9 Tips for Getting More User-Generated Material for Your Brand

Many successful marketing campaigns include the collection of user-generated content (UGC).

One reason is that you create a collection of useful and engaging content to post.

People are 10 times more likely to trust you and purchase from you if you post user-generated content on the website and social media accounts.

UGC is similar to reviews and social media posts. It’s created by customers and users based on their experiences and opinions about your products and brand.

Your challenge is to get your customers to create them.

This is why I will be sharing with you 9 tips to increase user-generated content that you can begin doing right away.

Get feedback from users

It is said that “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask.”

Ask your customers to review your brand or product.

You can send them an email, such as this one from Gecko.

You can also add a form below your content that customers can fill out.

Hosting Canada allows you to easily curate reviews about online hosting providers.

Below this is a list of reviews written by customers who have purchased the product in the past or present.

Create a unique hashtag

The creation of your own hashtag for your brand can help you promote it on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Social media management tools are also available to help you get the best results with social media marketing.

It also helps you locate posts that customers have published to their respective accounts.

Here is a sample of user-generated content that includes #socialpilot in the descriptions.

The best part about this is that user-generated content has already been published. Reach out to these users to ask if they are willing to repost their content to your website or other social media accounts.

Many will be more than happy to help you. Many of them will be happy to help you.

Insta Contest:

You can also host a contest on Instagram to increase user-generated content.

This is evident in the #RedCupContest Starbucks hosts every December on Instagram.

The contest gave Starbucks over 30,000 user-generated content to use during the holiday season. It also positively impacted their sales. To participate, you will need to purchase a Starbucks red cup.

Make sure you clearly define the rules of your contest, including how users can take part.

You might offer a Facebook contest where customers can create a post on Facebook about what they love best about your brand.

Listen to the social conversations of your users.

Your happy customers will recommend your products or services to others on social media at any time.

You can keep track of conversations on social media platforms and thank them for their kind words. You can also ask if they’d be willing to collaborate with you by creating an UGC.

These tools include social media analytics, which will allow you to track and analyze user-generated content and which social media channels are performing well.

Based on the data that you have gathered, it is possible to tap these users and make an arrangement for them to continue.

Influencers can help you gain ground

Your brand will benefit from working with influencers who also happen to be your customers in two ways.

First, they understand what content resonates with your target audience. This will ensure that you get the best UGC they create for you.

A second benefit is that they have a large following and are well-respected within their niche. This will give your brand and product an extra boost.

Amy Landino is a vlogger and success coach. She is well-known for her time management and organization skills. Ryder Carroll, the creator of bullet journaling, was open to the idea of Amy Landino as a collaborator when he published his book The Bullet Journal Method.

Initiate an employee engagement program

Three reasons your employees are the most valuable asset of your brand:

They are the driving force behind your business’s success.

They are your best spokespersons when it comes to your brand.

The Edelman Trust Barometer actually shows that customers trust employees more than senior leaders, stakeholders, and even you (OUCH).

Your business’ reputation and income can be directly affected by the engagement of your employees.

You can do this by creating a social media profile where employees can post content that they have created.

HubSpot’s HubSpot Life Instagram page is an excellent example.

Every week, a HubSpot employee from one of their worldwide offices is chosen. The account is fully managed by the employee and they can choose what posts to make.

The result is a wonderful collage that gives a glimpse into the company’s culture. HubSpot can attract people who have the same values and skills as the company.

Create an ambassador program

A great way for loyal customers and fans to produce content for your brand consistently is to have an ambassador program. They are treated like VIPs.

Your “ambassadors”, who are part of an elite clique, will be more likely to produce content about your products or services.

Make sure to clearly define the rules for ambassadors before you start one. You might want to specify what posts they can make, what they cannot mention in relation to posting about your brand and how they can use the perks and benefits of being ambassadors for your brand.

Make a compelling challenge

You can create great content for your brand by creating a challenge that challenges users both creatively and physically.

For example, many fitness content creators have created multi-day challenges where users can share their progress via social media.

You can create free challenges for customers. This not only gives you potential content for your marketing channels but also allows you to engage your audiences in new ways.

But that’s not all. Your challenge can even go viral if it is really exciting for consumers. This will increase brand awareness and retention.

Give your customers an incentive

You’re probably wondering: Is this not like bribing customers to create user-generated content for you?

It isn’t. Here’s why.

It’s hard to create high-quality content, as I mentioned before. Imagine how difficult this is for seasoned marketers.

You can offer them an incentive such as the Starbucks coffee treat G2 offered on Twitter. This is a way to say, “Thanks so much for taking time to help.”

You won’t even lose anything if you nurture and build a relationship with your audience. Soon, you will be able to get user-generated content without any incentives. This is because your fans are willing to talk about your brand online.

Here are some best practices to get more user-generated content in your brand’s favor

Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you build your user-generated content campaign.

When reposting, credit should always be given back

You must credit the original owner if you repost photos, quotes or text you don’t own. This can be done on social media by simply tagging the owner under a caption or in an Instagram image.

Tagging will get you more exposure. Particularly Instagram image tagging where the tagged posts appear on both your profile page and that of the account you tagged. The tagged section of Instagram is a great UGC repository.

Ask permission for photos and videos to be used

You will need to obtain explicit permission from customers or fans if you plan on using photos or videos they have created for your brand materials.

To discuss fair compensation for the use of their work in your brand marketing campaigns, get in touch as soon as possible. It’s best to not use user-generated content as part of your marketing campaigns if you don’t receive a response.

Respect boundaries

Respecting the privacy and boundaries of your users is another important consideration. If you see you were mentioned, tagged, or used your hashtag, you should not curate or repost brand content.

Ensure full disclosures

Make sure you post full disclaimers about how you intend use any user-generated material about your brand.

Explain to your followers that these curated content may be used by your business on social media. You won’t receive compensation for any reposted material.

Use the right tools to monitor new content

makes it easier to curate and monitor user-generated content by using the best tools. Content curation tools will help you find new content about your brand.

You can also monitor the performance of user-generated posts using analytics tools. Are they getting better engagement? Which type of user-generated material is most effective?

This will allow you to refine your curation efforts to curate only the best content, and to think of new ways to continue generating high-quality, curation-worthy content for your brand.

Final thoughts

User-generated content can help boost your brand’s image and products. This will in turn help you get more customers and increase revenue.

These tips can help you generate more content from users for your brand.

You won’t see results in a matter of hours. You’ll see results quickly if you keep your customers satisfied.

That’s the key.

You must ensure that your customers receive high-quality products as well as excellent customer service.

If you are able to give this information to your customers, they will be more than happy to spread the word.

SocialPilot’s first post, 9 Tips to Get More User-Generated Content For Your Brand appeared on SocialPilot.