Harnessing the Power of UGC Marketing in 2023
In recent years, user-generated content (UGC) has become a powerful marketing tool for businesses. Unlike traditional marketing campaigns from influencers who often charge four to five figures for content they don’t necessarily believe in, UGC marketing campaigns involve consumers creating content that promotes a brand or product at a much more affordable price.
The success of UGC campaigns is due to the fact that consumers trust other consumers more than they trust traditional advertising methods. In this article, we will discuss how to run UGC marketing campaigns with creators (who are not necessarily influencers) at a lower cost.
The Power of Consumers
UGC is an excellent way to promote a brand or product because it carries an air of authenticity, providing relatable social proof that the product is valuable. This often means rather than utilising a whole production team with thousands of dollars worth of equipment, the content is filmed with a circle light and an old iPhone camera. When consumers see other consumers using and enjoying a product, they are more likely to try it themselves. In fact, in a survey conducted by Slackla consumers are 79% more likely to trust UGC when purchasing a product over Brand Created (12%) or influencer created (9%) content.
This content is then shared on social media platforms, such as Facebook, to increase brand awareness and engagement. Additionally, UGC is often less expensive than traditional advertising methods because the content is created by consumers, not the brand.
Analysing Your Competition
One of the best ways to get ideas for UGC campaigns is to look at what your competitors are doing on Facebook. You can use Facebook's Ad Library to see what ads your competitors are running, what their ad copy looks like, and what type of images or videos they are using. Take note of their successes as well as what they’re NOT doing. Use this information to create a UGC campaign that is unique and stands out against your competitors.
Preparing UGC for Facebook Ads
Facebook is one of the best social media platforms for UGC marketing campaigns because of its massive user base and advertising capabilities. Even better, setting up a UGC campaign on Facebook is relatively easy. However, the hard work comes from research. Pay attention to reviews across different platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Google, Trust Pilot etc. These are an excellent resource for tapping into the minds of your consumers and pinpointing trends in what they’re loving, aspiring to or are concerned about. Take note of their wording and utilise this in your content to relate to your target audience in an organic way.
Recruiting Creators
There are several ways to recruit creators for a UGC campaign on Facebook. One of the most effective ways is to reach out to your existing customers and followers on social media. Encourage them to create content related to your brand or product and use a specific hashtag to make it easy for you to find the content. You can also use Facebook groups related to your industry or niche to find creators who are interested in working with your brand on a more personal level.
Writing a Creator Brief
When working with creators for a UGC campaign, it's essential to write a creator brief. A creator brief is a document that outlines the goals of the campaign, the type of content you're looking for, and any specific requirements, such as using a particular hashtag or including a product in the content. The brief should also outline the compensation for the creators and the timeline for the campaign.
Reputation Analysis
Before launching a UGC campaign, it's essential to do a reputation analysis of your brand. This analysis involves monitoring what people are saying about your brand on social media and other online platforms. Use tools like Hootsuite, Google Alerts, and Brand24 to monitor social media and online mentions of your brand. Address comments and reviews promptly to show you care about your customers’ experience, utilising any interactions as potential advertising opportunities.
Closing Thoughts
This week, the team at Click have been inspired by the words of Michael Stelzner, the founder of ‘The Social Media Examiner podcast’ which inspired this article. Listening to Podcasts such as this one are a great way to upgrade your marketing super powers. You can find this one on all major podcasting platforms.
UGC marketing campaigns are a powerful way to promote your brand or product on Social Media. By working with creators, not necessarily influencers, you can keep costs down while still generating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience. Want help running effective UGC campaigns on Facebook and other social media platforms? Contact Click Creative Digital Agency today to learn how we can help you achieve your marketing goals.
Harness the power of UGC today! 