You’re a smart marketer.
You have a clearly defined content strategy that pulls customers to your brands message, amplifies your reach, influences purchase decisions and ultimately generates more business.
Week in and week out, you write. You record. You optimize. You post. You share.
But you have this nagging feeling that there must be something more to content marketing…
…and you’re right. There is! It’s called user-generated content.
What is user-generated content?
Also known as UGC, user-generated content is any publicly available content – blogs, videos, reviews, discussion posts, images, etc. – created by consumers, as opposed to brands themselves.
And it’s a content marketing goldmine.
Why should you be using UGC in your marketing?
Megabrands like Apple and Coca-Cola have used UGC for years, because realize the value of its authenticity and trustworthiness. Here are three reasons to take a page from their book of marketing secrets and put the power of UGC to work for your business:
UGC is authentic.
Which would you find more believable: An ad for a restaurant featuring a paid spokesperson, or Facebook videos shot by patrons enjoying themselves?
The answer is obvious, and the reason is simple: The proliferation of spammy digital advertising has made consumers more skeptical than ever. And in an age of disruptive marketing, UGC provides personal, authentic information people can rely on to make sound purchasing decisions. Case in point? People are 2.4 times more likely to view UGC as authentic, compared to content created by brands.
UGC builds trust.
Today’s consumers want proof of what they’re going to get before they buy it. And not surprisingly, they trust other customers. In fact, 92% of consumers trust earned media like UGC more than any form of content.
It makes sense: Content like testimonials, online product reviews and videos of consumers interacting with a brand are fundamentally more reliable than any promotional content that brand creates.
UGC drives purchase decisions.
Building trust and authenticity is important for your business, but what really matters at the end of the day is converting tire-kickers to buyers. And UGC delivers in spades: Nearly 80% of consumers say that user-generated content has had a high impact on their purchasing decisions.
Ready to add UGC to your marketing mix?
Contact BARQAR’s digital marketing experts. We can help you use the power of user-generated content to stand out from the herd – and be heard.
