UGC (User Generated Content)

UGC is the acronym for User Generated Content, and is used to refer to any type of content published, created and shared by users or followers of a brand/product without any financial compensation.

UGC is content published by users and followers, and can be found in many different scenarios, such as: blog articles, tutorials, video content, image creation, mentions in forums, user opinions in online stores, product analysis/reviews, comments on social media, mentions in podcasts, etc.

In other words, UGC allows companies to achieve promotion and relevance at no cost to the business that benefits from it.

1. Advantages of UGC

User-created content is very beneficial and should be contemplated in any digital marketing plan if we want to grow and position our brand in the minds of users. Some of the main advantages of this strategy are:

• It is a vital element to evangelize and attract new users.
• It allows us to differentiate ourselves from the competition.
• It provides valuable social proof.
• It promotes the brand or service more naturally.
• It improves engagement.
• It improves branding and user trust.
• It is directly responsible for improving the ratio of conversions and sales.
• It is generated spontaneously.
• It boost reach on social media.
• It is relevant for any successful SEO strategy.
• It helps to create a community of loyal users.

2. UGC: credibility and trust

The reality is that many users run away from commercial content, since everyone knows that companies would never publish bad opinions about their products of services.

Therefore, when a potential customer receives a purchase recommendation from family and friends, that information is more credible than the advertiser’s own. This extends to the digital ecosystem, where we give value to the opinions of other consumers, even if they are not our direct contacts.

Thus, a company that allows its customers to make comments on its own website is perceived as more approachable and generates the feeling that the opinion of its users matters to it. All this leads to the generation of UGC content and in turn has an impact on transmitting an image of credibility and trust that can hardly be obtained by other means (without having to pay for opinion and feedback).

The opinions, ratings and comments that a company receives on the Internet and social media are valuable new content at a negligible cost that will lead to improved sales (accelerating the purchase decision) and increase the credibility.