By Berta Campos, on 23 August 2023
User generated content refers to all unpaid, unsponsored content created by users that mention a brand, its products, or services. This content can come in the form of reviews, comments, or social media posts.
UGC is a very effective content marketing strategy to build credibility and expand your brand’s reach. It harnesses the public's creativity and encourages them to create content related to your brand and share it with their followers. Right now, social media is the most popular communication channel so let's take a look at how this type of campaign works!
What Are UGC Campaigns?
A user generated content campaign on social networks is a strategy aimed at getting your followers and users to create and share content related to your brand. With this type of campaign, a company does not have to generate all the content. Instead, it can rely on the creativity and ingenuity of the public to promoting it.
A UGC strategy can include many different types of content from photos and videos to comments and hashtags. It can also includes participation in contests or challenges that involve creating and sharing original content.
Best Social Networks for UGC Campaigns
Two of the best social networks for UGC campaigns are Instagram and TikTok.
Both platforms offer visual formats with photographs and videos, and fostering engagement and creativity. Moreover, they have tools that facilitate user participation, such as templates and music features. With their algorithms, Instagram and TikTok promote virality and content discovery, ensuring that user generated content is more likely to be seen and shared.
It is also worth noting that both social networks are very popular, especially among younger audiences. There are more than 1.3 billion active monthly users on Instagram and more than 1.05 billion on TikTok, which means they have very active and engaged communities.
How to Create a UGC Campaign on Social Media
To create a good UGC campaign, it is important to take into account the following points:
Choose a social network where your target audience likes to spend time. Although Instagram and TikTok are considered the best social networks to carry out a UGC strategy, this may not apply in all cases. Do a preliminary analysis of this so you can choose the network where the people you want to reach spend the most time.
Establish objectives. Before carrying out any action, it is necessary to define what you want to achieve with the campaign.
Choose a topic and establish clear and specific guidelines on how the content should appear. The public likes when a brand shares its content, but in order to do so, it must be clear to them what the brand is looking for.
Encourage users to participate. Your community can be encouraged to create and share content if you offer discounts, recognition, or exclusive benefits.
Analyze the results. As in any other strategy, it is necessary to analyze the results to determine whether the participation rate has been as expected, detect weak points, and improve for the following campaigns.
Creating a UGC campaign on social networks is not complicated, especially if you already have a decent number of followers and an active community. It can be somewhat more complex for brands that do not have these things, but it is important to remember that quality is more important than quantity.
How to Encourage Your Community to Participate in UGC Campaigns
One of the main obstacles to launching a UGC campaign is low participation. However, certain actions can be taken to encourage people and to increase the participation rate.
- One way to do this is through contests and quizzes, which reach many people and are also a way to get to know your followers better.
- Hashtags can also be a great tool, especially when they are encouraged through eye-catching and fun challenges.
- Users are also encouraged to create content when they can get some kind of reward. Examples of this include discounts and gifts, among other things.
- Another good way to encourage users to create useful content for your brand is to keep up with trends and fashions. The use of certain songs or filters can make a big difference when it comes to participation.
