The ‘new wave’ of social media marketing has been referred to as user-generated content. It is an engaging approach to get people to connect with your material, and it is effectively free publicity.

Here’s a rundown of what user-generated content is and why you should consider incorporating it into your social media marketing plan.

It is a sad fact in the realm of social media marketing that customers’ trust may be scarce in a market crowded with inflammatory material, misleading ploys, and pop-up advertisements, resulting in 96% of consumers not trusting ads.

As customers become more and more put off by aggressive sales methods, they are also becoming more socially conscious and looking for authenticity in the companies they support. This has compelled marketers to rethink their strategy and seek out ways that create an honest and trustworthy brand.

What is user-generated content?

TINT, a platform for user-generated content, describes this social media approach as “any material made, published, and/or submitted by users of a brand.” User-generated content (UGC) might take the shape of social media postings, pictures, videos, or consumer evaluations.

The most effective method to demonstrate the effectiveness of UGC is to use the example of Netflix’s #Stranger Things2 campaign. 

Netflix used the #Stranger Things2 to advertise the impending second season of the show. As a result, interested Instagram users were enticed to return to the Netflix website to check out what all the commotion was about.

This idea stimulated hundreds of thousands of people to start posting images of stranger things taking place in their daily lives, hash-tagging/tagging the title of the show. Using the unique UGC being shared worldwide, Netflix attracted almost 1 million people in just 2 weeks.

What makes user-generated content so effective?

The effectiveness of user-generated content is linked to the value of customer trust in marketing.

As previously mentioned, customers are wary of advertisers that use forceful sales methods; 76% of consumers believe that commercials are ‘very overstated.’ Marketers have therefore been compelled to seek alternate means of reaching their target consumers.

Customers get the social evidence they need when UGC is used, to feel justified in making a purchase. This implies that seeing other consumers shout a company’s praises in a public place, such as social media, might inspire the belief that the brand is reliable and delivers high-quality goods or services.

This is due to the fact that hearing about great experiences from a fellow customer, matters more than hearing about them from a marketer whose goal is to sell.

Aside from the social proof factor, using user-generated content is beneficial since it prioritizes the consumer.

By incorporating user-generated content (UGC) into your social media marketing plan, you are demonstrating to your audience that your company is committed to providing a great customer experience for all and that you are prepared to put your money where your mouth is.

However, UGC may assist a brand in the following ways:

• UGC bridges the gap between companies and customers, fostering a community. When consumers share sponsored material, they set off a chain reaction that may lead to others making the same purchase and posting about it. This eventually leads to the formation of a community of brand advocates.
• According to ComScore, when professional marketing tactics (such as social media marketing) are coupled with user-generated content, brand interactions rise by 28%.
• Because users are generating content on their own initiative, the business receives free publicity

The value of user-generated content is obvious, and there’s no doubt that we’ll see a lot more of it in the coming years as brands harness the power of their audiences and move away from forceful sales methods.