10 Ways to Get More User Generated Content

“Social media is about the people! Not about your  business. Provide for the people and the people will provide for you.” - Matt Goulart

Human beings are hardwired to be social creatures. We love to interact with each other (to varying degrees) and more importantly, we love to share things we love with each other. If you own or manage a brand, your customers on social media are one of your biggest assets. So let’s not leave that asset untapped. You can use your customer’s love of sharing to engage them and reach more customers. 

How? By encouraging and effectively using User Generated Content or UGC (also known as Consumer Generated Content).

What is User Generated Content (UGC)? 

UGC is content your customer has created that: 

1. Contains something specific to your brand. 

2. Is published on social media.

3. Is original.

Example #1: A customer takes a photo of their meal at your restaurant and tags you on Facebook. 

Example #2:  A customer takes a selfie with a to-go coffee cup in their hand, featuring your logo, front and center. (The customer doesn’t have to mention your brand or company, in this example, because your logo is prominent.)

Example #3:  A customer does a “try-on haul” with a clothing item from your store on Tiktok or Instagram Reels.  

OR

A customer posts a photo of themself on Instagram and a follower says “Hey, where’d you get that cute shirt? They answer by tagging your store or brand in their reply. Originally, they did not mention your brand, but now you know they are a customer and you can use their photo as UGC. 

Who typically creates User Generated Content? 

Customers

As mentioned before, people love to share what they love. And modern society has found more and more ways to share what they love. Sharing products and brands is not just for well-known influencers. Everyday people post outfit details, tag their favorite restaurant when eating out, converse in the comments with friends about where they bought items in their photos and videos, etc. They tell the world where to get their dog groomed, who has their favorite coffee drink, and what hotel they are staying at on their next vacation. That is why it is so important to “listen” on social media by checking out your mentions on all platforms and engage with the people who mention your brand. 

Employees

While you may task some of your employees with creating social media content for your business pages, employees will naturally do this, if they like sharing their lives digitally. Employees tend to buy items from the stores/restaurant/business they work at, if products are available for purchase. Even if your business does not have traditional products, employees will often tag themselves at work and/or post selfies at work. Don’t worry about productivity. This is actually a very good thing. Keep reading to learn why. 

Brand Loyalists

You have your everyday customer and then you have your brand loyalist. If you can get this customer base to post about your brand online, you have hit gold. There is a reason why they are “loyal” and it’s because they love your brand. So expect a lot of positive interactions and posting about your brand from this group.  Also, make sure you give a lot of thought to feedback, both positive and negative. If they love your brand and have a complaint, then they most likely have your best interest at heart. They are also more likely to message you discreetly than blast you publicly. They truly are a goldmine of USG and helpful feedback to make your brand better..

How Do I Get More UGC For My Brand? 

1. Audit your mentions across all social media channels regularly

There is a good chance there is already UGC out there, ripe for the picking. You just have to find it. It is easiest to regularly monitor this by looking at who has tagged you and recording the information in an easy to reference place (use a spreadsheet and link to the post if you do not use a social media management platform). Always thank the social media user promptly (increase those positive interactions), then return once a week to brainstorm fun and engaging ways to use/repost the UGC. 

2. Use reviews and ask for more reviews

Look for glowing reviews on Facebook, Yelp, or Google. Post them and ask for more reviews.   Create attractive ways to post reviews with easy-to-use graphic design platforms like Canva and Picmonkey. Link directly in post to where customers can go to leave a review. 

Ask for reviews outside of social media. Post eye-catching requests for reviews anywhere your customer will see them – at the register, on menus and tables, on the dressing room mirror, in your waiting area, etc. If you use email marketing, request reviews in the footer of your email. Include it in your business email signature line.

3. Run a contest

Start with a great contest prize – something truly sought after like a large gift certificate or a unique experience that isn’t offered on your menu. For example, if you’re a women’s clothing boutique, offer a “girls day out” for the winner and her best friend (mani and pedi from a nearby salon, a $X shopping spree from your store, consultation from a stylist, and lunch at a nearby cafe.) Ask for discounted or in-kind donations from your fellow business owners and reciprocate  when they later steal your idea or cross promote (more on that later). The more you ask from your customers to enter to win, the better the prize should be.

Now decide how they’ll enter to win  – a photo or a video that fits the theme of the contest. Make sure you have clear instructions on how to tag you so you can be notified of their entry. Make instructions crystal clear and consider allowing additional entries by tagging a friend, following your brand on various social media platforms, sharing to Facebook or Instagram stories in addition to posting, etc. 

Get creative when designing your contest, and encourage participants to get creative as well. Just make sure it’s relatively easy to enter to win.  

4. Encourage the use of a unique hashtag and then monitor use

To encourage use of a hashtag unique to your brand, consistency is key. You have to use it regularly and also make sure the hashtag is visible outside of social media. So use it outside of the digital world, like in your place of business and on print materials. A hashtag can be as much a part of your brand as your logo. 

