Have you ever seen a content creator showing their audience their latest purchase? People can find this type of content on various social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. But did you know that this kind of video content format is a powerful video marketing tool?
Having customers feature your brand, digital products, goods, and services in their content is one easy and effective way to boost brand awareness, increase online visibility, and establish a reputation. But how can online businesses and brands leverage UGC for their video marketing campaigns?
To give you a better idea, here’s everything you need to know about user-generated content and how UGC is used for ecommerce video marketing strategies.
What Is User-Generated Content?
To start, what exactly is user-generated content?
Also referred to as customer-generated content, UGC is the term used to refer to content such as videos, images, podcasts, and the like produced by consumers to showcase specific brands or products to their audience.
This type of content has grown in popularity in recent years as consumers feel more empowered and encouraged to share their experiences online. Video content, in particular, has seen an exponential rise in fame and production among digital content creators.
With the development of high-tech mobile devices, it has also become extremely easy for people to create video content without the need for an extensive production team. To add to this, the introduction of social media platforms and other digital channels made video content creation more accessible to users.
Here are some of the most common sources of UGC content:
Customers
Customers are the most common source of UGC content as they are people from the general public who simply want to share their honest opinions and experiences about a particular brand, product, or service. Content from customers is widely viewed as more reliable and trustworthy as they provide their genuine thoughts with little to no incentive.
Employees
Company employees can also be a source of user-generated content. However, there are conflicting thoughts among the public regarding their reliability. Despite this, employees can be a viable source of insight when it comes to learning about the inner workings of a brand or company.
They can share their experiences that no one, other than fellow employees, knows about. Therefore, employees can provide behind-the-scenes content that is not accessible to the public, making their content equally relevant and valuable.
Content Creators
As content creation turns into a viable business and career, online brands have tagged content creators to serve as a medium to easily but effectively reach certain audiences.
UGC content creators are paid creators. Therefore, customers do not easily believe what they have to say about a particular brand, service, or product. Despite this, some brands still partner with UGC creators to try and emulate genuine user-generated content about what they have to offer.
Benefits Of Using UGC For Video Marketing
So, user-generated content is produced by consumers. But, what makes these types of videos particularly great for ecommerce marketing? To give you a better idea, here are some of the notable advantages of using UGC for video content strategies.
Maximize Video Engagement
One of the reasons why video marketing, in general, is a popular marketing strategy for online brands and businesses is because video is considered the most engaging type of content in comparison to other media formats such as blogs, infographics, and images.
While it is possible to produce user-generated content without the use of video, visual content remains to be the most effective way to grab the audience’s attention.
To add to that, creating and consuming video content has also been more accessible. According to the latest reports, there are nearly 4 billion smartphone users globally. This also represents the number of people who can watch and produce user-generated content easily.
Video content also provides creators with more creative freedom and flexibility on how they want to showcase a product or service. They can show people how it is used or feature the different ways it has become helpful in their day-to-day lives. In the end, the variety of content styles among UGC creators can provide viewers with more value.
Leverage Customer Genuine Customer Insight
Customer testimonials are one of the most powerful marketing tools in the business. Most customers browse through product reviews and read through other people’s opinions about a certain product, service, or brand before completing a purchase.
Considering this, user-generated content is one of the most effective ways to bring valuable customer insight to potential customers. Not only is the video content itself highly engaging, but studies have shown that viewers are more likely to remember details they learned about through audio and visuals.
But more importantly, user-generated content provides viewers with authentic and genuine insights from people who have previously purchased or used the said brand, product, or service.
In some way, user-generated content is arguably today’s word-of-mouth marketing. Considering how people put prime and trust in other people, it is important for digital marketers to utilize genuine user-generated content and shy away from partnering with content creators for a sponsored or paid feature in their videos.
Build Trust With Customers and Viewers
People often have doubts when it comes to advertisements and promotions coming directly from brands. Obviously, online businesses would always put their best foot forward and eliminate anything bad that could harm their reputation. This, in turn, can mislead customers. A recent report even states that 93% of marketers agree that consumers tend to trust content from fellow consumers more than those produced by the brand itself.
Considering this, leveraging user-generated content is one of the most effective ways for online businesses to counter the cloud of doubt that surrounds branded promotions and advertisements. Given that user-generated content comes from relevant and valuable sources, people from the general audience are more likely to listen to what other people are saying – both good and bad.
To better do this, pair your marketing efforts with content from successful customers. Feature their content on your ecommerce website and highlight what they have to say about your product, service, or brand.
But aside from highlighting the greats of your business, customers can feel a more genuine and authentic connection if brands include content that features their failures and mistakes.
Interacting with customers who felt disappointed or unsatisfied and providing them with answers can make customers feel seen and acknowledged. Doing this also creates a sense of honesty and transparency that can urge customers to put more trust in the brand and what they have to say.
Tips For Using User-Generated Content For Video Marketing
Aside from knowing what user-generated content is and its advantages to ecommerce businesses, it is also important for digital marketers to know exactly how to incorporate this type of content into their marketing campaigns for the best results. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips for using UGC for video marketing.
Utilize Social Media
One of the benefits of using video content, in general, is that it fits well with social media. Users produce and share a wide variety of content on these platforms, from TikTok shorts to Instagram Reels, and even to Facebook live streams. Therefore, it is easy for consumers to post their user-generated content straight to these digital channels.
Considering this, one of the most effective ways for online brands to leverage UGC is to find them on popular social media platforms. Doing this opens up their marketing campaign to a large and diverse audience that can generate quality leads and encourage online sales.
Interact With User-Generated Content Online
Another effective way for brands to utilize user-generated content online is to interact with consumer posts that feature their brand, service, or product. Share their content in your social media profile or leave a comment praising and thanking them for trusting your brand.
Even better, brands can encourage their customers to share the content of them using their products. Online brands can ask their customers to tag them on their posts or to use a specific hashtag. A successful example of this is the athleisure clothing brand LuluLemon which used the hashtag #thesweatlife for customers to use whenever posting content featuring their products.
Doing this not only expands the brand’s online reach, presence, and visibility but also empowers customers to continue sharing their content. It can create a sense of community among social media users who use and support the brand.
Ask and Credit
User-generated content comes from individuals who want to share their experiences or opinions. And while these videos are typically shared on social media platforms online, consent is still mandatory.
Before grabbing anyone’s content for your use, it is critical that you ask for their consent to publish their content on your page or ecommerce website. Doing this not only saves the brand from copyright infringement but also makes customers feel acknowledged as valuable contributors to the brand’s online reputation.
Bottomline
Video marketing is a near essential in today’s highly digital and competitive ecommerce market. But more than creating video content at random, digital marketers can leverage video user-generated content to expand their online reach, boost their brand awareness, and establish a positive and genuine image and reputation.
Aside from that, UGC is also a powerful marketing tool that can encourage and influence customer purchasing decisions based on the experiences and opinions of other people. However, it is important for online brands to understand how to properly use UGC and how to maximize its influence and reach.
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