You’re overcomplicating it. You don’t need the studio lighting, you don’t need a $2000+ camera, you don’t need a full production crew. Actually, it can actually be more effective for your content to not use any of this. Keep reading to learn how.
By now, I’m sure you’ve noticed the rise of user-generated content (UGC). UGC is photos and videos created for your brand by customers, viewers, or followers. There’s so much beauty in this and throughout 2020, with everyone stuck inside their house, lots of companies had no choice but to make do with what they could. Sometimes this meant FaceTime photoshoots or videos that customers shot on regular iPhones. I am a huge fan of user-generated content and most consumers are, too.
Let’s unpack the beauty of why this is such a beautiful and effective form of content on both the customer side as well as the business’ side.
More Trust and Credibility
We’ve transitioned from a time of super curated feeds, perfect lighting, and photoshop to one that is gradually becoming much more real and candid. Too many business owners just don’t know that yet. Just like I said at the beginning, lots of companies still think that all of the content they create needs to be multimedia masterpieces. But the truth is that people are getting very good at being able to tell what is an ad these days. Personally, I scroll past and won’t interact with anything that looks like a very salesy ad. People don’t like feeling like they’re being sold to. And let’s be honest… How engaging is a company’s branded graphic with a stock image of a team high-fiving that we’ve all seen on Linkedin about 50 times?
My point is that making use of user-generated content lowers your team’s barrier to entry when it comes to creating killer organic content. It also means less work for your team (let’s be honest… Who doesn’t love that?) On top of that, you’re producing content that is much more engaging and authentic which leads to more trust established among your audience. Ultimately, people will trust other people over trusting a brand because, again, people aren’t always the most trusting when it comes to companies and marketers.
Fits Effortlessly
Social media is traditionally a very personal space. People share pictures of what they’re up to, what they’re eating, and even important announcements like having a baby. When you have content that’s heavily branded, you are risking either getting ignored or sticking out like a sore thumb. When you’re not able to use your platforms in the way that your audience expects you to, it’s usually not a good look.
Satisfies What The Buyer is Looking For
There’s a huge misalignment between how companies want consumers to buy and how they actually buy. Think about how you behave when you are about to make a purchase. I would bet that you typically don’t see one ad or one product picture and purchase based on that. You most likely, if you’re anything like me, search for customer reviews, customer photos to see the actual product or service in real life, and YouTube videos to see demonstrations and unboxing reviews. Buyers do this so they can get a real look at how the product or service actually works. They know that the company will only show it in its best light.
UGC fun isn’t just reserved for product-based or B2C businesses. You can have your current clients be your advocates by giving a quick video testimonial of the results that you’ve brought them or have them give a demo of how your product or service actually works for them.
Let’s take a look at some examples you might be able to steal from:
Doritos
#MakesMeWhole by Whole Foods
General Assembly Featuring Graduate’s Photos
Smile Direct Club
