Samantha Ferguson
In this article we’re going to take a look at how you can implement user generated content (or UGC) into your video marketing strategy.
Content is king, but it’s also a challenging and never-ending task to create new and fresh content. So, you might be relieved to find out that customers don’t always want to see content directly from you.
9 out of 10 people say they trust what a customer says about a business more than what that business says about itself.
User generated content is an invaluable tool for increasing credibility and creating social proof for your product, brand or service.
So, let’s take a look at some different types of UGC…
1. Unboxing
Unboxing is a great video marketing strategy for companies marketing desirable products that are not just an every day purchase. The perfect candidates for unboxing videos are hot new tech products, gadgets, toys and games.
Here is a great example of an unboxing video:
Although the presenter of this video is only a little boy, he is actually a YouTube influencer with over 3 million followers! This unboxing video about the Lego Kwik-e-Mart creates anticipation in viewers that will definitely lead to increased exposure, and hopefully lead to increased sales.
2. Contests & promotions
Contests and promotions are a great way to encourage users to generate content about your brand.
One effective example of this was the “Best Jobs in the World” campaign by Tourism Queensland. In an effort to draw more tourists to the Queensland Islands, the brand created a promotion for a six month caretaker job that paid $150,000 AUD.
For a chance to “win”, applicants were required to submit one minute videos explaining why they would be right for the job. Here’s one of the applicants:
And the winner:
The result?
The YouTube page received more than 34,000 applications that were viewed by more than 8.6 million people. The winner gave several hundred media interviews which promoted Queensland as a top tourist destination.
3. Consumer involvement
If there’s one thing that consumers will never get bored of it’s being made to feel like they are special. Consumer involvement is always a great way to not only stand out as a brand that cares about its customers, but also to get some awesome user generated content out there.
You might remember the worldwide hit that was the Share a Coke campaign. Coca Cola created limited edition bottles that featured over 1,000 names. This personalisation got consumers super-excited and more than 150 million personalised bottles sold over the course of the campaign! Here is a video featuring YouTube influencer, IISuperWomanII (aka. Lily Singh) that has received almost 100,000 views:
After a decade of declining revenues, the Share a Coke campaign created a 2% increase for the brand in the United States.
The power of UGC
User generated content is a great technique to include in your video marketing because it brings the viewpoint of consumers into your strategy. Not only that, people like to watch user generated content!
When a real person is talking about your product, and getting excited about it, this can create excitement in consumers watching the video. Unboxing videos are a great example of this…
When we watch people unboxing products and we can see their genuine excitement, the feeling is contagious. It also instils trust in potential customers, because the person describing a product in an unboxing video is unaffiliated with the brand that sells the product. In other words, they’re not trying to sell to people, they are simply sharing their experience and giving viewers a clear view of what they could potentially be buying.
Final thoughts
If you’re a content marketer, then you’ll know all too well how difficult it is to come up with fresh ideas again, and again, and again. The amazing thing about UGC is:
You don’t have to!
User generated content is a great way to effectively build your brand - especially when you’re running out of ideas for branded content or are simply short on time.
