In our last blog post, we explained why the statement "content is king" is still very relevant today. What has become increasingly apparent in recent years is that user-generated content in particular is becoming more and more important and that companies can benefit from it in various ways.
Definition: User-generated content (UGC) is content that is not created by a company or brand, but by users themselves.
User-generated content can include a wide variety of formats, such as social media posts and comments, reviews in an online store, blog posts, or similar.
In addition to the many reasons that explain why content is important in general, there are additional reasons that apply specifically to UGC. First, let's look at it from the consumer's perspective - why is it important to a consumer that brands use UGC?
Social Proof: The term "social proof" was coined by Robert Cialdini, professor of psychology and marketing. It describes the behavior that people tend to orient themselves to the decisions and actions of their fellow human beings. Purchasing decisions are also influenced by social proof, which is why this effect is often used for marketing purposes.
Authenticity: Content created by users is not associated with advertising at first glance and therefore appears more authentic than brand/corporate content.
Credibility: Higher authenticity also automatically ensures higher credibility - users trust UGC.
Belonging: Consumers who create content about a brand and share it online often feel a connection to the brand and to other people who post similar content, which leads to a kind of community feeling. This is especially the case with large and well-known brands (e.g., Gopro or Starbucks).
Appreciation: If companies continue to use consumers' content or interact with it (e.g. by commenting, reposting, etc.), this is a form of appreciation that motivates consumers to continue posting similar content in the future.
In addition to the points mentioned above, there are also some reasons that clearly speak for the use of UGC from a brand perspective.
Resource-saving: The creation of an editorial plan and the planning and creation of the content itself is often very resource-intensive for companies (time, personnel and financial resources). By using UGC instead of brand content, a company can save or optimize resources on various levels.
Increased reach: When users publish content about a brand on their own channels, the brand gets additional reach (not just the people who already follow the brand on social media).
Continuously new, varied content: The decentralization of content creation that comes with UGC ensures that content is much more diverse and varied than would be the case with brand content - the creative variety is higher.
All the benefits that brand can enjoy by using UGC are also shown in various studies.
A current example is the TINT Study 2022 "The state of User-Generated Content 2022". In a survey of consumers and marketing experts, the relevance of UGC was clearly demonstrated:
If you'd like to learn more about how your company can get relevant user-generated content and how it can be leveraged, you can visit hallo@swissper.ch or use the following link to book a call with one of our experts: Book a Call!
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