Marketing has evolved a lot. People are smarter nowadays. They no longer believe in the content created by the brands. Instead, they believe in the content created by the real users of the brand. User-generated content helps the customers to make their purchase decision. There are many examples of user-generated content that helped the brands to boost their sales.
So, in this article, we are going to discuss the general definition of user-generated content and the importance of user-generated content in today’s online marketing world.
So let’s go!
User-Generated Content Definition
Any type of content that is created by the users of the brand to share their views or experience with the brand over the Internet is known as user-generated content (UGC) or user-created content (UCC). People create UGC with their free will, and the brands do not pay them for this. Some of the types of UGC are –
- Photos
- Videos
- Reviews
- Testimonials
- Social Media Content
These are only some of the types of user-generated content. People can create content in any format and can post it where ever they want.
Importance Of User-Generated Content
User-generated content is the new active player in the market, and it plays a vital role in the content marketing strategy of many big brands. Every marketer knows its importance. You can also embed user-generated content on WordPress website.
Brands use UGC to market their product in a better way. So let’s discuss why UGC is essential in today’s marketing world.
1. Cost-Effective
User-generated content is the content created by the users of the brand. They share it for
- Share their experience with the brand.
- To showcase their talent to a larger group of people.
- To win something.
Hence, UGC is cost-effective. Brands don’t have to empty their pocket for the content.
2. Authentic
Authenticity is one of the essential things in today’s online marketing world. If you want to grow, then you need to gain the trust of the users and UGC will help you to achieve this goal.
People consider UGC more authentic than any other form of content. They no longer depend upon the paid ads of the brand to make their purchase decision. Instead, they believe in the content created by the real users of the brand.
3. Higher Engagement
People love UGC. They love to get engaged with the user-generated content than any other form of content. So, if you want higher engagement on your website, then you need to embed UGC on your website. Many big brands like Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Apple, Wayfair, etc. embed UGC on their websites to get higher engagement.
There are many tools available in the market with the help of which you can easily embed the UGC on your website.
4. Increase Social Reach
Social media is one of the best platforms to organize a UGC campaign. People love to get engaged in UGC campaigns on social media. You can organise the campaign on different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. according to your need.
Organizing a UGC campaign will help you in the following ways.
- Gain Trust
- Increase Fanbase
- Boost Traffic
- Gain Authenticity
You have to be smart to maximize the reach. Try to encourage people to participate in your contest. Everyone loves free things. So you can offer a price to the winner of the contest for higher engagement.
5. Boost SEO Score
There are several ways by which UGC can help you to boost your website performance.
According to a report, 25% of the Top 20 brands links to user-generated content. Customer reviews and ratings have a significant on the sales of an e-commerce website.
The search engine also loves UGC. It gives preference to the website that embeds UGC along with the regular content. This is because UGC is real and more authentic. It is created by real users.
Over To You
UGC is the new active player in the market. No marketer can deny its importance in today’s online marketing world.
UGC has a great impact on the customer’s mind. It is a goldmine if you use it properly. You have to be smart if you want to maximise your reach and grow your audience.
