How to Benefit from User-generated Content in 2021

How to Benefit from User-generated Content in 2021

The past year has been full of challenges for businesses all over the globe. There have been ups and downs, and we had to adjust our business strategies to the changing face of the market. The outbreak of COVID-19 made us reconsider all our decisions, including marketing, and adapt to what’s happening around us. But, this year has come to an end, and we’ve got a chance for a fresh start. Now’s a great moment to plan your new marketing strategy. We strongly suggest you make user-generated content (UGC) the cornerstone.

UGC is far from a new trend. It’s been around for years, and we’ve seen everyone from minor brands to internationally recognized ones use it. But, lockdown and social distancing made room for UGC to be reinvented and introduced as a vital marketing tool once again.

In 2021, you should make use of UGC to reach your new goals. Let’s see how to benefit from UGC.

Why Use UGC?

Before we dig into the tips and tricks on using UGC to reach your new marketing goals, let’s consider the importance of UGC.

What makes it so unique and essential for your content marketing strategy?

UGC is the content created by brand followers, customers, and users. It showcases the products or services but does so in a natural, more believable way. This is why it’s sometimes more appealing to people than the regular professional marketing content or a social media post.

This is why UGC provides numerous benefits to the brands and businesses that use it. Here’s what we find to be the most valuable benefits:

  • authenticity

UGC shows your products, services, or your brand just the way it is. There’s no professional photoshoot or image editing behind it, and it’s a real-life customer expressing their impressions.

  • social proof

It’s one thing to have the brand tell you about their latest product and why to buy it. But it’s a whole other thing when an ordinary customer does it instead. UGC provides social proof, and that’s what most people want to see before becoming a customer.

  • trust

If you’re posting UGC, you’re showing you’ve got nothing to hide. You’re sharing your users’ experiences publically and inviting others to join. This tells a lot about your credibility and will help you build trust with your target audience.

  •  interaction

It’s essential to keep your target audience close. Social media allows you to communicate with them directly, and UGC will help you do it publically. You can listen and learn while looking for and posting UGC across your social media.

  • increase sales

Your potential customers will love seeing how others feel about a product they’re thinking of buying. They might even ask questions in your comment section and ask others to share their impressions. By making it possible for them to have this information available, you’ll increase your sales and drive more purchasing decisions.

UGC can help you stand out from your competitors and portray yourself as trustworthy, communicative, and honest. You’ll be able to listen to your customers and even lead better conversations with them.

Now, let’s take a look at the key strategies for nailing UGC in 2021.

How to Benefit From UGC in 2021?

2021 could be the year you reach your marketing goals and raise your brand strategy to a whole new level. Here’s how to use UGC to make this happen.

1. Show You’re Accessible

As a brand, you want to appeal to a specific target audience. You want as many people as possible to get to know your brand and understand your business idea.

To do this, you need to show your brand is accessible.

UGC is the perfect tool for this. By sharing ordinary people as your customers, you’ll be sending the following message:

  • we’re approachable
  • you don’t have to be intimidated by our brand
  • you can be a part of our little family

That means that you’re not just using beautiful models or social media influencers to advertise your brand. Instead, you’ll show that you’re accessible and anyone can become your customer.

People will feel more encouraged to become your customer, seeing all your other customers enjoying it freely.

2. Enhance Consumer Desire

The brilliant thing about UGC is that it speaks the language of your target audience. And, if you’re smart about it, you’ll be able to show them exactly what they want to see.

This is why, in 2021, you should work on using UGC to enhance consumer desire. You want to share UGC that shows:

  • how you make their lives better
  • how you solve their pain points
  • why you’re such an excellent choice for them

So, if you’re a brand selling sportswear, show customers of different age, build, or level of fitness. Portray the problems they’re facing in their everyday workout and why they feel so great in your sportswear.

This will make other customers want the piece of the same cake. It will increase their consumer desire and inspire them to follow the same example.

3. Change the Perspective

There’s only so much you can do to advertise your brand, product, or services. You are, after all, trying to convince people to buy something from you.

This is why, in 2021, you should try and shift the perspective using UGC. It will allow you to speak from the customers’ point of view while sharing it with your entire target audience. This approach will increase your conversions and boost brand awareness.

Inspire people to create and share UGC that:

  • shows their personal experience with the brand
  • shows how they see, enjoy or use it
  • provides a new perspective

Invite them to be creative and unique. You could even do a photo contest with this idea. It will motivate people to think outside of the box and capture their best moments with your brand.

Show how your brand fits into different scenarios and bring it closer to the ordinary man. Share your customers’ perspectives, and you’ll give your brand a whole new dimension.

4. Drive Emotions

Emotions and storytelling go hand in hand. And, there’s no better way to embrace storytelling than through UGC.

Sharing the stories of your actual customers can only benefit you. Real-life stories go a long way, and you should think of the best way to do it.

Here’s what you need to include:

  • stories that revolve around a real customer and your brand
  • emotions
  • a storyline for the audience to follow

So, a travel agency could share the story of an older couple who went on their honeymoon for the first time, since they didn’t have the money to do it 20 years ago when they got married. The story will show how the agency made them feel young and in love again.

Stories like this require a deeper connection with your audience and their permission to share it naturally.

Share it on your blog or social media, but make sure to write like a professional. If you need help with writing emotional stories, BestWritingAdvisor or Bestessay.reviews can help you find a perfect writing service such as EssaySupply. Also, use Pixlr or Canva to enrich the story with visuals.

5. Give Hope

Hope is something we all need right now. People are feeling lost, and there’s a lot of fear and anxiety in the air.

This is the perfect time for showing and sharing some hope and optimism.

Ask your followers to share motivational and uplifting messages. Come up with a hashtag that will symbolize the strength of the community you’re building and ask them to make your brand a part of the message.

It could be as simple as:

  • people drinking your brand of herbal tea, surrounded by their closest family members
  • people listening to music late at night, from a Bluetooth speaker you’re selling

Ask them to tell each other how life is still beautiful, and the essence of it is in the little pleasures we can easily give ourselves.

This is the type of message they want to hear right now.

6. Show Compassion

2020 has been a tough year for everyone. And, the pandemic is still not over, so we’ve got a lot on our plates. Now, more than ever, your customers will want to see you empathize and help.

 Showing compassion and care for the community is super important. People appreciate brands that:

  • donate
  • fight for a cause
  • organize charity events

And, in 2021, you should team up with your customers to help those in need. Think about an effective and meaningful way to help the people who’ve lost their jobs, lost a family member due to COVID-19, or are struggling for any other reason.

Then, include your customers in action and figure out how to help them together. For example, you could donate a percentage of your income for every product they buy.

Ask them to post UGC and send thoughtful messages on social media for the people to read. This will inspire others to consider buying from you as well.

Final Thoughts

Don’t you agree that 2021 should be the year of connections, communication, and stronger bonds? While we drifted apart in 2020, we have a chance to rebuild it all in 2021, and the best way to do it is to adjust our content marketing competency to the new normal.

UGC is the perfect tool for you to do it. Use the tips we’ve shared above and start working on your 2021 UGC strategy. Make the right moves and start spreading your message through your loyal customers. It’s bound to be a winning move.

Dorian Martin is a professional writer that runs his website on everything business-related. His passion for helping his audience leads him to frequently work with some of the best dissertation writing services, where he provides his writing experience. In his spare time, Dorian likes reading and spending time with his dog.

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