When it comes to spending money on a product or service, are you more likely to take the word of another customer or the word of the brand itself?
Even if you get the vibe that the brand is trustworthy, well, of course, they’re going to tell you what they have to offer is great…
…But when another customer tells you about their amazing experience?
Or about how the product changed their life?
Or about how the service defied any hesitations they had?
Yeah, all of that you’re going to believe. And that’s exactly what makes user-generated content so successful.
3 Benefits of User-Generated Content
User-generated content is good for improving what’s known as social proof — where people see somebody else doing something and feel compelled to do it themselves. It’s also viewed as more trustworthy than content you create internally.
User-generated content tends to get more engagement on social media than other types of content. Because it’s coming straight from another consumer instead of a member of your marketing team, your followers perceive the content as more relatable and, in turn, something that’s easier to interact with in the form of likes, comments, and shares.
And did we mention user-generated content is good for YOU as a brand? When you take into account what your customers are saying about you (what they like, what they value most, etc.), you can better meet their needs in the future. It’s easy insight into what problems, needs, and wants they have — and how you are their answer.
How to Get Great User-Generated Content
User-generated content, in theory, is pretty simple for you as a brand — you don’t have to create it. Instead, you just wait for your customers to provide it for you. Right?
If only it were that simple! Yes, user-generated content isn’t something you have to create. And that’s one of the reasons it’s a great bang for your buck when it comes to marketing (after all, you don’t have to put in much time or energy, but you get a greater return).
That said, you should still be prepared to put in some effort. You’ll probably have to encourage your customers to provide user-generated content at first. You also might have to dedicate a little bit of time to clean up any content they send you, such as some light photo editing to improve the image quality or to stay consistent with your brand guidelines.
Be careful not to do too much editing, though! Remember, the power of user-generated content is its authenticity. You don’t want to dishonestly distort the intention of your customer’s original message.
Besides, your followers will expect a little bit of amateur quality from user-generated content. It makes the message feel more believable.
4 Prompts to Ask Your Customers
Are you thinking of trying to collect user-generated content for an ad campaign? Great!
Your request could be as simple as asking a customer to record a testimonial video, where they talk about how much they love what you do.
Need a few prompts? Try these…
- I love [Business Name] because ___________.
- [Product Name] makes it so easy to _________, ________, and ___________.
- What people might not realize about [Product Name] is ______________.
- I was hesitant to try [Product Name], but _____________.
What to Do if You’re Stuck
Still having trouble getting user-generated content? Maybe you’re just not getting anything that really fits the message you want to share with your target audience?
We’ll let you in on a secret: At Till, one of our specialties is creating ads that mimic user-generated content.
Let’s book a discovery call today and discuss what you have in mind. Reach out to us here!
