If you’re involved in the world of digital marketing, chances are you’ve heard of UGC. But the real question is have you ever considered how it can benefit your business? Here at OMDIGI Group, we’re here to give you the inside scoop on how UGC can boost your social media marketing strategy.
How UGC is outperforming regular social media ads
User-generated content (UGC) is content such as photos and videos that are generated by individuals rather than brands. Since this content is created by real people, audiences often perceive it as more authentic and trustworthy. This content effectively blends into the landscape of social media marketing and results in higher engagement.
How brands can generate UGC
A major way that brands can generate UGC is from their customers. Brands may also utilise influencer marketing to generate UGC, such as through an influencer tagging the brand in their Instagram story or YouTube video. They may also hire people to create UGC for them, which will appear more authentic than content created via high-budget photoshoots.
Benefits of UGC
One of the primary benefits of UGC is that it provides trustworthy, relatable content. Customers get to see a product used by real people in a real environment which is more authentic than content generated in a studio. UGC is also effective in building a loyal customer base and driving visitors to your site with the intention to make a purchase. Whilst ads for small businesses are likely to be expensive, UGC can be done at very little cost.
Getting started with UGC
There are four main types of raw UGC that you can utilise for your ads: review videos, unboxing videos, product usage/show-off videos, and lifestyle photos. Review videos are used as the main parts of the ad as they build the storyline while unboxing videos, while product usage/show-off videos and lifestyle photos are used as short clips intercut with the main review video in order to make the ads more visually engaging.
Structure of a UGC ad
The first step to creating a winning UGC ad is collecting your content. The main components of your ad are the main storyline and the supporting content.
Main storyline
The main storyline of your ad is composed of a review video in which the creator talks about your product throughout the video. Here, it’s important to think about what you want the main storyline of your ad to be and which features of your product you want to emphasise. In review videos, creators should give their product testimonials and discuss their overall experience with your product in a way that highlights your product’s main features, options, benefits, and unique selling points.
Supporting content
Supporting content (also known as b-roll) can include unboxing videos, product usage/show-off videos and lifestyle photos which are intercut with the main shot. Since it’s easy to lose the attention of your audience, supporting content can help keep them engaged. There’s plenty of flexibility when it comes to shooting b-rolls, including wide-angle, bird’s eye view, close-up, and over-the-shoulder.
In addition to making the ad more engaging, supporting content allows you to highlight the actual product, smooth the flow of the ad, and set the overall tone of the ad.
Need help creating winning UGC ads? Get in contact with us at hello@omdigigroup.com to find out how our team can help.
