Harnessing the power of user-generated content for social media success

Social media platforms have come a long way since the early days of Six Degrees, Myspace, Orkut, and the like. From an era of simple profiles and 'poking' friends, social media platforms have transformed into powerful tools that connect billions of people worldwide.

Today, people use social media for various things, from connecting with friends to catching up on the news, shopping, interacting with their favourite stars, and so much more.

With all this happening, the audience has also evolved a lot in the content it wants to consume and the things it wants to see from its favourite brands. You could get away with posting pictures of your products in 2015/16, but the audience demands much today. And to make it worse, we have millions of posts to grab our attention.

How can brands stay on top of their target audience's list? How can they connect on a deeper level with their audience? How can they solve their problems better? How can they acknowledge the love and support they receive from their audience? The answer to that is one simple but underrated term - UGC!

UGC is content created by users, not brands. It includes reviews, social media posts, images, videos, and specific hashtags. It is a powerful medium for letting your customers become your brand advocates and do the brand-building activity for you!

There are two primary types of UGC

Organic UGC

This is content that users create independently, often unprompted by brands. It can be a positive review, a user sharing their experience, or a simple hashtag mention. People are generally nice, and wouldn't mind sharing positive experiences through the above mediums.

Solicited UGC

In this case, brands actively encourage users to create content. It could be through contests, challenges, or campaigns that encourage people to take action and share their best moments.

Some of the key reasons why brands should focus on UGC

Trust and Authenticity

How often have we opted for a product or service because it was recommended by someone we know or admire? People trust recommendations from their peers more than traditional advertising. UGC provides a medium to share authentic and unbiased opinions.

Engagement and Community

The traditional approach of posting and forgetting doesn't work in today's digital landscape. We have to share, educate, communicate and nurture our audience to build engagement and an inclusive community. Only the brands that are successful in doing that can build lasting impressions. UGC fosters a community around your brand, encouraging discussion and engagement.

Boosting Conversions

Building trust, community, engagement, and all are important, without a doubt, but so are the sales and revenue. Essentially, most brands aim to solve a problem and make money while they are solving the problem. UGC also helps to solve this, as seeing real people using and enjoying your products encourages others to follow suit and make that purchase.

Free and Abundant Content

Brands often struggle with creating a unique, steady flow of content that keeps the audience hooked. They have to struggle with content and UGC provides a consistent stream of content, reducing the need for brands to generate everything themselves.

Some brands that have used UGC

Starbucks' White Cup Contest

Starbucks launched a campaign encouraging customers to decorate their plain white coffee cups and share the images on social media. The response was overwhelming, with thousands of creatively customised cups flooding the internet.

Coca-Cola's Share a Coke

Coca-Cola printed popular names on their bottles, prompting customers to share images featuring their unique bottles with the hashtag #ShareACoke.

GoPro's Adventure-Driven UGC

GoPro actively encourages users to share their thrilling adventures and extreme sports stunts captured with GoPro cameras. This UGC showcases the product and the exhilarating experiences people use it for. It helps to keep GoPro's social media pages going and builds a solid community of like-minded people.

Lululemon's Sweatlife

Lululemon, a yoga and athletic apparel brand, promotes its products by sharing images of customers wearing Lululemon attire during workouts and yoga sessions. It's another excellent example of using UGC to engage with a community of active individuals.

While UGC offers numerous benefits, it comes with challenges. One of the primary concerns is maintaining control over your brand's image, as user-generated content can be unpredictable. Intellectual property rights also need to be addressed. Permission and legal considerations are crucial, especially with images, videos, or written material. Brands should ensure they have all the necessary permissions to use the content.

UGC can become a powerhouse driving force for your brand's social media success if you focus on generating it and building a strong sense of community. It's a strategy that builds trust, encourages authentic engagement, and drives conversions. In a world where social media platforms have evolved, UGC is the bridge that connects brands with their audience on a deeper, more meaningful level and builds their social media presence.

(Our guest author is Sachin Shah, founder of The Hype Capital)