Acquiring UGC From Customers: A 2023 Playbook

We are far from a world where people only engage with and consume pictures, videos, and text only created by professionals. TikTok, for example, has created some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry today from people that picked up a camera and pressed record. It has created an incredible opportunity for both consumers and brands.

Brands continue to see the value in user-generated content and its use to build trust with their audience, spread their name, and grow their revenue. If you haven’t started already, collecting this valuable content being posted on social media or shared with your business and starting to repurpose it to benefit your business is crucial.

What is UGC?

User-generated content, or UGC, is videos, pictures, texts, and other mediums created by your customers and published across social media or other channels. Here are some of the more common forms of UGC that can be found:

• Reviews

• Videos i.e, unboxing videos or even product demonstrations

• Pictures i.e, wearing a brand’s clothing or using it in action

• Testimonials

• Podcasts

• Blog posts

  
  

Why is UGC important?

UGC content can be effectively used across all the stages of the buyer's journey to help engage them and build credibility with the brand. Competition amongst brands is fierce, and one of the best ways to attract more customers is to stand out from the rest and build trust with your prospects.

93% of marketers agree that consumers trust content created by customers more than content created by a brand. Therefore, encouraging UGC ultimately helps your brand to grow a community, motivating your customers to share their thoughts and experiences with the product.

UGC can be a significant driver in the success of your brand by prompting purchasing decisions and increasing overall conversion rates. Don't miss out on the opportunities UGC offers, and start utilizing the methods we suggest below to collect your own.

What GoPro has taught us about UGC

GoPro is famous for its small, portable video cameras that thrill-seekers and adventurers love. GoPro is one of the most successful brands in taking advantage of the benefits of user-generated content. In doing so, they have amassed a large following of loyal customers that look forward to sharing their stories and videos to be posted across their social channels.

With three million+ YouTube followers, GoPro constantly uploads user-generated content showing their customers using the product in action, whether it be surfing, traveling, race car driving, or even a wedding! GoPro has captured the hearts of its audience, inspiring them to purchase the product and create their own stories and videos to be shared with the like-minded community they’ve created.

Tips for catching UGC content

Gathering UGC content doesn’t have to be difficult. There are many different ways that you can try to encourage your pre-existing customers to create their own and share them. Here are some tips for catching UGC from customers:

Ask for reviews and feedback

Simply asking your customers for a review or feedback can go a long way towards gathering user-generated content and strengthening their relationship with the brand. Send emails, text messages, or make a post asking your customers to review your product or service and post it online. Many of your brand loyalists will often share their thoughts online for others to read.

Customers will often be happy to support your business and provide feedback on their experiences. People like to have their voices heard, and it is up to you to provide the space for it.

Start a #hashtag

Hashtags are a great way to encourage customers to share content about your brand and its products. A great example of a successful hashtag is Disney’s #ShareYourEars campaign. It urged users to post a picture wearing their iconic Mickey Ears with the hashtag in their caption– for every photo posted, Disney donated $5 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The campaign was a huge success, with nearly 2 million people posting photos wearing the ears and sharing their thoughts on the brand’s positive contribution to society. As a result, Disney collected great user-generated content and made waves worldwide due to their charitable donation.

Launch a contest or challenge

Contests and challenges are another great way of motivating customers to share content about your brand online. For example, the contest can ask customers to post a photo to enter and win a prize chosen by your company.

Sabra Hummus did a great example of this for National Hummus Day. They asked people to share their favourite flavour of Sabra hummus, which took off on TikTok, with creators sharing videos about their favourite Sabra hummus, some videos professionally filmed, allowing Sabra to collect user-generated content they could continue to use across their channel for years to come!

Collecting UGC with Moast

Moast enables brands to build communities of like-minded people that share content about their products to be viewed and discussed amongst prospective customers. With Moast, brands onboard customers to the platform so that prospective customers can ask questions, arrange meetups, and learn more about the company and its products.

A brand's customers are asked to create profiles with a short bio and stories on how they use your product. They then can add posts, videos, and thoughts about their products and the brand. The result is a comprehensive collection of a brand’s best customers and their “user stories” featured on an interactive map.

Moast is the perfect platform to collect user-generated content for your business. Customers can share their content, and you can repurpose it across your brand's channels. It's a great way to engage with your audience and share their experiences with others.