeling among the broader audience.
Ahead of Barbie’s July 2023 film release, there was a huge buzz around it that set the media ablaze as Mattel and Warner Bros. entered the marketing game with AI and AR generated selfie filters.
Barbie campaigns spread all over the media like wildfire as the filters of Barbie Labels and Barbie Doll Boxes began circulating.
These filters stirred up intense childhood nostalgia amongst females ranging from teenage girls to women in their thirties.
Each of them readily participated in the campaign making reels and creating posts with Barbie Filters even pulling out their own versions of ‘Corporate Barbie’, ‘Indian Classical Dancer Barbie’, ‘Architect Barbie’, and many more of the likes fostering inclusiveness in this Pink Crusade (the colour pink being associated with Barbie).
The entire hype and craze made this movie an International Box Office Success, despite it’s competitor ‘Oppenheimer’ getting released on the same date.
Many among the audiences confessed that it indeed was the mass puffery that led them to hit the cinemas and not quite the movie’s plot.
Given the value of UGC in the digital footing, and it’s effects which fuel brand and marketing success, it would be thus interesting to delve deeper and discuss the various benefits that UGCs harbour
Benefits Of UGCs
- SEO and better reach
UGC is very instrumental when it comes to broadening reach through improved SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Bloggers may add backlinks to the brand’s original website or Vloggers may mention them in their posts or name them in their hashtags. This leads to enhanced ranking on search engines as the brand name gets easily identifiable on any search related to it’s products.
- Uninterrupted nature of promotions
Ads have a higher chance of getting skipped by viewers than UGCs which show up naturally, in an uninterrupted manner, ably amassing public engagement.
- Cost-effectiveness of UGCs
UGCs are very cost-effective as users can conveniently avail the websites for rating and posting reviews besides photo/video contents on socials.
Content Creators and Bloggers can be reached out to, over and above at minimal rates, to promote a brand and it’s products while they fish out the target audience for such paid contents.
Furthermore, Micro Influencers and Nano Influencers can also be well bartered with (gifts in exchange of their services) to get featured by them.
- Variety in contents
UGCs are potent in variegating contents in multitudes. A plethora of textual, pictorial and video-graphical contents can be eclectically used in websites or social media pages to spur up engagement.
- Appears authentic to the audience
UGCs highlight the authenticity of brands in all due capacity.
Reviews and ratings can vary from positive to negative, but that is a very promising way to secure attention and familiarity. Through prompt response to a consumer’s negative remark, assuring them a better performance, leaves a lasting promising impression than that of rosy pictures unrealistically painted by advertisements.
- Targeting the right set of audience
Rather than commercials that run the vague path, UGCs always hit to the screens of it’s target audiences.
Content Creators who have mastered the nuances of social media algorithms and Bloggers who are well versed in SEO, will reach their audience aptly and easily. Moreover, User Generated Content Creators have a creative air to their Content, which is also short and precise, thus catering to audience preferences which is again unlike traditional advertising.
Conclusion
Choose Osumare Digital Marketing Agency keeping in view the choices and fancies of the larger audience, UGCs serve a greater purpose with their authentic approach and cost-effectiveness.
Embrace the emerging scopes of digital marketing by utilising the benefits of UGCs in full swing.
Check Osumare Marketing Solutions website for up to par Digital Marketing strategies to ace the Marketing game.