Four fifths of French people use social networks, with an average of five hours of daily use. Constantly rising figures, hence the importance of the presence of brands on Facebook, Instagram and increasingly TikTok. Indeed, most companies now federate their customers on the web.
The User generated contents (UGC), or in French “content generated by users”, corresponds to any type of written or audiovisual production published on digital platforms by Internet users, addressed to Internet users. Customer reviews, choreographed presentations, testimonials: UGC take multiple and adaptive forms.
In a context of constantly changing web practices, brands are forced to regularly adapt their communication strategies. UGCs have been making their mark there over the past few years. Content directly created and modified by consumers has a significant impact on product promotion.
It is then a marketing lever with added value for the brand image, yet still relatively little exploited. Internet users may like to follow the news of their favorite brands, but their use of social media favors entertainment and theinformation before consumption. UGCs specifically help marketing teams get closer to these goals.
Internet users as spokespersons for brands
Those responsible for Vogza company specializing in content creation through innovative solutions for brands, rely on this source of traffic that are UGC: “ 92% of consumers trust UGC content more than traditional advertising and branded content. “
There where 90% of internet users consult the opinions of other customers before a purchase, 72% consider them more relevant than the promotion of a product by the brand itself. In addition, in 2021, 64% of them report having made a purchase via social networks, testimony to their increasingly important place in daily life. A relationship of tacit trust exists between Internet users, on which these specific marketing strategies flourish.
The popularity of reviews, and by extension UGC, is valuable marketing data. In 2017, the leather goods manufacturer Dune London enriched its website with UGC taken from Instagram, in which Internet users and influencers simply wore their products. As a result, sales of these items have increased by 82%. Brands are increasingly seeing the effectiveness of influencers and content creators in implementing marketing more subtle, warm and speaking to their audience. UGCs provide the opportunity to promote a product through personalized audiovisual content adapted to social networks. The results follow: at the end of 2021, 75% of companies were planning a budget marketing d’influence the next year. There is no doubt that the UGC have a bright future ahead of them.
What does the consumer point of view bring?
Marketing benefits of UGC
In addition to a smaller budget to raise, calling on customers for the production of its content has certain benefits:
- They do more trust according to other customers. A brand can direct an advertisement in such a way as to boost its attractiveness, consumers have understood this and now look at them with more reservations.
- Customers know the trends of the moment, since some of them experience them on a daily basis and know how to share them with other Internet users.
- Other customers identify more easily with their counterparts, and better absorb their storytelling.
- More than the presentation of products, consumers provide feedback. They directly provide l’aspect of the product, its functionson manual and his efficiency.
- A active community on social networks can produce an even greater quantity of content.
Boost audience engagement
Involving consumers in its communication strategy even benefits Branding of a company, human and attentive. Between product tests, testimonials, choreographies and free creations, customer opinions do not lack media to be expressed: it is simply a question of stimulating the creativity of its community.
- Organize quizzes on social networks. This strategy works all the better on TikTok or Instagram, where Internet users are asked to tag the brands concerned and use hashtags. The reward generally gives more incentive to users to produce content that is more easily valuable.
- Castings can be organized on dedicated platforms. The ability to launch calls for tenders and the availability of a bank of UGC just waiting to be used saves considerable time in terms of organization and selection.
- Companies can also get in direct contact with some bloggers or influencers to produce UGCs that are more targeted, more personalized and adapted to a clearly defined marketing strategy. After all, from the top of the community they federate, these public figures are nonetheless consumers themselves!
Original and rewarding content for brands, remuneration and creativity test for users, UGC are the basis of a participatory marketing beneficial to each protagonist of the campaign. A fertile ground to multiply the commitment of its customers while building loyalty to its brand image.
(Photo credit: iStock)
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