User-generated content (UGC), also called user-created content or consumer-generated marketing, turns your customers into your biggest marketers. It’s growing in popularity for a few reasons, mostly because it requires little to no extra work on your end and it’s extremely effective.
What is user-generated content?
UGC is exactly what it sounds like: content (photos, videos, reviews) created by consumers of a product or service. Businesses across the board have gotten into the consumer-generated marketing game. Even major companies like Coca-Cola and Lego have run very successful user-generated content marketing campaigns in recent years.
Why is it so effective? Let’s look at some stats:
- A whopping 74% of consumers reported that they rely on social networks to influence their buying decisions
- 84% of consumers said they trust recommendations from their peers over other ad sources
- 70% of consumers look for reviews or ratings before making a purchase
And when it comes to millennials, that coveted young adult demographic, UGC is king:
- Millennials are among the users that contribute the most user-generated content
- 84% said user-generated content contributes to their purchasing decisions at least some, while only 3% reported that it had no impact on their buying
- 86% report UGC as being a good indicator of the quality of a product or service
The bottom line: people love to share their experience with a brand and they want to hear about the experiences of others. Sometimes consumers even rely on reviews and social media to make decisions. If you’re not taking advantage of UGC, you could be losing out.
How to use consumer-generated marketing in your Shopify store
User-created content works best when you use it in your social media channels and your product pages.
Social media is perfect for UGC. In addition to reposting customer photos (with permission), you can easily find pictures of your products by creating a store hashtag and/or asking people to tag you when they post about your goods.
Embedding a feed of customers’ photos to your product pages, as shown below, is a fantastic way to share in-action photos with anyone who shops on your site. You can see that this feed allows potential customers to see what the turntables look like in the real world and helps them visualize what it would look like in their home, all of which can help them make the decision to buy.
In addition to social media feeds on product pages, reviews and ratings are extremely helpful to customers, and a service like Okendo takes the standard review a step further. With Okendo, customers can share photos and videos of the goods, give product insights, and ask and answer questions about products, all on the product page.
You can also use apps like Fera to add social proof and a sense of urgency to your store. Using counters, timers, and social proof feeds, Fera shows visitors that consumers have made a choice (in this case, to browse or purchase from your store or make a purchase), which encourages others to do the same. It’s is so effective because we feel more comfortable doing something when we know others have done it. Try adding social proof to your store and watch your conversions and sales increase.
To recap, there are four things you can do today to start utilizing UGC in your Shopify store:
- Use what your customers are sharing on social media. Create a hashtag for your site and check it often.
- Incorporate customer photos, ratings, and reviews into your product listings.
- Use a service like Okendo to take your product pages to the next level with customer reviews, ratings, and photos that build trust with your customers.
- Add social proof to your business with Fera.
Is UGC a part of your marketing strategy? Join the conversation on social media (on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn ) and let us know!
Oh, and if you’d like to get a sweet deal on Fera or Okendo, reach out and we’ll hook you up.