In our last articles, we established why content, and especially user-generated content, is a central element in the marketing strategy of companies. In the following post, we explain how a company can get to such UGC and what needs to be considered.
Roughly speaking, there are two options for how a company can achieve UGC - organically or through collaborations with content creators.
The organic option is the best case, but it is also relatively difficult to achieve, especially for smaller brands. Good examples where it works are GoPro or Starbucks - users are intrinsically motivated to create content about these brands and share it on social media.
For most brands, the second option - cooperation with content creators - is the most realistic way of obtaining UGC. Such collaborations can have different forms, durations, etc., depending on a company's goal.
One of the first and most important steps in such collaborations is the selection of suitable content creators. One of the central factors that should be taken into account is the brand fit of the creators. This includes, among other things, the topic and field of interest, as well as demographic characteristics. In connection with this, authenticity is also very relevant when selecting content creators - the person must fit the brand so that the content appears credible. Another important point, especially in Switzerland, is the regional/linguistic affiliation. "Swissness" is of great importance - a company that wants to address Swiss customers must necessarily rely on Swiss creators who fit the target group in terms of language. Companies that rely on content from High German/English-speaking creators are less credible for Swiss customers and are therefore significantly less successful. As a further point, the different language regions within Switzerland must also be taken into account.
In order to take these points into account in the selection process, it is advisable to focus on creators with a rather low number of followers (nano/micro influencers). The advantage compared to macro-influencers/celebrities is on the one hand the higher authenticity and credibility they enjoy and on the other hand the comparatively lower costs. These content creators are private individuals whose content is not associated with advertising at first glance for social media users and thus achieves a significantly higher level of engagement than is the case with traditional social media advertisements.
Companies that want to rely on UGC can achieve this through targeted cooperation with content creators. It is important to select the right creator, with brand fit and authenticity being the most important factors.
In the final part of this blog series, we'll take a more concrete look at how companies can best benefit from UGC and how they can leverage it in different areas.
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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