How to Build Trust and Credibility through User-Generated Content

In this digitized world, where every consumer is bombarded with marketing messages and advertisements, it’s a challenge to stand out from the crowd and drive sales. With so many purchase options, how can consumers make intelligent choices? One significant factor that goes into the decision-making process for many consumers is buying from brands they trust (59% of consumers prefer buying from trusted brands, and 67% are more loyal to brands they trust). Still, brands often lack the credibility needed to establish a trusting relationship with their target market. One successful method to gain this credibility and establish trust is user-generated content.

User-generated content serves as a much more effective strategy for building brand imagery and instigating similar emotions that drive purchase decisions. In fact, a Nielsen study found that 92% of consumers trust word of mouth and other forms of earned media over brand messaging. In this article, we discuss how to encourage and utilize user-generated content to build trust and credibility that leads to increased revenue.

What is user-generated content?

User-generated content (UGC) is any form of content created by users rather than the brand, from texts and images to videos and reviews. In pre-digital days, we referred to this type of content as word of mouth. Word of mouth has always significantly impacted purchase decisions, but pre-internet, there wasn’t an effective way to disseminate word of mouth. Today, anything on social media sites, blogs, or review sites represents UGC. Examples include customer testimonials, photos of customers using some product, and even social media posts where customers tagged the brand.

Unfortunately, UGC is a two-edged sword. Studies show that negative word of mouth spreads much more quickly in the digital era than positive word of mouth. Thus, listening is an essential aspect of any UGC campaign, or any marketing effort for that matter, as responding to such negative comments quickly, transparently, and completely helps control the spread of negative UGC and diffuse the threat it poses.

How to encourage UGC

Create engaging campaigns

The best way to reward users for generated content is to create and execute thrilling campaigns that will allow customers to participate. These could be anything from a photo contest to a hashtag campaign or perhaps a challenge to stimulate users to show how they use your product in their daily lives. Give visibility to the campaign on your marketing channels like social media, email newsletters, and your website.

For instance, a skincare brand may ask customers to post pictures of themselves before and after using a particular product with a specific hashtag. This allows for engagement but also creates a community among users who have similar experiences to share.

Offer incentives

You can also motivate consumers to create and share content about your brand. Imagine rewarding them with a discount, some free stuff, or entry into a draw in exchange for the UGC. This not only encourages your customers to engage in creating positive feedback but also creates content that is often seen as more engaging by social media users, thus attracting more attention and garnering more shares.

For example, a fashion brand can offer a discount on the next purchase if clients post a photo of themselves with their clothes and tag them on social media. My daughter’s orthodontist held a contest every month to give away an iPod (when these were seen as desirable). All you had to do to enter the competition was share images of the patient wearing the t-shirt containing the dentist’s name on social media. Patients were encouraged to photograph themselves in a variety of exciting locations. This not only increased visibility but also assured repeated customers.

Highlight and showcase UGC

If customers share anything positive about your brand, ensure you acknowledge and showcase their efforts. This might translate to showcasing the pictures of customers posted on your brand’s social media channels, featuring testimonials on the website, or sharing user-generated content in your email marketing campaigns. Highlighting UGC not only tells people that the brand finds them worth contributing to but also encourages more sharing because they might receive recognition from the brand.

Engage your audience

One of the most effective ways to spur on UGC is to engage your audience, as you can see in the image of the engagement engine from Northwestern shown above. Do this by responding to comments and messages, asking for feedback, and creating a dialogue with your customers. When customers feel heard and valued, they’re much more likely to share experiences and content.

For instance, thank every customer publicly if they post a positive review or share a photo using your product. Some brands send a simple thank you note with every order shipped or call out customers who make a purchase. This creates a sense of community and influences others to contribute their views.

Collaborations

Collaborating with an SEO company is invaluable for maximizing the impact of user-generated content. These experts can help ensure that your UGC is optimized for search engines, increasing its visibility and driving organic traffic to your website. By integrating relevant keywords, optimizing image tags, and enhancing the overall SEO strategy, you can position your user-generated content to reach a wider audience.

For example, when customers share photos or reviews of your products, these can be incorporated into blog posts or social media content that is optimized for SEO. An SEO company can guide you in crafting engaging titles and descriptions that resonate with both search engines and users. This approach not only boosts the discoverability of UGC but also enhances the credibility of your brand as potential customers encounter authentic experiences related to your products.

Incorporate UGC into ads

UGC is a powerful component of your ad arsenal. Replicate UGC in social media ads, website banners, and email campaigns. This may make real customer experiences and testimonials that compose your marketing message more relatable for your pool of potential customers.

For instance, a tourism company can use customer-generated images and reviews of customers who have traveled in its campaigns. This helps the brand showcase real-life experiences with its customers, hence boosting its credibility with potential customers. Prospective customers respond well to images of folks like them enjoying your products.

Create a UGC gallery on your website

Consider giving a part of your website to user-generated content. Let it be a photo gallery of your customers, a testimonials section, or even a blog with customer stories. A UGC gallery works to build this necessary social proof that can make potential customers feel really confident in the quality and dependability of your products.

Conclusion

User-generated content is one of the most effective ways of establishing trust and credibility in today’s digital world. By encouraging people to share experiences and making good use of that content, a brand is sure to increase its image and build more genuine relationships with its audience. User-generated content is sure to play a vital role in the real success of any brand that competes in the market since users still crave authenticity in interactions and recommendations. This, therefore, entails the ability of the organization to bring in customers as business ambassadors through the creation of an enabling environment that recognizes and rewards customer contribution. It follows that customers can create enormous growth and success.

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Hausman and Associates, the publisher of MKT Maven, is a full-service marketing agency operating at the intersection of marketing and digital media. Check out our full range of services.