User Generated Content Solutions

Your customers trust recommendations from their friends and family more than any sponsored ad. Traditional marketing can’t compete with the authenticity of shared experiences and opinions from fellow-consumers. That’s why brands need to focus on creating positive experiences for customers and encouraging them to share. In other words: brands need user-generated content.

increase trust brand

Modern consumers trust their friends over brand ads or product information. A study of Nielsen Global found that recommendations from friends and acquaintances are trusted by 92% of consumers, followed by online reviews and recommendations (70%). So incentivizing user-generated content is the most effective way for marketers to build brand trust and reputation.

how consumers use products

Learn how and why consumers use your products

UGC enables you to collect information about customer profiles, tastes, shopping habits, and pain points. Brands can use this feedback to understand their customers better and continue developing products. Detailed, accurate marketing data is key to brands’ growth and development.

collect data potential customers

Collect data from current and potential customers

When you motivate consumers to share photos, comments and videos for contests and prizes, you can identify which individuals are most committed to your brand. Get contact details from these key consumers to build the relationship and offer exclusive experiences and promotions. The ultimate goal: convert them into brand advocates who regularly share content about your brand online.

brand awareness

Increase brand awareness on social media

Brands which have a strategy for collecting UGC get higher reach and engagement on social media. According to Social Media Today, Facebook users interact 26.06% more with UGC posts. UGC collection strategies include contests where users share photos or videos with products in order to enter a prize draw. To confirm their entry, users must grant the brand full rights to use their content in its marketing.

improve brand SEO with UGC

Improve brand SEO with UGC

Branded content that’s shared by consumers on social media is indexed by search engines - and it can have a positive effect on search rankings. 25% of searches related to top global brands lead to user-generated content. Including a link to the brand’s website in UGC can also help to increase domain authority and relevance.

Our recommended apps for UGC marketing campaigns

  • Contest Apps

    Contests are the top form of promotion to collect UGC. Users have to upload photos, videos, comments or opinions about the brand. Maximize participation by designing a contest that challenges users to be creative, without putting the prize out of reach. Offering a targeted reward or incentive is also key to success.

Resources for your UGC marketing strategy

Frequently asked questions

  • How can you collect user-generated content and permission to use it?

    If you want to have the option of sharing the user-generated content on your social media or other channels, it's necessary to get the users' express consent. This is why it's important to use registration forms where the users upload their content and accept the terms & conditions of the contest and accept that they give up their right to the submitted content. For example, on Instagram it's recommended that brands use a tool like the Hashtag + Entry Form app to obtain the content and the users' permission to use it. 

  • Nowadays, when users are interested in a product they trust the opinion, advice and recommmendations of their friends and family more than the brand's corporate message. This is the main reason why you should encourage customers to share their experience with the brand on their social media. They can even become brand ambassadors, introducing the brand to an audience that hadn't been impacted previously.

  • A much used way to obtain user-generated content is to organize a campaign or contest. Normally, participation is incentivized by prizes and gifts so that customers see that they are compensated for creating and sharing their own content. On Instagram and Twitter it's possible to organize photo and video contests and retrieve the content through the brand mention and the campaign hashtag. Another way is to use a microsite with registration form where users can upload their entries directly that users can access from any social network or online channel.