How to use user-generated content to your advantage

In a digital landscape filled with social posts, videos, photos, podcasts and graphics, one way to set yourself apart is to take advantage of user-generated content. Putting your followers, customers or clients front and centre can have a number of benefits, including building trust and establishing your brand as a respected voice in your industry. But how can you make the most of user-generated content and use it to your advantage?

What is user-generated content?

User-generated content, or UGC, can take many forms, but can be defined as content which has been captured or created by audiences or users rather than a specific brand. This content is often shared on social media channels and can be posted as videos, images, reviews or testimonials. 

Examples of user-generated content can include video reviews of products or services, blog posts which mention your brand or product, photos or screenshots of your service or work, or a user sharing their participation in a campaign or project you’re running.

Ways to use user-generated content

User-generated content is a great tool for building trust and establishing your brand in the digital space. So what can you do to take advantage of user-generated content for your brand?

Encourage audience interaction

User-generated content is a great way to encourage your audience to interact with your marketing or brand-building efforts. Seeing other people post about your product, service or campaign adds legitimacy to your work which can encourage users on social media to take actions like sharing your work or products with their followers and contacts. 

User-generated content is also great for creating a buzz around a particular event that you’re running. If, for example, you hold an event which is aimed at promoting a new product you’ve developed, inviting attendees to take photos and video to then post online is a great way to spread your message or marketing efforts. Those posts will then be engaged with by their friends and colleagues who will see them appear on their social media channels, adding authenticity to your new product and brand. 

Build trust with your audience

Seeing others shouting about the benefits of a particular product or service is a big influencing factor for many. Hearing directly from another customer who is raving about the benefits of a particular service that they’ve paid for helps to build trust with your audience. In addition, seeing people who don’t necessarily work for your company or brand sharing positive feedback about you provides your audience with an authentic source which helps build trust. 

Use it as a resource for gathering content

It can be hard to think of what to post on your social and digital channels, to keep things feeling fresh. Content filmed or photographed by your followers can be a great resource for generating new content to share online. You could ask your audience to make contributions and send in videos of them rating your brand, photos of them enjoying your product, or written testimonials about the experience they’ve had. 

Creating a specific hashtag on social media is another great way to gather content. You can ask your followers to share content that they’ve captured using the hashtag you’ve created. This makes it easy to search online and find images and videos you could reuse on your channels.

Always ask for permission

Before using anything that any of your customers or followers have created, you need to make sure you ask for permission. People might take part in a campaign you’re running or use a hashtag you’ve picked, not realising that you plan to use the content they posted on your own channels. Choosing to use content shared by others without their explicit permission can cause copyright issues and damage your reputation online. 

Many people will be happy for you to use their review of your product or photo showing the benefits of your service, and will be pleased that you asked them. But it's always safer to ask rather than assume that someone will be happy for you to use their social and digital posts as part of your own marketing efforts. 

Highlight engagement

If you’re running a project or campaign which requires participation from members of the public, then user-generated content is a great asset for showing potential participants that others have already chosen to take part. This creates a sense of taking part in something that a wider community is engaging in or generates a fear of missing out. 

Ask participants to record a short video message or take a photo of themselves taking part in whatever you’re running. With their permission, you can use these assets to create your own social posts, add to social media videos or share on your website.

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