No matter how eye-catching and funny your digital ads are or how great your messaging is, nothing you say to your audience can compete with seeing or hearing positive word-of-mouth directly from those already experiencing your brand’s products or services.
It’s precisely why you scroll through Amazon customer reviews before you click that “Buy Now” button and why you wait for a few thumbs-ups from your friends or coworkers about that new series or movie before you finally cave and give it a chance.
This is a good thing though. Because user-generated content (UGC), specifically in the form of dynamic video, is exactly what your audience is looking for. It’s genuine, it’s relatable, it’s engaging, and most of the time, it’s absolutely free!
In today’s world, where your customers are constantly bombarded with ads while they binge on Hulu, scroll through social media, and play on their favorite mobile apps, UGC videos stand out as a more authentic and less “salesy” way to promote your products or services, one that is more meaningful to your audience and promotes a sense of trustworthiness and community around your brand.
So, if you’ve been wanting to get in on user-generated content video, now’s your chance.
Today’s blog is your guide to using video to maximize engagement with UGC strategies, so you can make sure your marketing efforts are making better connections and are not only speaking to your audience but speaking through them too!
Let’s get started!
What is User-Generated Content Video?
We’ve discussed all types of user-generated content before, but user-generated content videos, specifically, are video material created by unpaid customers or fans of a brand, rather than those created by the brand itself.
Like other UGC content, UGC videos are perfect for adding a dose of authenticity, trustworthiness, and relatability, since they come freely from unpaid fans instead of paid contributors. Since video is such a dynamic medium, you can more easily maximize engagement with UGC strategies by including video.
Used correctly, UGC videos can be marketing gold and are most commonly seen in the form of testimonials, reviews, unboxing experiences, how-to videos, feature demonstrations, and more.
In addition to being great for your website and landing pages, UGC videos are also effective UGC campaign techniques because they help build a strong presence on popular platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, which can expand your reach to millions of viewers.
How to Use UGC Videos as a Part of Your Content Marketing Campaign
If you’re ready to get in on the action, then here are some creative ways to harness the power of user-generated content as a part of your existing content marketing campaigns.
Check out our list and see which strategies best fit your brand’s vibe and your audience’s preferences!
1. Feature Customer Testimonials and Reviews
Customer testimonials and reviews are already a powerful tool, even in text or static image format.
Having UGC creators submit them as videos is an even better and more engaging way to connect with your audience and showcase the real-world benefits and experiences of satisfied customers who are happily using your products or services.
Video testimonials and product reviews put a face to a name and can be a much more compelling and effective addition to your landing pages, email marketing campaigns, and social media platforms.
2. Create a Community Highlight Reel
Your audience wants to feel valued and appreciated by the brands that they follow and engage with on a consistent basis.
If your customers are sending you videos, then be sure to let them know how much you appreciate their created content! Compile your user-generated videos into a highlight reel and enthusiastically showcase your community’s engagement with your brand.
Your highlight reel can be shared across your social media platforms, website, email newsletters, and more, showing potential customers the fun-loving community they could be a part of if they engage with your brand. This exposure can also encourage them to get on board with their own UGC video content creation in the future!
3. Share Behind-the-Scenes Videos
It’s one thing to see your products in ads or product demonstration videos.
It’s another thing altogether to see them in the wild, serving their purpose just like you intended.
So, encourage your users to share behind-the-scenes videos, like unboxing videos, tutorials, or footage of your product in action. These authentic and engaging videos can be used on social media, on product pages, on a dedicated section of your website, as a part of email newsletters or blog posts, and anywhere else potential customers will see for some unique insights and ideas.
4. UGC Videos in Ads and Landing Pages
Add a dose of authenticity and realism to make lead magnets like ads and landing pages even more effective.
Using user-generated videos in your ads and landing pages acts as a personal endorsement and social proof from your potential customers’ peers, instantly making your brand more relatable and trustworthy and increasing your conversion rates.
These videos can do more than just showcase what you're offering, they’ll help to build up a narrative around your products or services and the way they’ve benefited your customers’ lives!
5. Feature Your UGC Videos in Email Marketing
Add some flair to your next email marketing campaign with user-generated content videos, highlighting everything from customer success stories to product reviews, how-to videos, tips and tricks videos, and more.
Videos can not only enhance the appeal of your emails and keep your customers reading to the CTA at the end, but they can also help to better resonate with your recipient and showcase the connection your brand has with its audience!
6. Create a UGC Video Hub
If you want your UGC videos to reach potential customers, it’s a great idea to dedicate a section of your website to them, where customers on the fence can scroll through and see real people using and enjoying your products.
This has the double benefit of not only enriching your website content but also boosting your SEO with fresh, engaging material for more visibility and more potential website visitors!
7. Educate Your Audience
Even as schoolchildren, there was always something special about learning from your peers rather than from your teacher.
The same phenomenon applies to your educational content.
By using user-generated content like how-to guides, tips and tricks, tutorials, and more, you can use your audience to effectively educate potential buyers and help them better understand and get the most out of their purchases. Use this educational content on everything from emails to social media, product pages, FAQ sections, landing pages, and more to higher your user’s experiences and win over more customers to your brand!
Best Practices for Using User-Generated Content Video
Using user-generated video content in your marketing strategy brings a new level of authenticity and engagement to your brand, but only if you do it right!
