User-Generated Content on Instagram, how to use it for your growth?
Today, 90% of consumers seek a customer recommendation before buying a product. In response to these new habits, brands have found a great ally: their customers. Indeed, no one can convince new consumers better than loyal customers.
The User Generated Content strategy relies on your customers to convert them into brand ambassadors.
What is User-Generated Content?
User-Generated Content or UGC represents all content generated by users.
Although this content is not intended to replace all the content that you produce, it is a high-quality complement, free of charge, and will have a positive impact on your referencing and your image.
Here are the different forms of UGC most often used by brands:
- Customer reviews and ratings
- Comments on the website and social networks
- User photos or videos mentioning their brands
The benefits
There is a simple reason why User-Generated Content is becoming so popular. We have entered the age of trust. Consumers increasingly need to be reassured before they buy. They are therefore looking for proof rather than promises.
It builds trust through authenticity of the content
More than 80% of brands use User-Generated Content for authenticity. Consumers believe that user-generated content is twice as authentic as branded content. In fact, a study shows that more than 50% of consumers believe that branded content is not authentic.
It arouses emotions
A recent study by a communications agency compared viewers' reactions to watching four different types of videos: an Instagram UGC, an Instagram ad, a Facebook ad and a TV ad.
The result is clear: the video clip made by a user captures and reflects the emotions of the audience twice as much.
It provides a wealth of information
User-generated content is also a rich source of information for brands. They learn about the experiences and opinions of their users, sometimes even about aspects they were not aware of: maybe a different use of a product, a rallying sign, a niche of new customers far from the core target, for example.
It makes brands attractive
We have already understood that attractive content by one user can attract the attention of other consumers and encourage them to try a certain product or service. This is even more true in the field of fashion, tourism and catering. Associating a place, a person and a lifestyle is a powerful marketing technique.
Take the VOSS water brand, which has broken the mould with its cylindrical shape and compelling storytelling. It has become the water for cool, healthy, chic and dynamic people with The Rock as its muse. The brand was able to use dozens of photos of stars drinking its water to reinforce its chic positioning with the success it enjoys today.
It increases conversions
User-generated content significantly increases the conversion rate. An e-commerce site using UGC to enhance its product sheets and make its Instagram posts would see its conversion rate rise by more than 100%.
Social proof is a strong reassurance factor that facilitates the transition to purchase for customers and the increase in the transformation rate for companies.
It is very profitable
Producing continuous original content is extremely costly for companies. It takes time and people to create an artistic and inspiring brand image. Distributing this content across different media is also an important investment.
With user-generated content, you have access to an almost unlimited source of free content and also to distribution relays.
Your customers become an army of ambassadors who create, post and distribute content that showcases your brand and presents you as a dynamic, reliable and ambitious company.
This content may not always be perfect, but it will still be more powerful than the content you produce yourself.
Is it safe to publish content from third-party accounts?
Sharing content that is not your own is a risk to your business.
Copyright protects graphic, sound or audiovisual and plastic creations, musical creations, but also software, applied art, fashion creations, etc.
How can we encourage this content creation on Instagram?
To encourage the creation of user-generated content in your community, there are a few quick and simple best practices to follow:
- Define hashtags dedicated to your brand. You can often find the company hashtag (e.g. "starbucks") and sometimes other more original ones (#lovecoffee)
- Add a sentence directly in your bio explaining how your users can appear on your page.
Write in all your post descriptions:
If you want to be republished on our page, use the hashtag # in your next posts.
Some examples of User-Generated Content
Some brands have decided to post only user-generated content on their Instagram page. This practice encourages your consumers to create more and more content and gives you access to almost infinite content.
Starbucks
With nearly 18 million subscribers, the Starbucks coffee brand is clearly one of the precursors of the User Generated Content strategy. Today the brand offers dozens of custom hashtags to use to be re-shared or just to affirm that you belong to the Starbucks tribe. (#caramelmacchiato, #IcedCoconutMilkMochaMacchiato #pinkdrink)
GoPro
GoPro's cameras have become a must-have for budding adventurers. They film our sporting exploits as well as our escapades in the heart of nature and our daily lives.
To promote the exploits of its users, the brand has created an Instagram page dedicated to them. A godsend for the brand, which benefits from excellent visibility and super strong selling points.
What tools are needed to repost User-Generated Content?
However, if we were to recommend one tool, it would be Kurato. Kurato allows you to target hashtags and accounts on Instagram that are of interest to your business. Kurato explores and analyses these sources to offer you the best posts made by users every day. You can schedule your week's posts in less than 10 minutes.
