Bending the Rules: Putting the U in UCG!

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. 

Gotta Love the Classics

Traditionally, UCG is created by your audience. So how do you get people to talk about your brand? You have to start the conversation! 

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. 

Put the U in UGC!

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.

So to recap, some examples of UGC include:

  • Reviews and testimonials: This includes anyone talking about your business’s products or services and giving a personal account of their experience with your brand. 
  • Live streams or vlogs: Anyone who features your product in a lifestyle video is creating for you some quality UGC! Break the rules a little bit and you can use it to humanize yourself. Show the world that your brand is made up of real people by showcasing yourselves in “real-life” video content.
  • Trends or challenges: TikTok users are always coming up with a new dance, new funny audio, or a new “challenge” for you to jump in on. Give it a try! Or, start your own trend and hope it catches on! Any videos where someone follows suit is traditional UGC.

Why Use UGC?

So what’s so great about a cell phone video? Why is that a great marketing tool? Not only does traditional UGC serve its purpose as free content for businesses, but it also provides a layer of credibility. If you talk about how great your brand is, that’s expected. However, if someone unaffiliated with the company talks about how great your brand is, that’s intriguing!

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! 

 

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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:

The “Buckets”