User-generated content (UGC) is marketing's new favorite child.
It makes sense why.
UGC is smarter, better-looking, and brings more pride to the family than outdated digital marketing methods.
Consumers love the authenticity of UGC and self-report that it influences their purchasing decisions.
We’re guilty of purchasing almost anything a stranger on social media tells us to buy. We probably owe it to our families to delete TikTok from our phones and maybe disconnect ApplePay. 🤷‍♀️
Since UGC is such a powerful tool, DTC brands should take the plunge and invest more into creator content.
Here are some creative ways you can incorporate UGC across the digital shelf as you strategize. 👇
📸 Create a UGC social ad
One clever way to advertise products across social media is to make a UGC ad.
Tint reports that UGC ads receive 4x higher CTRs and a 50% drop in CPC compared with other ads.
A UGC ad is when a brand elicits help from a creator or customer to make a piece of content that will resonate well with potential customers.
Savannah Sanchez, Ad Creative & TikTok Ads Master, says the best UGC ads follow a simple formula:
- Capture attention
- Show product benefits
- Give a testimonial
Savannah’s client Alleyoop does this well.
Allyoops creators make several videos that follow this exact formula. Then, Savannah tests them to see which performs best.
If you’re creating your first UGC ad, using this formula is a great jumping-off point.
🥰 Use beautiful UGC images and videos on your product description pages (PDPs)
Today’s consumers crave authentic content—especially Gen Z consumers. They want to hear diverse voices and read genuine opinions of how products work.
One cool way brands deliver real content to consumers is by infusing UGC right into their PDPs.
Some brands include UGC tutorial videos and images as part of their product photos. Barry M does this.
Barry M is known as an inclusive skincare brand that has 20 different skin color shades. As you swipe through the different shades and scroll through the product pictures, you’ll see that Barry M includes an influencer product shot that matches each respective shade.
Here’s what the photos look like for Shade 15 and Shade 3.
Using photos from customers is a great way to show off the foundation and for visitors to see how the product looks on actual humans—not just airbrushed models.
✍️ Don’t forget about written product reviews
It’s easy to think of UGC as unboxing videos from influencers, gorgeous Instagram product shots, and fun video ads.
However, one of the most valuable types of user-generated content is written reviews.
Stats show 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they don’t know over branded content.
It’s also true that written reviews greatly influence purchasing decisions.
The marketing takeaway is clear: Include reviews on your website, post reviews to your social media, and find creative opportunities to show potential customers what happy customers say about you.
We like it when DTC brands include written reviews right on the product pages. We read these reviews. We write these reviews. And, we reference them when trying to decide between two similar products.
Beauty brands do this well. Take a peek at the Starface product pages.
Customer reviews take up more real estate than any other page element on its product pages. Check it out.
Consumers can filter reviews, write reviews, and even see image and photo reviews.
It’s a brilliant sales and marketing technique. Instead of taking the brand’s word for it, you can take it from ~2K other consumers that the products work.
What’s the main takeaway? User-generated content isn’t a fleeting trend. It’s a marketing tactic that is taking the world by storm. Leading DTC brands invest in UGC and let creative influencers take the reigns. Why not join them?
