How to Source UGC? A Marketer’s Guide for 2023

What empowers anyone’s decision to finalize their purchases? Is it the description, loyalty of the brand, or recommendations from peers? A good amount of people agree it is the latter. In 2022 an annual study showed a change in shopping behaviour, 40% of people agree that user-generated content has affected their purchase decisions. 

What empowers anyone’s decision to finalize their purchases? Is it the description, loyalty of the brand, or recommendations from peers? A good amount of people agree it is the latter. In 2022 an annual study showed a change in shopping behaviour, 40% of people agree that user-generated content has affected their purchase decisions. 

Speaking of user-generated content what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Isn’t it something you need? Are you already leveraging it in your marketing touchpoints? Do you know UGC beings authenticity, drives sales, and seamlessly shifts your brands into the growing social commerce sphere? 

What is UGC?

Basically, UGC is content that is created by real people to promote the brand. They use their own language and speak out honest views they have of the brand. This type of content is not sugar-coated to make your brand look good. 

This type of content includes ratings, reviews, photos, videos, audio, etc. that are created by your customers, followers, ambassadors, employees, etc. across social media and other digital platforms. It is powerful as 84% of people trust a brand’s marketing campaigns if it features UGC. 

Sources of UGC

Looking for authenticity and high-quality UGC? Do you know where to look for it? Worry no more, here are some sources of UGC you can use to collect and display it on your marketing touchpoints. 

1. UGC creators 

UGC creators are people hired by brands to give them access to the content created by these creators. They create content for the brand and make them look good. UGC creators help brands with authentic content and brands can then leverage this UGC anywhere they wish. 

2. Freebies 

Freebies are always everyone’s favourite. People love getting free products. But before you send anyone any kind of product, you need to keep certain things in mind. Ensure that your end goal is clear to offer relevant products. Understand your audience before you offer them the free stuff in exchange for reviews. 

3. Hashtags 

Choose a unique hashtag and create a buzz around it. Keep your hashtag relevant and make it stand out. Encourage your followers to use the hashtag while leaving a review. You can then use social media aggregator platforms like Taggbox to aggregate entire content produced within the hashtag and repurpose multiple marketing touchpoints to maximize your marketing efforts. 

4. Social media 

Hashtags are an option however, you can collaborate with influencers. These collaborations will help you promote your brand and encourage their followers to purchase from you. They influence a large number of users on social media making it a good source for brand awareness. 

5. Emails 

Ensure that you send emails requesting your audience to share reviews. Set clear guidelines and encourage them to create and share UGC, this can also include your hashtag. Run a contest and promote it on emails to further reach out to a larger audience. 

Benefits of UGC

It’s time to see how UGC benefits your brand. 

1. Authenticity 

UGC can help build authenticity for a brand or business by giving customers a platform to share their own experiences and opinions about the product or service. 

This can help to build trust and credibility, as customers are able to see the perspectives and experiences of other real people who have used the product or service. 

2. Trust 

User-generated content (UGC) can help to build trust with customers in a number of ways. One way is by giving customers a platform to share their own experiences and opinions about a product or service. 

This can help to build credibility, as customers are able to see the perspectives and experiences of other real people who have used the product or service. UGC can also help to build trust by providing transparency and honesty about a product or service. 

3. Engagement 

User-generated content (UGC) can improve engagement by giving customers a platform to share their own experiences and opinions about a product or service. This can encourage other customers to engage with the brand and participate in the conversation. 

UGC can also help to create a sense of community around a brand, as it gives customers a place to connect with each other and share their thoughts and experiences. This can lead to more interaction and engagement between customers, as well as between customers and the brand.

4. Sales 

User-generated content (UGC) can potentially improve sales in a number of ways. One way is by increasing brand awareness and visibility. When customers create and share content about a brand or product, it can help to expose the brand to a wider audience and attract new customers. 

UGC can also help to build trust and credibility with customers, which can lead to increased sales. If customers see that other people are having positive experiences with a product or service, they may be more likely to purchase it themselves.

Wrapping it up!

UGC can also help to build trust and credibility with customers, which can lead to increased sales. If customers see that other people are having positive experiences with a product or service, they may be more likely to purchase it themselves.

There are many ways to source UGC and repurpose it to maximize your efforts. UGC is authentic, transparent, and honest that holds the potential to drive sales, improve conversion rates, boost engagement, and much more.

Author bio:

Kanika Mathur is a content writer at Taggbox who is a believer in the power of words. She agrees with Dumbledore when he says,

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.”