User generated content became a big deal in 2016.
(Just in case you aren’t sure…UGC is any form of content that was created by users of an online system or service, often made available via social media websites.
What this means is that your customers are posting to social media in relation to your product or service, therefore, providing advertising for your company.)
Coke delighted us with putting names on each coke bottle along with the call of action “Share a coke with…” and we couldn’t STOP sharing it, talking about it, obsessing over it, making videos about it. Well done Coke.
If you aren’t sure about UGC still, here are a few stats to get you going, courtesy of Social Annex:
- Consumers between the ages of 25 and 54 produce 70% of all UGC. (SparkReel)
- 25% of search results for the world’s 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content. (Kissmetrics)
- UGC is dominating web content. Pinterest pin creation is up 75%, and Airbnb reviews are up 140% year-over-year. (Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers)
- Companies that have launched Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns using consumer-generated photos have seen up to a 50% increase in click through rate, over brand-created images, leading to a 5X Return on Ad Spend. (Instagram partners)
- Consumers on average spend 4 hours per day with user-generated content.
So now we know it is important…we’ve aded a little twist and looked specifically into brands that have used UGC in video. With our love for snapchat, boomerang and other video making apps it is a matter of time before UGC videos are all over brands digital marketing strategies. Here are some brands that smashed it in 2016…
Lowe’s
Lowe’s begain by making quick “how to” videos on Vine, showing useful DIY tips and tricks for around the house. They then had the genious idea of inviting people at home to make their own videos of tips and trips #fixinsix…here is their story;
Nintendo
Mario maker allowed people to create their own Mario levels from their own living rooms! Youtube stars got involved sharing their newly built Mario levels with their fans and one major stars video got over 10m views.
Target
In 2010, Target pledged to donate $500 million to education and promised to double contributions down the road with a popular college acceptance letter competition. Throughout the campaign, customers were asked to submit videos of themselves opening their college letters. The best videos were used in a new commercial, which helped Target draw attention to its philanthropic campaign.
So if you run a food company, why not ask your customers to send in videos of them cooking a dish with your ingredients? Or if you are a clothes company, get your customers to film them walking down their home made catwalks in your designs? There is so much potential with this marketing tool and I can’t wait to see the imaginative ideas that pop up this year!
Because we all live in a visual culture
Izzy Watts
Producer