KISS Series: UGC
In this KISS (Keep It Super Simple) Series, we break down what UGC (User Generated Content) is, its value and how to harness it, whether you own an eCommerce store or a service-based business.
As part of our mission to educate small business owners with digital knowledge, we have created the KISS Series (Keep It Super Simple), where we take digital theories and concepts and break them down into bitesize, understandable explanations.
In this post, we break down what UGC is, what value it brings, and how to incorporate it in your business, whether you own an eCommerce store or a service-based business.
Content:
UGC: User Generated Content
UGC is a form of social proof, which is the idea that, when humans are unsure of something, they will look to other humans for behavioural guidance. It is essentially what it says on the tin: it is content that is generated by the users, meaning it's content created by the customers and users of the product rather than the brand itself. UGC is most commonly associated with product reviews and testimonials, but it can come in many different forms, from images to videos.
Why is UGC important?
UGC is a fairly new digital solution, but it is not necessarily a new concept per se. It is based on the idea that word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising, as we tend to trust the experience and opinions of other fellow humans who have used the product or the service in question. We know ads and brand-created content are shiny and polished, whereas other fellow customers or clients can provide an unbiased opinion of the real experience. So what if we can harness these organic endorsements and utilise them as a form of marketing to persuade potential customers to purchase?
Another reason is it builds brand authenticity and trust with your customers. Any business that uses UGC knows the risk of publishing UGC such as reviews: you will inevitably get bad reviews. But by presenting both the positive and the negative reviews, it provides a balanced view of your products and business, which in turn establishes authenticity.
In addition, UGC actually provides an opportunity to engage with your customers, building rapport and a sense of community, which in turn creates Loyalty and even Advocacy in the Marketing Funnel.
Different types of UGC
Reviews
Reviews are most commonly associated with the notion of UGC. According to industry-leaders BazaarVoice, 89% of consumers consult ratings and reviews before making a purchase. Think of your own habits: whether it's purchasing a new laptop or booking a hotel room, how often are you swayed by user-generated content such as stars and reviews? Reviews are essentially the digital version of word-of-mouth endorsements, which time and time again has been shown to be the best form of advertising, so it's perhaps no surprise that reviews are one of the most popular forms of UGC.
Images & Videos
Another form of UGC lives predominantly on social media, but can also exist on blogs, where customers post real photos or videos of the products in use. This allows other potential customers to see the product in action, and can actually provide valuable information that can sway towards conversion such as the size of the product, or the colour in different lights.
Blogs
Blogs are essentially reviews in long form. Whether it's a food blog or a beauty blog, a fashion blog or a travel blog, they often contain long articles that provide opinions about a particular product or experience. Blogs have the added value that they usually link to the website of the product or service, thus creating a backlink that helps with SEO.
How to generate UGC
You know what UGC is now; next step is how to generate them and harness them on your own website. Here are some of the most common methods.
Review platforms
There are a few different platforms that provide UGC solutions. BazaarVoice is a key player in the UGC world, but there is also Feefo and Trustpilot as well. Shopify have partnered with different product review apps such as Judge.me. These platforms help to store and display your reviews, so you don't have to worry about updating your website every time a new review is submitted.
Sampling
Sampling is when you send a batch of products out to trusted reviewers or influencers, in return for honest, high-quality reviews. They are not paid; it is more of an agreement that they provide content in exchange for being able to use and test the product. Wonder how makeup brands like Maybelline can have product reviews in place during the launch of their latest mascara? This is often accomplished by sampling.
Post-purchase follow-ups
After your customer purchases from your website, send them a follow-up email asking for a review. If you use one of the review platforms, they will send the email follow-up automatically, but if you aren't using any of them, you can still send your customers a manual email to get some feedback.
Nowadays, we receive so many emails, it's a known but unfortunate fact that not all emails are opened, or they are just ignored. So sometimes offering an incentive, such as a discount off their next purchase, can help encourage customers to submit reviews.
Social media
You can encourage your social media followers to submit photos of them using or wearing your products by using competitions and giveaways, or by simply constantly resharing UGC photos. The latter works well if you have a large social media following, because, let's face it, even everyday folk like the chance to gain greater exposure and additional followers!
UGC best practices
The premise of UGC makes sense and seems straightforward, but there are still best practices and pitfalls that can help or hinder the effectiveness of your UGC, such as the below.
Do not delete negative reviews
It can be tempting to delete negative reviews. But it is more valuable to keep them in, because it creates authenticity and trustworthiness. We know there is no thing is a perfect product or a perfect service; in fact, we are often suspicious of anything that is deemed "perfect". If we see a product with 15,000 5* reviews and no 3*s or lower, we naturally get a bit suspicious, and wonder if the company is doctoring and censoring their customers' reviews and opinions.
It also provides you with the opportunity to respond. It shows that there is a human behind the business who cares about how their customers feel. Customers who leave negative reviews often just want to be heard, so by engaging with them to understand their feelings and even perhaps right the wrong, it can turn into a positive experience, which sometimes can even turn into advocacy.
However, do not confuse negative reviews with irrelevant reviews. Negative reviews are when someone points out a genuine issue or fault with the product; an irrelevant review is when the review discusses issues that have nothing to do with the product, such as issues with the courier or fake reviews. Professional review platforms such as BazaarVoice actually moderate and filter out irrelevant reviews, so feel free to do so too.
Create a community
We've already talked about how you can turn a negative review into a positive experience, but it doesn't stop there. Even if you get a good review, you can acknowledge it to create that connection with the customer. If you get a question or query in your review, you can reply and answer them, to help educate and inform them as well as any other visitors who are just browsing and reading.
If you collect reviews via review platforms, there is an implicit understanding that the review will be published, or at least there will be an opt-in option. However, if you are collecting reviews manually, make sure you ask for permission before publishing publicly. Often, customers are happy for you to share their words or pictures, but it's always best to ask for permission, just in case. It makes them feel special, like they matter (which they do!), and makes them aware that their opinions are going to be made public.
Set expectations
This is more relevant for sampling and activations such as competitions and giveaway submissions. Make sure you lay out your expectations of what type of content you want in return. Often, brands don't want to appear pushy, so only 16% provide instructions on how they want users to create content, but actually 53% of consumers want to be told exactly what to do.
TL;DR Conclusion
UGC stands for User Generated Content, and describes content that is created by users such as customers or clients
UGC is an incredibly effective digital marketing tool because it is the digital version of word-of-mouth, which is the form of advertising we tend to trust the most
UGC can come in many forms, but it is most often associated with review
While we are not a UGC platform or syndicator, we have experience working with UGC and have seen what makes it work. UGC can play a key part in CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation), so we will be able to give you advice within our CRO Audit
Alternatively, if you just want to learn more about UGC and whether it is the right digital marketing channel for you to explore, get in touch and we can provide some insights!
