There are two basic types of photos you will find in the world. One is the type shared by consumers, while the second is the photos shared by brands.
The first type is referred to as user-generated content or UGC for short. It all began with the introduction and adoption of things like Afterlight, VSCO, and Instagram, which are tools that allow everyday consumers to capture and share high-quality images.
Today, UGC is a powerful source of marketing for brands. One of the main reasons for this is what the images can help achieve:
- Increase in on-site awareness metrics
- Engagement
- Brand affinity
Because of this, there’s a lot of content. In fact, it’s estimated that Android and iOS owners create around 150 new photos each month, which is around five photos per day.
If you want to start using UGC as part of your marketing strategy, you may wonder what you need to do to make it happen. A good place to start is with the tips found here.
Audit the Current Follower Photos Available
Before taking your new UGC strategy to your business’s owner or CEO, make sure you do your homework.
What type of content is your customer base sharing? You can conduct this search via Instagram using a few different methods. These include:
- Search by location
- Search by hashtag
Taking time to see what is already out there is one of the best ways to see if there’s enough content to create a user-generated content strategy.
Identify Any Consumer Trends
Your core audience’s culture will be clear if you look at all the photos created by customers. When looking at the content being shared, consider some of the following things:
- What age group or demographic is most likely to share content about your brand?
- What types of things are being shared?
- Where are customers when taking photos?
- When are most of the photos shared?
- Why have they started tagging your products?
- How are they tagging your brand?
If you answer these questions, you will be able to create a data-driven UGC strategy.
Create a Selfless Hashtag Strategy
Remember, user-generated content is not just about you. It is about your customers, the way they use what you offer and how they relate and interact with your brand. Even if your customers are willing to create a hashtag using your brand name, it may be beneficial to create a personal and actionable hashtag that returns the focus to the people who follow you. Doing this will increase the user-generated content and your ability to measure it.
Growing Your UGC Strategy
If you want to grow your user-generated content strategy, start with the tips here. Doing so will help ensure you generate the desired results and that you get the outcome you want. While it can take some time to develop a quality strategy, it will be well worth it in the long run. Being informed is the first step in improving your brand’s user-generated content strategy.