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November 12, 2018 Content Chat Recap: A User-Generated Content (UGC) Primer

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#ContentChat User-generated Content (UGC) Primer
User-generated content often lends authenticity to your brand and its messages, but there is a right and wrong way to approach UGC. In this #ContentChat, we were joined by Olga Egorsheva (@egolya) to weigh the pros, cons, and pitfalls of a UGC strategy.

Q1: What is user-generated content (UGC)?

UGC is anything your audience creates that showcases your brand, most often online (but it can be offline as well). Think everything from photos and videos to comments and reviews.

Q2: Why does user-generated content often outperform brand-created content for some audiences?

Authenticity is the main perk of UGC. People trust other people more than they trust brands (and their corporate agendas/messaging), and UGC usually has a natural enthusiasm and energy that inspires others.

That said, ethical brands should disclose what truly is UGC and what isn’t. By disguising paid influencer marketing as UGC, consumers may become disillusioned by any messages related to your brand (regardless of the messenger).

Q3: Please share some examples of great user-generated content and what’s engaging about them.

UGC can take a multitude of forms, and the best examples often have some interaction involved. Q&As, voting,  “share your photos,” and more can encourage your community to participate.

Q4: How can brands find great #UGC their fans are already creating?

Hashtags are one of the easiest ways to find and track content that your audience creates.

Also, know your audience and the sites they use. If they are creating content on other sites, see what/why they are, and find opportunities for them to contribute to your site.

Social listening tools can also help you find content across channels. Cast a wide net with your search filters – users may misspell your brand name or use nicknames.

Finally, engage with your audience. They may already be creating great content you’re tagged in, and liking/commenting/sharing that content can encourage them to continue. Or, simply ask them to create content.

Patrick’s onto something about creating a platform or tool to create content — but he got a little ahead of us. Please refer to the next question.

Q5: How can a brand engage with fans to invite relevant #UGC creation?

Take care of your audience. Ensure they feel heard by engaging with them, and offer incentives for them to continue advocating for your brand.

Incentives can include social contests, giveaways, events and more. Again, hashtags are the best way to track/collect this content, and they allow other users to explore content to spark their own ideas.

A call to action can be the extra push needed to get your audience involved, and consider leveraging individual outreach. A personalized ask to someone can go a long way in garnering brand loyalty and engagement.

Above all, remember that UGC is great to build a community. Don’t activate a UGC campaign if you’re just in it to check a box.

This book may help get you started — David highly endorses it.

Q6: You’ve spotted some great user-generated content you’d love to amplify for your brand. What steps should you take to keep the fan happy and avoid legal issues?

Five easy steps: 1: Share praise. 2: Express your interest to use the content (and detail how you’ll use it). 3: Gain permission. 4: Post the content and attribute. 5: Offer to collaborate on future content.

If UGC is a staple to your content strategy, consider creating an advocates program.

Q7: Where do brand #UGC campaigns typically run into challenges?

Like any activation, UGC campaigns need a clear strategy. Think through everything from start to finish for a smooth rollout.

Putting too many restrictions around UGC can cause it to become inauthentic.

Sometimes you’ll find difficulty getting your users to engage, which is where the incentives we discussed above come in handy.

Or, you may have a flood of engagement that makes it difficult to sort by mere humans. Technology can help with this, but some strides need to be made before we can fully trust tech (especially in relation to image identification).

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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