How to Encourage User-Generated Content on Social Media

User-generated content (UGC), defined broadly as media created by the users regarding a product or service. It is the reviews that you read on Google and Amazon; the photos or videos you scroll through on Instagram and Facebook. These reviews by user themselves can act as a fundamental purchasing decision since people are more likely to take recommendations from other consumers rather than brands.

If you’re ready to “up” your social media marketing game, these three strategies will help encourage UGC throughout your chosen channels.

Running contests or promotions on social media is a great way to encourage your fans to create UGC. They’re easy to run and tend to get shared a lot, which can help you build brand awareness, increase engagement and ultimately increase sales.

Here are some tips on running a successful contest on social media:

• Define objective, type, and timing of a contest
• Write rules in clear, plain language to avoid any confusion
• Use an eye catchy image in your contest
• Make your contest mobile-friendly
• Incentivize the sharing of your contest (CASH REBATE!)
• Add an urgency factor to your contest (LIMITED TIME ONLY!)
• Always ensure you’re adhering to platform rules around such promotions

Having social media influencers create content for you is a great way to kick start your UGC efforts as well as build a brand. Influencers are individuals with a large following and can reach audiences you might not be able to. What’s more they are viewed as leaders among their social circles, and for good reason. They typically boast large, active followings and beautiful photo feeds.

Here are some tips on using influencers to promote your brand on social media:

• Let your influencers have creative freedom, as you might dampen the spirit of that influencer’s posts, which means their followers won’t engage anymore.
• Choose the right influencer by determining whether they’ll be a good reflection of your brand’s mission and vision.
• Follow your influencer’s guidance as they have a specific area of expertise and a knowledge of marketing that makes them the best.
• Make your brand come to life by allowing influencer’s followers to associate a positive experience with your brand, thus boosting engagement and sales.

Lots of companies are turning to their social media channels to encourage UGC by asking for customers to submit rating or review. Even just a few 5-star ratings can do a lot for your company’s reputation is social media. Reviews can show up in search results when people are searching for more information about your business. That’s especially important when most shoppers are doing their research and good reviews will have an impact on purchase decisions.

Here are some tips on using customer reviews to market your brand.

• Respond customer reviews quickly by sharing gratitude and acknowledgment to expand your community and deepen its loyalty.
• Collect and leverage positive customer reviews by sharing them on your social media to showcase authenticity and credibility
• Keep a regular check on review through social media as customers may post a review on their timeline instead of our page.

In general, when it comes to UGC, it’s not just a question of who or what – it’s also how you use it. One of the biggest misconceptions is that UGC can only benefit social teams and digital platforms. That’s simply not the case. In reality, UGC can be a creative, cost-effective and rewarding way to enhance a variety of channels: your homepage, your product pages, your emails, microsites and so on. Your next move is to share what you’ve learned here, and to take action.

Here at Marketing Connection, we incorporate User-generated content into mind as it is the most cost-effective ways to boost sales and engagement while generating traffic and virality for your business.

*Marketing Connection is a digital marketing company that specializes in website design and online marketing in Penang. We love to help new businesses to grow their business further.