4 Tips to create more User-Generated Content for your brand on Instagram
Today, more and more brands are incorporating UGC into their content strategy. This strategy has multiple advantages, and you can learn all about here is this dedicated article.
Lukas Joseph
So, it's fair to ask how you can encourage your customers or partners to create engaging content that you can use later. In this article, we will reveal some tips to support content creation.
What's the point of creating your own hashtag when you can simply use the most popular hashtags on Instagram?
The reason for this is simple: hashtags are part of Instagram's DNA, it is like a search engine that allows all users of the platform to find information via one or more keywords. By typing a hashtag into the search bar, you can access all related topics. Often, users click directly on a hashtag they're interested in.
The purpose of creating a hashtag is to gain visibility on social networks, create engagement with your followers, and develop your audience well beyond those who already know you.
However, before you launch your first hashtag, there are a few rules to follow. Make sure they are :
- Unique
- Relevant to your business
- Easy to remember
- Easy to find to attract new users
- Attractive, but not racy.
- Can be associated with your brand and your sector of activity.
- Connecting with the mind of your target
- Readable by using capitals at the beginning of each word – for example, #FollowMeOnInstagram is more readable than #followmeOnInstagram.
- Short enough because if it is too long, it quickly becomes incomprehensible.
If you have no idea how to find the name, there are a few ways to find inspiration:
- Look at your competition
- Study the rankings of the best performing hashtags and see if there is a trend
- Check out sites that give directions for the topics being discussed, such as Google Trends or BuzzSumo.
- Read our dedicated article to find the best hashtags on Instagram.
Lukas Joseph
- Combine your hashtag with others that are already popular. This way you can use the existing buzz to build up your audience.
How to create a hashtag?
Easy! Pick a keyword or a combination of keywords and add the # symbol in front of it, and you're done! When using multiple keywords, make sure to use capitals to help readability: instead of #myawesomebrand, use #MyAwesomeBrand.
Promote your Hashtag
Once you've chosen your hashtag, it's important to spread the word to your audience. Promote it with each new post on Instagram. You can also add it directly into your bio.
When possible, also promote your hashtag on your website or in your newsletters, emails, digital ads or brochures.
Launch a competition
Running a competition is a great way to engage and reward your customers and partners while encouraging content production.
To achieve this, find lots that appeal to your audience.
For example, Expedia asked users to submit a photo of their best trip using the contest hashtag #EyeWanderWin. The winner won an all-expense paid trip to a mystery destination. For three weeks, Expedia and its partners promoted the contest across all their networks (blog, social networks, newsletter, etc.) generating nearly 4,000 photos of authentic travelers that could be reused in other marketing materials.
Organize an event
Whether online or in person, hosting an event is a great way to encourage your audience to create UGC.
To start, assign an identifiable hashtag to your event to encourage participants to share their content around your brand.
The famous bicycle brand Brompton is organizing every year different races in the mountains or in the city with up to 800 participants who are passionate about the brand. These events generate hundreds of photos that can be used for future marketing campaigns.
Identify and motivate influencers
Influencers can be a targeted and effective way to launch a UGC campaign. It even has a name: IGC (Influencer Generated Content). To do this, target influencers or micro-influencers (a few thousand followers) whose audience matches your target customer. You can encourage them to publish your content by various means:
- Following the trend of defending a noble cause,
- Offer them an affiliation program,
- Give them a gift,
- Paying them
At the launch of your campaign, coordinate your publication schedules as good as possible to increase your reach and thus increase your chances of success.
With these 4 tips, you should ensure the production of as much reusable content as possible on your Instagram page. Good luck 👍