June 8, 2022
Jessica Goldfarb
Social Media Account Manager
UGC? Undeniably great coffee? Underground gopher colony? While those are certainly fun, UGC actually stands for “user generated content”. User generated content is… well, anything generated by a user! This means any written, photo, or video content that’s created by an individual rather than a brand. Generally speaking though, UGC most often refers to video content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Providing an excellent product or service is only the beginning, it’s important to encourage your audience to give you feedback! Ask for reviews, ask to hear the customer experience, and request, ideally, that it be in video format.
It isn’t always all about you though. Humanize yourself by asking questions not directly related to your brand and get the hot takes of your followers. For example, we asked on Instagram, “what is your favorite thing to photo shoot?” and got some great responses from users.
Contests are another great way to reap the benefits of UGC. You don’t even need a huge prize, just offer to feature the top responses on your social media pages. Video entries for your contest are easy UGC that can really help spread the word about you and your company.
As we said, traditionally, UGC always comes from your audience, hence the “user” part of the acronym. While you can always partner with an influencer to be your brand advocate, we find that by bending the rules a little bit UGC can be made in-house too!
Any content that is focused on and made by the individuals within your business is still user generated content. Next time there’s an office party, follow some people around with your phone and capture some authentic, funny moments. Or maybe show a day-in-the-life of what it’s like to work a 9-5 in your shoes. Try it out – your day-to-day is likely way more entertaining than you think!
What are some different types of UGC? See below. You’re welcome.
If we’re breaking the rules of being audience-only, you’re still getting the humanizing aspect of these short cell phone videos. That also lends itself to credibility in its own way- it’s much easier to trust a human than a corporation!
Regardless if you want to use UGC in the traditional sense or if you feel like bending the rules, it’s a useful tool that shouldn’t be overlooked and should definitely be included in your arsenal of marketing strategies!
Undeniably great coffee? Underground gopher colony? While those are certainly fun, UGC actually stands for “user generated content”. User generated content is… well, anything generated by a user! This means any written, photo, or video content that’s created by an individual rather than a brand. Generally speaking though, UGC most often refers to video content on platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok.
What are some different types of UGC? It’s much easier to show you by example. Check out the video below to learn about different types of UGC and how you can use them: