Whether you are a startup brand looking to break into a new sector or an established business with a significant following, proper use of user-generated content (UGC) is a fundamental part of any marketing strategy. Integrating UGC into social postings, website content or paid advertising campaigns is the best way to show potential customers that other people who are just like them are using your products, which is key to driving sales and building authentic connections with your brand.

WCG has created this winning guide to the top five strategies for best practices with user-generated content and how to generate quality UGC that can be used in a wide variety of applications, from helping drive brand exposure to generating SEO-friendly content for your website.

Boost Social Media Content: User-generated content can be a great way to boost SO (social optimization) on social media platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. In addition to performing well on these platforms based on algorithm, UGC provides your organization with new, organic content for your own social channels – whether that be visual photos and videos for in-feed posts and stories, or consumer testimonials. For visual platforms like Instagram, followers often search for UGC when first interacting with a product to influence how or if they want to make a purchase. The more you can tap into UGC and make it accessible to your social audience, the better.

Integrate UGC into a Paid Strategy: When it comes to social media advertising, incorporating a strong visual is instrumental in attracting the attention of target audiences. This is where user-generated content can lend a hand. Consider utilizing UGC in paid Facebook or Instagram advertisements, especially if the UGC contains a positive review. This is a great way for new or startup brands with limited budgets to access cost-effective visual content for social advertisements. It is important to note that prior to featuring UGC in an advertisement or on social media, permission should be obtained from the creator.

Launch a UGC-Powered Sweepstakes or Contest: One method of increasing the volume of UGC related to your brand is to launch a UGC contest or sweepstakes, fostering a social conversation with important stakeholders. Depending on the ask, this can also build new connections and boost engagement with followers. Make sure to follow the proper steps and precautions to build permissions for content use into the terms and conditions, allowing access to the UGC once the content or sweepstakes is complete.

Integrate UGC Into Your Website Content: Not every organization has the needed resources to boost SEO by spending countless hours developing original website content – and thankfully, you don’t need to. One of the best ways to leverage user-generated content is website development, which will improve site search engine rankings. One tactic is to monitor social media conversations around your brand’s products and cull through customer reviews for content that can be used to populate a FAQ page. Naturally incorporating keywords and phrases into a web page that directly addresses common consumer questions is a surefire way to improve SEO. Additionally, UGC can serve as a point of inspiration and source of content for creating blog posts or other articles that can also elevate search rankings.

Spread Brand Awareness and Create UGC through Product Sampling: Nothing spreads awareness of products like a sampling campaign. Sending free products to current or potential new customers is an excellent way to generate UGC as part of an authentic conversation with target audiences, which is key to driving sales conversion. Research shows word-of-mouth recommendations from friends or family have far more influence over purchase decisions than any advertisement.

While strategic use of UGC is the best way to create content for your brand, drive sales and generate brand awareness at a relatively low cost, it isn’t always easy to monitor sources of UGC and effectively integrate them into marketing and sales campaigns.

To learn more about WCG’s deep experience working with brands to successfully optimize UGC into an integrated marketing campaign, contact hello@wilksgrp.com for more information, and click here to download our UGC Optimization Guide.