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User-generated content (UGC) is an invaluable resource for brands trying to establish a stronger connection with their customers. It goes beyond traditional marketing, allowing companies to engage with consumers in an honest and genuine way. UGC can come in many forms – audio, video, images, or text – all of which are created by users instead of marketing professionals. As a leading company, the Netflix user-generated content strategy presents an excellent case study in engagement.
By utilizing UGC, brands can tap into the enthusiasm of their devoted customers and partners who provide real-life experiences to others that will shape their purchasing decisions. Through UGC, companies are able to cultivate a more authentic relationship with their audience and create compelling stories that successfully engage them on multiple levels. Additionally, having UGC featured prominently on digital platforms elevates a brand’s presence and fosters loyalty among its consumers.
Nadezhda Kozhedub | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
User-generated content turns a brand’s loyal, passionate consumers into automated campaigners to create engagement across different communities around its products or services. Engagement increased by 28% when consumers are able to see a mix of product videos generated by users and official content from the brand’s authors. In fact, 64 percent of users are more likely to share content from a brand when they are sharing content created by their customers.
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What is more, according to a Tints report, The State of UGC, 76% of consumers made a purchase based on another person’s recommendations, and 62% of users are more likely to click a post containing an image created by the user versus one created by the brand.
According to Adweek’s report, 85% of users polled found that visual UGC was more influential than content created directly by brands. For instance, the survey found that 61% of consumers said that UGC on Starbucks was likely to influence their decision to buy, compared with 39% of consumers who said that the Starbucks brand’s own content was more influential.
The findings of the Visual Objects study indicated that consumers may have different preferences concerning the type of content they interact with on various social media platforms, which can heavily impact how brands and retailers approach their marketing strategies. For example, Starbucks, Netflix, and Aerie are all companies that have seen a wide range of reactions to both user-generated content and brand posts on popular social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
When these companies share user-generated examples of their products or services on social media platforms, they often receive thousands of likes, comments, and shares, which can inspire even more people to try out what the brand has to offer.
If you liked our article on Netflix user-generated content, consider checking out our article on Top 10 Brands founded by influencers here!
Netflix user-generated content
Netflix has been able to leverage its vast library of user-generated content to not only promote its original series but also create a buzz and engage different communities around its products or services. The success of this strategy was evident when Netflix launched its second season of the popular series Stranger Things and decided to market it with a bit of creative UGC.
They asked their followers to post weird things they were finding out in their everyday lives and use the hashtag #StrangerThings2. This idea resonated with thousands of users who quickly shared their stories on social media, resulting in over one million combined engagements within a two-week period.
This success proves that user-generated content is capable of eliciting an emotional response from consumers and influencing purchasing decisions. It also emphasizes how brands should adjust their marketing strategies to match the preferences of consumers across various social media platforms.
Via Presto POVs
If you liked our article on Netflix user-generated content, consider checking out our article on whether influencer brands will stand the test of time here!
ASOS user-generated content
ASOS’s #AsSeenOnAsos campaign gives fashion enthusiasts an amazing chance to be featured on the brand’s official Instagram page. Through this initiative, customers can take part by simply tagging their photos with the hashtag and following ASOS on Instagram. The brand then chooses the best posts from its online community of fashion lovers and showcases them on its page, offering a unique opportunity for customers all around the world to show off their style to a major fashion brand in an easy and straightforward way.
This campaign has been highly successful for ASOS as it has allowed users to feel recognized and appreciated by a global company, while also helping to spread awareness about the brand’s clothing and accessories. Additionally, it has encouraged customers to form a closer connection with ASOS on social media platforms, creating loyalty among its audience.
Moreover, studies suggest that when brands share user-generated examples of their products or services on social media sites, they often receive thousands of likes, comments, and shares — which further serves to propel potential customers to try out what the brand has to offer. Accordingly, this shows that UGC can be an extremely effective tool for boosting sales while simultaneously creating an engaged customer base around a product or service.
Via Instagram
If you liked our article on Netflix user-generated content, consider checking out our article on the top 100 creator brands here!
Adobe user-generated content
Adobe’s #Adobe_Perspective hashtag has been a huge success, allowing them to not only show off the capabilities of their software but also foster a strong relationship with their user community. The hashtag allowed Adobe users to share their creative works with the world, highlighting the incredible ways in which their software could be used.
This opened up opportunities for both Adobe and its users: Adobe was able to gain free marketing and brand awareness while users got exposure to their projects. Moreover, it created an environment where both parties benefitted from each other’s efforts — customers were able to learn new techniques and admire others’ work while Adobe saw how its software was being used in innovative ways.
As a result, this UGC campaign helped build trust between Adobe and its customers as well as loyalty among the audience; it gave people a chance to connect with the brand on a much more personal level than through traditional advertising methods. Furthermore, by reposting customer stories, Adobe was able to create stronger relationships with its customers that went beyond simply selling products or services.
Through this hashtag campaign, they were able to establish themselves as more than just a company – they became an advocate for creativity and innovation.
Via Instagram
If you liked our article on Netflix user-generated content, consider checking out our article on what makes creator brands successful here!
The End Goal
Whether it is content from your customers, users, or members of your community, encourage fellow Instagrammers to send in content that shows a different aspect of what your brand is about. Then, ask your users to share it back with you, so that you can keep adding character and variety to your content that shows the heart of what your community is about — helping people do better on social media. If you are running a UGC campaign, you could use a social media aggregator to pull together all of the content shared through branded hashtags and build an Instagram wall for your site.
If you liked our article on Netflix user-generated content, consider checking out our article on viral TikTok brands here!
The Last Word
User-generated content is an incredibly powerful tool for marketing, providing a unique way of connecting to customers, and gaining brand exposure. Whether it be leveraging micro-influencers or celebrities, encouraging user-generated content through hashtags, or building an Instagram wall with social media aggregators, businesses of all sizes can take advantage of UGC campaigns in order to grow their followings and boost engagement.
Doing so allows brands to create relationships with their customers that go beyond simply selling products or services by showing off the heart of what their community is about and giving people a chance to connect with the brand on a more personal level. By doing so, brands are able to foster loyalty among their audience while simultaneously driving sales — which proves that UGC can be an extremely effective way of marketing one’s business.
