Are you always running out of ideas on what to post for your social media marketing content? It can be challenging to come up with new and exciting topics consistently. Have you considered looking to another source to create content? Generated Content (UGC) is one of the biggest trends for social media right now.
What Is User Generated Content?
In simple terms, UGC is content that is created by other people that’s about your products and services or your brand. It’s usually your clients and customers creating the content. Sometimes it’s a potential customer or someone who follows you on your social media. On Instagram, they may tag you, @mention you, and brag about you and your products or services in their posts, stories, and Instagram reels.
Why User Generated Content Is Beneficial
- It saves you time because it’s content that you don’t have to create. Someone else is doing the work for you, and you get to add it to your content calendar!
- Word of mouth is the most flattering form of compliment, especially in business. UGC shows your product and service from your customer’s perspective, not yours. People want to know what real people think about a product before they buy it. Online shoppers do their research by going to the reviews section. If the product has bad reviews, people usually steer away from buying it. But when a product has great reviews and five stars, that product gets the most purchases. If your followers see that your clients and customers are recommending you and giving you a shout out on social media, they will be more inclined to buy from you.
- You have the potential to gain new followers and potential customers. When someone shares content about you or your brand, all of their followers see it and may show interest in what you offer. Even better is if your post goes viral! Are you ready for an explosion of new business?
How To Use User Generated Content
Before you start sharing UGC, keep in mind this important information to use it effectively and legally.
- Encourage your audience to share UGC. To get people to create UGC for you, encourage them to use your branded hashtag or @mention you in their Instagram content about your brand or services. Place your branded hashtag everywhere, such as your own social media posts, branded merchandise, social media bio, newsletter, and email campaign. The more people see it, the more they will remember it and use it when they post about your brand. Another trend is to post a contest or giveaway that requires your followers to share your post and tag or @mention you in the post.
- Be on the lookout for your UGC. If you use a branded hashtag, do a regular search on the branded hashtag to see what people are posting. If someone tags you or @mentioned in a post or story, you will receive a notification, so watch out for those. Try using social listening tools to search for UGC that people have shared about you and your brand.
- Get permission and make it legal. When you find UGC that you want to use, you must get written consent to use it; otherwise, the original content creator can sue you for revenue that proves to be generated by that post! You can ask permission in their post comments or send a direct message advising that you love their post and would like to share it on your Instagram account. Make sure you use the words, “Do we have your permission to use it?”. Most followers are happy, and maybe even honored when you share their post. Once you have their written permission, be sure to tag or @mention the original post’s creator to give them credit for the content.
Other legal tips: don’t use posts with children due to privacy. Many parents would not want other people to publicly post pictures of their children. Also, don’t post photos or videos of people drinking alcohol. You should confirm that everyone in the post is of legal age to consume alcohol and permits you to post if you decide to use this type of UGC.
- Share the UGC to your Instagram feed and Stories. People won’t always see your posts as they scroll through their feed; however, stories are a favorite among Instagram users. Video content and reels are some of the top social media trends for 2021 and are becoming the most viewed content on Instagram.
You will need to use a third-party app for reposting to Instagram. The apps will capture the original post, image, and caption and allow you to post the content to your Instagram account. It will also include a watermark with the original post creator’s name on it. This is much more professional and easier than taking a screenshot to repost the UGC. If someone @mentions you in their stories, there is a built-in sharing feature that allows you to repost the UGC to your stories.
Final Tips
It’s important to note that when you find UGC, you want to be selective about what you post. Make sure that the post fits the image of your brand that you try to portray. Ask yourself, “does this look like the type of content I would create for myself?” You can also edit the colors and filters to make them match your account aesthetic, if necessary. Try not to use UGC too frequently, though. You should still create the majority of your content. But the ability to use UGC is a benefit to you, and it’s fun for the creator to be recognized for their content.
