Any content that’s created by the target audience of a company instead of the company itself is called user-generated content. Companies often use and share user-generated content on their own social media accounts, websites, digital PR or other marketing platforms. One of the primary platforms for user-generated content has been Instagram in recent years, where users can create and share visual posts featuring a company, while also exposing those products to their own audiences.
Authenticity
According to research, buyers are a lot more likely to view any user-generated content as more authentic, compared to any content created by a company. That means companies can improve their credibility and increase trust with the target audience through user-generated content.
Trust
Before making an order, consumers want to know what they’re going to get. In fact, plenty of younger consumers avoid certain products or services if they don’t have a high-quality presence on social media platforms. This is because they don’t believe that those expenses are worth their while or are going to be what they need. The basis of this is trust between the company and its target audience, as plenty of buyers trust online reviews or recommendations from influencers and even people they know over ads.
Buying decisions
Both of the previous points about user-generated content eventually lead up to influencing the buying decisions of the target audience, which is incredibly important for any company. Whether the user-generated content is going to be shared directly on the company’s social media account, or through the stories features of various platforms, companies have plenty of opportunities to create a collection of user generated content that allows the potential buyers to stick around and watch as long as they need to become comfortable to make a purchase.
Brand desire
One of the best ways to spark brand desire with consumers is by sharing attractive visual user-generated content. This is especially important for lifestyle or tourism brands where companies are able to showcase their destinations through the eyes of visitors. These types of user-generated content can easily collect thousands of impressions or shares and inspire the consumers to make a purchase.
Brand loyalty
Sparking brand desire goes hand-in-hand with having more people experience the company’s solutions for the very first time. This means companies have to build brand loyalty with consumers to be able to reach new buyers. The people that are creating and sharing user-generated content are likely that company’s biggest fans and have likely made multiple purchases.
Through user-generated content, companies can utilize that brand excitement, and create a sense of long-term loyalty with the people that aren’t as familiar with the brand and its products or services. This is because through this type of user-generated content, companies are able to show how much they care about the consumer experience which can then build brand loyalty with new consumers.
