4 UGC Tips for Social Media Marketing
December 16, 2020
It sounds like cheating, but user generated content is an amazing resource for social media marketers. It saves time, money, and research developing original content every day, and it’s a sure-fire way to increase popularity. Why? Because user generated content was created by users and has already been liked and shared by users. Therefore, you know it’s a hit before you put it on your own social media page.
The key to successfully using UGC for your own social media is to sporadically add it in between your own original thoughts and photos. Of course, every piece of UGC should also be linked to, or referenced toward the originator. This isn’t about plagiarism; it’s about showing the human side of your brand by getting involved and liking things others are liking. Having an opinion on a popular meme is something any social media user would do, and seeing a big brand do it, makes consumers feel like you’re one of the gang.
Alternatively, UGC can also revolve around YOUR brand. Rather than being a random clip or GIF relating to the weather and news. Finding and recycling UGC which mentions your product or service is an excellent way to make consumers feel included and appreciated.
So, how can you effectively and efficiently use UGC to your advantage? Here are 4 tips to turn your social media game up a notch.
Use Hashtags to Find UGC Related to Your Brand
Developing a hashtag doesn’t just make you trendy; it shows you when your brand is trending. Once you create and share a hashtag, you can follow it to see how many others are using it in their posts. Social media users post hashtags with photos, videos, memes and more. They use hashtags to show other interested followers the topic of their content.
A simple hashtag search will help you find your UGC at the click of a button. This makes it far easier to pick out the winning pictures and Tweets from the duds. Keep in mind that not all UGC is worth sharing, which brings us to our next point.
Share UGC That is Relevant and Positive
Sharing UGC willy-nilly is problematic. Just because a social media user creates something and tags your business in it, doesn’t mean it will align with your brands ideals and morals. It’s important to check content before reposting it to ensure it isn’t negative, offensive, or hurtful to any of your other customers.
Choosing only the funny, positive, and motivational UGC increases chances that it will be shared and shared again. The point of recycling this content isn’t just to save yourself the effort of creating new stuff, but to keep it circulating and prove to your followers that your brand is worth noticing.
Check Comments Before Reposting
A great way to find the winners among a sea of UGC is to check the comments. What’s the general vibe among commenters? Are most people liking and loving the content or are the responses mainly negative? This is crucial to the success of the content once you repost it. There’s no point recycling something that people are on edge about.
You can also see how many times a piece of content has already been shared. If it’s gaining quite a following then it can’t hurt to help it along. Reposting content which has become popular creates the appearance that your brand knows what’s in. if you’re in an industry relating to trends or fashion – this is a huge selling point.
Encourage Your Followers to Share Their Favorites
Why do all the UGC leg work yourself when you have followers to help you out? A unique take on UGC collection comes in the form of a request, or even a contest. Have consumers post their favorite pieces of content about your brand, or that relate to your products and services. You might be surprised to see how many amazing photos and videos out there relate to what you do.
Having your followers share these with you puts them in the action. Featuring their favorites on your Facebook wall or as a potential portion of an upcoming campaign makes them feel included and valued. This is a great incentive to promote brand loyalty.
Be Quick on the Repost
Social media is a finicky thing. The algorithms are almost more complex than Google’s and it’s impossible to tell how long a piece of content will remain on your news feed. Rather than letting a great piece of UGC slip by, be sure to save it for later by clicking the appropriate button or repost it in the moment.
Waiting to repost is fine, but if you don’t save the link you could miss out. Sometimes what you see on your news feed one moment isn’t there the next.
Don’t Fear the UGC
However you choose to embrace UGC have fun with it. Like all social media marketing, it all comes down to connecting with consumers. If followers and shoppers are engaging and having a positive experience, you know you’re on the right track. By monitoring what your customers are responding to most, you can narrow down their favorite forms of media in UGC and stick to that in the future. Maybe your followers prefer videos with captions, or cartoon memes. Whatever the case, you’ll get more shares, likes, and comments if it’s content they approve of and relate to.