If you’re trying to market your brand, chances are you’re already asking the people who use your products or services to write reviews. Endorsements like these are called “user-generated content” by marketing or technology professionals because they are created by customers and clients. User-generated content is much bigger than reviews, though, and can complement your marketing efforts hugely. Why?

As user-generated content comes from a real person (versus a paid employer, agency or influencer), most people feel the content is more credible and trustworthy. Consumers who share their opinions are always going to be seen as more authentic than someone who is paid. Though it’s impossible to know if a friend or relative is creating content, it’s usually generated by an actual customer/client who is not related to company staff members.

What Do the Numbers Say?

If you need another reason to seek out user-generated content, take a look at a recent survey from EnTribe showing that nearly ninety percent of consumers don’t trust influencers. The survey also shows that just twenty-one percent say influencers give them a positive view of a brand, while twenty-nine percent believe influencers have a negative effect on their reactions to brands.

On the other hand, users who have no reason to praise your products or services (other than liking and using them) are much more trustworthy to the general public—and the people you want to reach.

Of course, reviews are often the first step marketers take when trying to spread the word about something they’re selling. Seventy-four percent of consumers say ratings and comments teach them about products they never purchased, according to Ratings and Reviews Specialist Power Reviews. Nine in ten people say they consider reviews before making a purchasing decision. Ninety-three percent of shoppers say user comments affect whether or not they buy a product at all. 

Build on Your Reviews with User-Generated Content

If you are fortunate enough to receive warmly positive reviews, make sure to thank the writers and engage with them, whether they are posting on Google, another platform or your website. People reading other’s opinions about your company will appreciate that you care enough about customers to reply to them. To maximize the benefit of user-generated content, be sure to post quotes from your most glowing reviews on your website or social media pages.

Now—don’t stop there! Let’s focus on how to build on your reviews by finding more user-generated content and sharing it with your target audience:

1. Spark Discussions (because, as the saying goes, if you build it, they will come). If you ask questions on your social media pages, people will answer them, as many of us want to share our experiences with others. For example, if you’re the owner of a bridal store, ask brides to share why they chose certain wedding dresses over others. 

2. Create a contest and offer the opportunity to win a gift certificate to persuade readers or viewers to respond (because while winning isn’t everything, it’s still fun). Ask for a photo of someone wearing your product or using your service. Provide one of your own photos or poems to get people started, and see if you can devise creative, compelling ideas.

3. Choose reviewers who write favorable posts about your brand and ask if they want to post a video or still photos of the brand on Instagram, TikTok, X or Meta (because that’s where your audience goes every day). You can also ask if they’ll let you share their positive posts or videos.

4. Create a distinctive hashtag for your company that users can share with others on social media (to increase views and engagement all over the world). Hashtags can be used and spread by millions of people, and make your posts more visible online. Keep your hashtags simple, but do a little research first to find the most popular and trending ones.

5. Discover what customers are talking about (to find out where to go next). Notice what your customers are sharing, and what attracts them most to your brand. Look for hashtags and keywords that evoke your brand. You may want to try a survey or two to ask your target audience about what they prefer to see and what they’re curious about. Don’t forget to look at the analytics offered by your social media platforms for more insight and direction.

6. Challenge your customers and users to engage them creatively or physically (because challenges spread like wildfire if they’re interesting enough). Remember the Ice-bucket Challenge and how quickly it traveled throughout our social media pages? You don’t have to do something that extreme, though. Artistic or physical ideas work well for this strategy and can be a lot more fun than pouring ice water on your head. Take a look at some popular challenges used in the past to spark your creations.

7. Identify real stories told by real people (the more dramatic they are, the better)! You might find stories in a review, or solicit stories online and then feature them on your website and social media pages, If you can share actual experiences from your customer base, it will go a long way towards building your brand.

Rules of Engagement

Before you embark on these strategies, begin with a few ground rules to make sure you’re not stepping on any toes:

• Ask permission before sharing someone’s post, and respect others’ boundaries. Before you use videos or images posted by customers, make sure they give you permission to use their material. If you feel it is appropriate to offer perks or compensation for using a customer’s material, do so (though hopefully, it won’t be necessary). Do not use the material unless your customer/client replies affirmatively. You’ll also want to be sure your company is tagged or mentioned, or the client/customer uses your hashtag before you repost.
• Share a full disclosure with your customer or client. The disclosure statement should say that your organization or company intends to use the content created by the client/customer on various social media platforms. If you are not paying for the material, be sure to say so clearly in your disclosure as well.
• Give credit where it’s due. Make sure to tag the content creator in your caption or share the creator’s name in your description. Tagging nets more views for you, so crediting someone helps you as the brand owner, too.
• Keep track of how user-generated content is working for you. Use analytics (or hire someone who knows how to use them). The more you know about how your content is performing, the more you can refine your strategies to attract more users.

Parting Thoughts

While creating a customer/client base might seem a little overwhelming at first, reaching out to people who love what you do can also be enormously rewarding and affirming. Sharing the stories and quotes of satisfied customers is bound to give you and your business a boost—and find a whole new way of engaging with people who don’t know about you. Once you begin, you’ll likely see how praise from one user leads to more praise—and a lot of interesting, credible content for your brand.

 

Author: Jenna Zark

Jenna Zark, Principal at Zark Writing LLC, has worked in journalism, public relations, video script writing, philanthropy, and communications positions. She is an award-winning playwright and published author whose most recent book Crooked Lines won six recent awards and honors, including first prize in the Overcoming Adversity Memoir Category from Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Please visit www.jennazark.com to learn more.