How to utilize user generated content for retail businesses?

[Kiana]

UGC is a popular marketing strategy used by retail businesses to spread the word or promote/ market their shops. What are the best ways to start it?

[Chooli]

User-generated content or (UGC) is a powerful marketing strategy because in the online platform, it is proven that customers listen to what other customers or users have to say about their product experience before making a purchase.In its simplest form, UGC is a tactic where you ask customers to make the marketing content for you. You may do this for your business by providing rules for submitting content, and it typically has something to do with the brand.

For instance, a business may ask customers to submit items like videos, pictures, reviews, or testimonials. It differs from typical marketing techniques because no one from the company creates the content. It’s up to the customer to decide on what’s written or submitted.

Here are types of UGC: 

Blog comments

Facebook comments or posts

Reviews

User generated videos

User generated blog posts

Forums

Podcasts

Here are some benefits of UGC:

Higher Brand Engagement: Everyone wants more likes, but setting engagement as a goal is smart during UGC campaigns. Influencers tend to spark conversation with their content. Seeing more comments, likes and mentions toward your channels shows signs of success. But you need the right social media analytics tools to work this!

Increased Conversion Rates: Need to reassure consumers’ purchasing decisions? If you’re in even a slightly competitive industry–people will do their research. Make it your priority to increase conversions with reviews, unboxing showcases and social media takeovers for your campaign.

Building Brand Trust: Another common goal is simply getting folks to trust you. Whether you’ve had some bad press or you’re starting fresh, building brand awareness through trust is a great goal. Try to track keywords or phrases you know are associated with your brand to build credibility. Then track and measure to see if people are giving more positive feedback on social or even on reviews.

Educating More Users: Start by tracking common questions and concerns about your business on social media. 

Save Time on Content Creation: If your team is in need of more social content, UGC can help save a lot of time. By aggregating hashtags, comments and photos, you save time in the creation process.