Want to know how to Use UGC to Influence Your Customers? User-generated content (UGC) is an increasingly important aspect of digital marketing: from product reviews and social media posts to videos and photos, UGC provides valuable insights into what your customers are thinking, feeling and doing.
With UGC, you can tap into the power of social proof to build trust and influence your customers’ purchasing decisions. Studies show that a jaw dropping 91% of shoppers are influenced to buy by UGC.
UGC can come in the form of product reviews, unboxing videos on someone’s TikTok, product photos on Instagram and product-in-action reels by fellow consumers. This content gives potential customers social proof that other people use them in scenarios that resonate with their own lives.
It has been found to be extremely useful to prompt a shopper to buy in their final stages of assessing your product. Adding UGC images to final stages such as the “in your cart” drop down or “abandoned cart” emails help give the shopper that final boost of confidence to prompt them to click “Buy Now”.
The bottom line is, people trust other people, and UGC, or digital word of mouth, sells your products. The best part: you don’t have to pay for UGC like you do for shiny ads and (near)celebrity influencers.
All you have to do is program a review prompt online for customers to share posts of themselves using your product or services. It sometimes helps to incentivise these reviews: offer a discount or free gift.
You could also get the review platforms such as Yelp or Trustpilot to generate and manage reviews; or even collaborate with digital content platforms like KittyKat who help link you to alt-influencers (Creators) for you.
Here are some tips on how to effectively use UGC to influence your customer’s decision to buy:
UGC includes product reviews, testimonials, and user-generated videos and photos from people who have used your product. A customer’s un-boxing video on his social media for example, is a type of content that basically demonstrates the value of your product “in action”. It helps other customers make an informed purchasing decision.
Encourage customers to share their experiences with your product and engage with their content. This helps build a sense of community and fosters a positive relationship between you and your customers. You may even want to consider a forum segment on your website for customers to engage with the community on relevant topics to your brand.
Displaying UGC prominently on your website can help increase the credibility of your brand and build trust with potential customers. This can include a customer review section, a photo gallery, or even a user-generated video gallery.
Social media is a powerful platform for sharing UGC and reaching a wider audience. Encourage customers to share their experiences with your product on social media and consider creating a branded hashtag to make it easy for customers to find and share their content.
Remember that your branded hashtag campaigns do not give you legal permission to re-share your consumers’ comments and photos without permission. This can damage the customer’s faith in, and hence goodwill to your brand. Simply ask the original poster for their consent and then credit them in your own post so people can “cross check” the authenticity of the original creator’s identity. The collaboration also gives people a sense of pride and ownership of their content, ultimately engaging their enthusiasm and loyalty to your brand.
Responding to customer feedback and engaging with UGC can help demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and build trust. Consider responding to positive reviews and addressing any concerns or issues raised in customer feedback.
UGC has the power to influence your customer’s purchasing decisions by providing valuable insights, building trust, and creating a sense of community in a cost effective way. Having a UGC strategy helps you digitalise your marketing strategy to drive sales and scale your business. With 92% of consumers placing their trust on organic UGC over traditional advertising, it has become an indispensable marketing tool across all platforms.
