As a consumer, if you are a fan of a particular brand, you would love your voice to be featured, right? You may want to remain anonymous, or you may love your name and your photo to be displayed. Whichever it is, it's nice to know that your favorite brand is valuing your opinion.
Sometimes, contributing content to a brand can even change a consumer’s life.
Did You Know?
- Consumer Trust: 92% of consumers trust organic, user-generated content more than they trust traditional advertising.
- Engagement: User-generated content receives 28% higher engagement rates than standard brand posts.
- Conversion Rates: Websites that feature user-generated content see a 29% increase in conversion rates compared to those that don't.
- Influence on Purchases: 79% of people say user-generated content highly influences their purchasing decisions.
- Authenticity: 85% of users find visual UGC more influential than brand photos or videos.
- SEO Benefits: Websites with user-generated content can experience a 48% increase in organic search traffic.
- Social Proof: 68% of consumers say they look at user-generated reviews and ratings before making a purchasing decision.
1. Your Brand Gets More Loyal Customers
This is an obvious one – the more you involve your fans in campaigns with UGC, the more loyal customers you get.
The statistics prove this point – people trust user-generated content much more than commercial content. There are three reasons why this is happening:
- there is no commercial interest in content created by customers
- user-generated content is raw and authentic
- such content also often provides useful, realistic reviews of the product
The last point is also extremely relevant, and here’s why. When a brand posts unedited customer reviews, this brand becomes more trustworthy in the eyes of other consumers. As a result, it retains loyal customers and gets new ones as a reward for honoring the opinion of its fans.
2. User-Generated Content Boosts Revenue
User-generated content brings a lot more conversions if it gets featured during a campaign or on a landing page of a website. Simple fans of the brand could bring as much benefit to their content marketing strategy as any influencer.
The reason?
Product reviews submitted in the form of user-generated content are perceived as social proof that the brand is trustworthy since so many people give it so many positive reviews. As a result, the likelihood that you will acquire more customers significantly increases.
How I "Finally" Make Over $6,000 Monthly Income
"The most valuable thing I've ever done!"
Did You Know?
- Content Volume: User-generated content accounts for 39% of the total content viewed by consumers on social media.
- Millennial Influence: 60% of millennials consider UGC to be the most authentic form of content.
- Brand Loyalty: Brands that actively engage with UGC report a 28% increase in brand loyalty.
- Impact on Spending: Consumers who interact with UGC are likely to spend 50% more time on a website.
- Cost-Effectiveness: UGC provides a low-cost method of content production, reducing marketing expenses by up to 20%.
- Increased Reach: User-generated content is shared 6.9 times more than branded content on social media.
- Influence on Brand Perception: 70% of consumers feel more connected to a brand when it shares UGC.
3. Youngsters Grow Fond of Your Brand
Sooner or later, every brand, no matter of size and experience, wants to reach new audiences. Often they try to target a younger audience who’s just entering that age or phase when they might develop the need for the brand’s product.
However, these efforts don’t always pay off, and here’s why:
- failing to perceive the problem through the worldview of the younger generations
- sticking to the stereotype that young generations have always been and will be the same
- not showing them how they would directly benefit from the product
How can user-generated content help here?
Let’s consider this hypothetical situation.
You’re a teacher at online courses where people can learn French and other foreign languages. You want to target the younger generation who are most likely learning French in school. You can involve user-generated content from the customers you already have who also belong to the same demographic as your target audience. Boom – you have a competitive advantage in your hands.
Statistics also prove that user-generated content is powerful for attracting millennials and Gen-Zers. According to recent studies;
- 84% of millennials report user-generated content helps them make a more informed purchase decision
- 86% of millennials also say UGC is an indicator of a brand’s high quality and trustworthiness
- user-generated content is 20% more influential to millennials than any other content produced by the brands
On top of that, using UGC in your campaigns helps you speak the language of your younger audience. So, you could say that involving user-generated content in your campaign will help you avoid all those mistakes we mentioned a bit earlier.
Did You Know?
- Advertising Fatigue: 82% of consumers say they are annoyed by constant brand advertisements online.
- Credibility: 71% of consumers feel that user-generated reviews make a brand more credible.
- Longer Time on Site: Sites featuring UGC see visitors spending 90% more time on their pages.
- Mobile Engagement: UGC sees 35% more interaction on mobile devices compared to brand content.
- Word of Mouth: 74% of consumers say UGC increases their likelihood of talking about a brand.
- User Contributions: 65% of users aged 18-24 have contributed UGC at some point, highlighting its prevalence among younger demographics.
- Future of Marketing: 53% of marketers plan to increase their use of UGC in the next marketing year.
When Brand Content Misses the Mark
Often, the stuff brands churn out can leave readers wanting more and/or feeling disconnected. There are some reasons why content written by brands doesn't always hit the right note.
#1 Too Much Sell, Not Enough Tell
One big reason brand content can fall flat is its heavy focus on selling. Imagine reading an article that feels more like a relentless sales pitch than a helpful post.
It tends to prioritize product promotion over the reader's needs or interests. It's like having a conversation where someone keeps trying to sell you something instead of just chatting. Not very fun, right?
#2 Out of Touch with the Reader
Sometimes, it feels like brand content was written by someone who's never met a real-life customer. It can come across as tone-deaf or irrelevant.
This happens when brands don’t quite grasp what their readers are truly interested in or the type of language they use. It's like showing up to a hip hop dance class and finding out you’re learning ballet. It just doesn’t match.
#3 Lack of Personality
Brand content can be bland. If the writing feels like it was churned out by a robot or follows a formula too rigidly, it loses that human touch. Good writing often has a personality that makes it enjoyable or relatable. Without it, content can feel generic and forgettable.
#4 Playing It Too Safe
Brands often play it safe to avoid controversy, resulting in content that’s overly cautious and sanitized. This can strip away any strong opinions or interesting angles that might actually make the content more engaging. It’s like watching a movie where nothing exciting happens; nobody wants to sit through that!
#5 Overcomplication
Ever read something and felt like you needed a dictionary to get through it? Sometimes, brand content is loaded with jargon, complex words, or convoluted sentences that make it hard to digest. Simplicity is key in communication, but often, brands miss the mark, leaving readers more confused than informed.
#6 Failing to Update and Relate
The world changes fast, but sometimes brand content doesn’t keep up. Using outdated references or missing out on new trends can make content seem stale or irrelevant. Readers can usually tell when a piece of content feels like a blast from the past instead of a fresh take.
Brand content often misses the excitement and relatability that draw readers in. While the intention might be there, the execution can bore users.
So, Is User-Generated Content Better?
It’s relative.
In terms of engagement, it’s a definitive yes, and multiple stats we shared with you prove this point.
Sure, user-generated content can bring you more revenue since it’s more trusted by the consumers. And, you’ll have more chances to become a popular brand among youngsters, as UGC helps you speak their language.
But should you staff your content marketing strategy just with UGC?
Probably, no, since it could create a feeling that you’re feeding off your fan’s creativity. It’s better to find a golden middle where the content created by users and your own branded content co-exist in harmony.
Author Bio: Stryker Buster-Angel
Professional performer who contributes anything that people generally wouldn't do to various sites, mainly on digital adult-oriented content and innovative devices, performance-enhancing products in general.
CyberCash Worldwide Recommends:
For $299/year or $149/quarter
Thrive Suite Includes:
I agree with you totally, content created by brands are just boring because they are trying to sell, temporarily draw attention but we know the intention. Content created by users is more imaginative. My example on TikTok is a proof.