To help you along, here are some best practices to make sure that your user-generated content videos are standing out, getting attention, and effectively engaging your audience.
1. Push Mobile Video Creation
This is especially important if you want to feature your UGC video on mobile-first sites like Instagram and TikTok, where content is more commonly viewed in a vertical 9:16 format (the same way you’d hold your phone).
Encourage your audience to create and submit videos shot with their mobile devices to make sure that their video content is easy to watch and formatted correctly on the platforms where they spend the most time.
2. Use Your Socials for Submissions
Speaking of TikTok and Instagram …
In addition to being an excellent channel for showcasing your content and engaging with your audience, you can use your social media accounts to source UGC videos.
Ask your audience to submit their video as a comment or direct message and encourage the use of platform-specific features like filters, stickers, and music to boost creativity and create a more engaging piece of content that others will want to like and share.
If you do this, though, it's a good idea to moderate your comments and submissions before they go live. It might require more resources and time, but it will be worth it for quality control purposes.
3. Choose Content That Tells a Story
Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool.
As you decide which UGC videos to use for your content, be sure to put an emphasis on those that tell a story or share a personal narrative related to your brand or products.
This storytelling approach will tap into your user's emotions, make your content more relatable, and help your brand connect on a deeper and more meaningful level.
4. Create a Community
An audience that feels like they’re a part of a valued and appreciated community is one that will be much more likely to share their content with you.
Engage with your audience on social media channels and through email communication. Let them know that you’re not a nameless brand but a group of real people who share their interests and values! Personalize your interactions as much as possible, addressing your followers by name, responding to comments, and sharing behind-the-scenes of your brand and your employees in action.
You can also encourage videos that promote community and sharing by encouraging users to submit videos showing interactions with others or how they use your product to bring them closer to their friends and family.
It’s not only warm and fuzzy but it helps to build trust and loyalty around your brand and create the kind of community vibe you’re looking for.
5. Keep Your Content Accessible and Inclusive
Make sure that your user-generated video content is accessible to a wide audience by encouraging your contributors to use accessibility tools like captions and descriptive audio.
You should also be mindful of diverse representation in the content that you choose to promote and use in your marketing collateral so that everyone is represented, and no one is left out!
Effective Strategies for Encouraging UGC Videos
If you’re sold on using user-generated content video in your next campaign, then that’s great.
But how do you get your audience to submit UGC videos for you to use?
No worries, we’ve got you covered there too. Here are some effective ways to get your audience to cheerfully participate and get the engagement you’re looking for from your UGC marketing campaign!
- Straight Up Ask — Don’t be shy! Request some UGC video in a social media post or through your email marketing campaign. If your request is engaging and persuasive, your customers will rise to the occasion!
- Offer Exclusive Access or Benefits — The “carrot on a stick” method works well too. Reward your contributors with exclusive perks for any UGC video content created, like early access to new products, discounts, or members-only content. This approach not only incentivizes content creation but also works to build a closer relationship between your brand and your audience.
- Have a UGC Video Platform on Your Site — Create a dedicated section of your website where users can easily upload their videos directly. To make it even more engaging, complement it with features that allow community voting, comments, and sharing, which turns your site into an interactive hub for UGC video.
- Use AR and VR — Not for every brand, obviously, but if your brand operates in tech-savvy spaces, you can encourage the creation of augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) content. Offering filters or AR experiences related to your brand can quickly lead to fun and engaging UGC videos.
- UGC Videos for Product Development — Invite your users to submit videos with feedback or ideas for future products. This not only generates some valuable insight but also makes your community feel involved in your product development process, which can lead to more invested and eager content creators.
- Host Contests and Challenges — Who doesn’t love a little competition? Organize contests or challenges that encourage users to create and share videos of themselves using your product or engaging with your brand in a creative way. This not only generates a steady stream of UGC video but also creates a sense of community and excitement around your brand.
- Engage with Your UGC — If you want more UGC videos, engage with them online! Mention contributors by name in your comments or shares, and express genuine appreciation for their effort. This personal touch both encourages repeat performances and inspires others to participate!
- Build a Supportive Community — This one is the most important. If you want your audience to engage with your brand and give you the time and effort it requires to create user-generated videos, you must first build a community that supports and celebrates each other’s contributions. Encourage your users to comment on and share each other's videos and create a positive feedback loop that makes your contributors feel valued and motivates more users to participate.
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Looking for Some Help for Your UGC Marketing Strategy?
If you’d like to add UGC videos to your content marketing efforts, then that’s great!
And if you’re looking for a partner to help you not only touch up videos, reformat them for different platforms, and make them look as great as possible, then that’s great too.
And we have a suggestion.
Why not partner with Designity for your creative marketing needs?
Designity is made up of the top 3% of creative talent, including video editors, social media experts, strategists and more who can help you make the best use of your UGC videos and elevate your content marketing like never before.
With a top-notch creative team and the guidance of a designated Creative Director to manage your account, keep up with your creative team, and act as your single point of contact, your marketing efforts will turn heads and better resonate with your target audience.
Why not take a peek at our portfolio and our user-generated content video service page and see how Designity’s innovative Creative as a Service platform is the answer to your content marketing needs?
When you’re ready, go ahead and book your demo call and we’ll get you started with a two-week, no-obligation trial so you can see for yourself the difference Designity can make for your brand.
