According to 60% of B2B marketers, generating engaging content is their primary marketing challenge. This is why, content teams all across the globe are working towards producing eye-grabbing & authentic content such as infographics, blogs, videos & more.
But creating content that triggers a response takes a lot of muscle and manpower, therefore it can be quite disappointing when you don’t get anything effective.
So it is incredibly important to create content for your brand’s online presence as it offers invaluable benefits for your business. But this process of content creation can be a daunting task and can sometimes feel impersonal.
Here comes the need to incorporate User-Generated Content into your content strategy.
In this blog, we will enlighten you about some of the easiest ways to generate user-generated content for your brand or business.
User-Generated Content: Definition
Solving the problem of how your audience connects to your content, “User-generated Content” has been helping marketers all across the globe to survive in the hyperactive world of marketing.
UGC is described as “The most trustworthy, authentic & reliable form of social media content that is created willingly by unpaid contributors.”
From the text, videos, images to reviews, you can showcase user-generated content on your own social media accounts, website, events as well as other marketing channels.
In a nutshell, UGC is the one-stop solution for all your content marketing related needs. Now you know how you can get high-quality content cost-efficiently.

Benefits of UGC
Here are three key reasons UGC is a key marketing strategy before we move further!
#1 Build Trust
UGC is all about creating trust as stats also say that 70 percent trust online consumer opinions. So sharing user-generated content like user reviews or testimonials etc. can boost followers’ & customers’ trust in the products and the brand.
#2 Boost Engagement & Traffic
Showcasing UGC on your website can easily boost engagement to your site, which also benefits you in better SEO rankings.
#3 Affect Purchasing Decisions
According to nearly 80% of customers, user-generated content has a high impact on their purchasing decisions. In short, user-generated content is specially designed to drive purchases.
Ways to Generate User-generated Content for Your Brand Becoming the most desirable online content. UGC seems to be more powerful and authentic than any other marketing tactic.
While it’s simplicity and power to achieve online success has made us pen down a few mind-blowingly creative ways to aggregate user-generated content.
1. Hashtag Campaigns
One of the current popular ways to aggregate user-generated content is via ‘Hashtag Campaigns’ that comes in all shapes & sizes.
They are in trend as they boost customer engagement and amplify a brand’s reach to a great extent. It even enhances the customer interaction with the brand as they use the dedicated branded hashtags to upload their photos and videos on a regular basis.
For example, Coca Cola’s ‘ShareaCoke’ campaign is a perfect example of the most unforgettable hashtag campaigns ever.
2. Social Media Contests
Social Media Contest is as popular as they were before with the same rage. A well crafted UGC contest helps you reach the maximum number of audience, build stronger customer-brand relationships, etc.
But most importantly social media contests encourage user-generated content.
All you need to have is a fun idea, contestants & an enticing reward that keeps your participants more encouraged to be more creative with their entries.
For example, Do you know about the “White Cup” contest launched in April 2014 by Starbucks to generate user-generated content in a fun & creative way?
The brand encouraged customers in the U.S. and Canada to doodle designs on their coffee cups. Share photos of their work on Twitter or Instagram using the #WhiteCupContest.
Nearly 4,000 entries were generated in just three weeks, while the winner would have their design printed on a limited edition Starbucks reusable plastic cup.
3. Customer Stories
How about bringing your brand’s customer success stories to life in creative ways? Yes, this idea can be a vivid & authentic revenue generator. You can take advantage of your customers’ imagination in a more creative way.
And on top of that, smartphones & social media make it a lot of easy for brands who try their hands at this approach.
Once your customers buy your products or seek your services, they just don’t go back easily. So, it’s a classic way to explore your presence in their lives beyond basic reviews & testimonials.
So, don’t miss the chance to invite your happy customer to share their stories about your brand.
For instance, The ‘Stories Series’ initiated by Airbnb helped local photographers. And writers connect with the brand customers in order to record how the service interested users’ lives in unique ways.
CONCLUSION
Leveraging result-driven powerful user-generated content for your tech-savvy customer base is more powerful than any other brand-driven content. So build content that is more authentic & personal by capitalizing on your customers’ existing content.