The Complete Guide to Leveraging User Generated Content for Your Brand

What is User Generated Content and Why Does it Matter?

User generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content that’s created and shared by unpaid fans and followers of a brand or company. Rather than coming directly from the brand, it’s produced by customers themselves.

Compared to company-created content, UGC offers a sense of authenticity and transparency that audiences increasingly look for. It comes from a trustworthy, objective point of view that feels relatable.

For brands, UGC unlocks tons of marketing benefits:

Authenticity - UGC offers credibility difficult for brands to achieve on their own.
Reach and awareness - Audiences exposed to UGC can organically discover and learn about your brand.
Engagement - People enjoy and readily interact with UGC from other consumers.
SEO value - UGC often contains relevant keywords and backlinks.

For customers and creators, UGC delivers value like:

Helping others discover useful products and brands through reviews and content.
Allowing creators to showcase their skills and passions.
Building social connections with other engaged customers and fans.
Providing incentives and rewards for creating UGC.

Overall, UGC creates a win-win for both brands and audiences when executed effectively.

Types of User Generated Content to Encourage

There are countless formats of UGC that brands can leverage, including:

Reviews and Ratings

Reviews and ratings left on platforms like Yelp, Google and social media are incredibly influential. They offer authentic opinions from real customers.

Social Media Posts

User reviews, comments, mentions and conversations about your brand on social platforms help drive awareness.

Photos

User-generated photos featuring your products and brand, like Instagram posts or Stories, help drive visual discovery.

Videos

Customer videos like tutorials, unboxings and branded content help bring your products to life.

Blog Posts and Long-Form Content

In-depth blog content like reviews and “how-to” articles can provide SEO value.

The specific types of UGC to focus on depends on your audiences, products and goals. But all forms can help humanize your brand.

Best Practices for Leveraging UGC

Once you know the types of UGC you want, here are some best practices to actually make it happen:

Identify Influencers: Partner with loyal customers, brand advocates and influencers with engaged followings to create UGC.
Provide Incentives: Contests, rewards programs and free products can incentivize UGC creation.
Make Sharing Easy: Add social sharing buttons, hashtags and @mentions to make it simple for users to amplify UGC.
Moderate Content: Actively curate and moderate UGC to filter out negative or inappropriate content.
Amplify Top Content: Repost and reshare top UGC across your social channels when permitted.
Track Performance: Use UTM parameters and links to track UGC traffic, engagement and conversions.

Conclusion

User generated content delivers authenticity and engagement difficult for brands to achieve on their own. By identifying the right UGC sources and optimizing your strategy, you can build trust and connections with audiences in a scalable way.

Start thinking about your ideal UGC sources and develop a plan to incentivize and curate amazing content from your community. UGC can become an invaluable competitive advantage if leveraged correctly.

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