Additionally, you can use a hashtag to promote a campaign or contest. A good example of a successful hashtag campaign is the #shareacoke campaign.  To run a contest with a hashtag, use the hashtag to track entries in addition to asking users to tag you. The hashtag must be unique and optimally will include your brand name. This is especially helpful if your customers tag you regularly on social media, to organize contest entries. 

Another popular use of hashtags, to encourage UGC, is one that is not purely self promotional, but encourages kindness, community, self love or any positive message, like the Dove’s #inmyownskin campaign. 

5. Search locations

Another way to find social media content and  UGC outside of people tagging you is to search by mentions by location. Some customers do not tag your business page or account, but instead check-in to a location. Some social media accounts have a duplicate account set up that is designated as a location versus a verified page. You may have customers checking in to this duplicate account rather than your  place of business (these should be consolidated when possible). Instagram also allows you  to check  in to a  location and not actually tag the business. So both tagged mentions and location check-ins should be checked to discover UGC. 

Additionally, if you have close business neighbors or are located in a hub of businesses, you may want to check out mentions and location check-ins of these neighbors.Social media users often hare photos and videos from several different locations, but can/may only check-in or tag one business. You may find great UGC in a post that you may  never have noticed otherwise. 

6. Put your social media info everywhere

For your customers to find your brand and create UGC, they first need to be familiar with your profiles and handles. Make sure they are posted prominently in your place of business and  linked to whenever possible – on your website, on email marketing, and cross promote your own social channels. 

Even better, put social channels on all branded items – takeout containers, apparel, cups,

 keychains. Stick your logo and social channels on anything that will stand still. 

7. Work with other brands to cross promote

Spread the social media love by giving love to your favorite local brands. Better yet, strategically work with them to expose your brand to their followers and vice versa. It’s a win-win.

Here are some ideas:

• If you sell goods and have space, host a small pop-up event with non-competitors. This can be anywhere from one local business to hundreds of businesses, depending on your space.  Keep your target audience/ideal customer in mind and think about what other services and goods they would want to know about. Publicize the event on social media and don’t forget to use video to share how fun the event is in real-time. 

• Invite an established business to sell their goods at your place of business. This usually works best if they do not have a location or your space is outside their service area. 

• Host a giveaway with other businesses with similar target audiences. Have people enter to win on social media and require that they follow all contributors to enter to win the grand prize. 

Make sure to have a formal agreement on what these other brands/businesses will do to promote your business (i.e. post on instagram grid 3 times, tag your brand in their photos 3 times, mention you in their stories 5 times, etc.). Remember that getting exposure to each other's followers is the point, so you want to make sure everyone is holding up their end of the  bargain to have ultimate success. 

8. Use UGC as payment for goods

UGC can be so valuable, so think about what it is worth to your business. Picture this – a restaurant hosts a special FREE dessert night, and all you have to do is take a selfie and mention and tag the restaurant. You may get some great creative shots to reuse, but more importantly, you’re getting word of mouth advertising, which is arguably the most valuable form of advertising. 

There are a lot of creative ways to use UGC as payment for goods. Maybe in exchange for a tagged Instagram story, customers get a branded sticker, 10% off their purchase, or a free soft drink. Maybe it’s a free mini-service tagged onto their larger service purchase with a social media mention. Make sure the value of the service/good is appropriate for the social media ask. 

9. Host or join an event

Events are a great way to generate buzz and get more UGC. You will want to offer something exceptional and unique from your regular service/product offerings. Think about your ideal client and what other goods and services they use. Partner with like-minded business owners to create more publicity and a greater incentive for your customers (you’ll notice some overlap with our 10  strategies here.) If you own a restaurant, maybe you partner with a local farm or brewery to create a tasting menu. If you own a landscaping business, maybe you create a “boost your curb appeal event” where you partner with other home services like painters, landscape design, power-wash companies, and companies that specialize in stamped concrete or stonework. Creativity and knowing your customer is key. And don’t be afraid to create a social media agreement to make sure everyone is sharing the social media love and mutually benefiting from the event with exposure to each other’s audiences.  

In addition to hosting an event, being a part of a well-established event also creates great opportunities for UGC. Get creative to inspire people to take photos and mention your product or brand. An easy backdrop with photo props, a photo booth, or something unique like a mascot attracts attention. Always make sure your social media handles and preferred hashtags are front and center so you actually have access to all the amazing UGC. 

10. Feature UGC prominently

A large part of successful digital marketing is understanding people’s psyche. And it turns out that many people love recognition. How can you recognize your customer’s UGC and encourage more of it?  By making sure UGC is put on a pedestal and proudly shown by your business. This means going beyond reposting it on your social channels. Use photos that you are tagged in or filtered by a unique hashtag. Some ideas for featuring UGC:  

• Instagram grid on your website

• Scrolling images on a monitor or screen in your place of business 

• Customer post of the week (with potentially small gift of thanks)

• Framed hard copy printouts of exceptional UGC at place of business  

User generated content is affordable, effective, and can really tap into your customer’s creativity. It creates brand awareness, a community, and gets people talking. By strategically including UGC as a part of your overall digital marketing strategy, you can capitalize on this incredibly valuable resource. 

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