If you already have a mobile app or you are about to launch one, you have probably heard of User Generated Content (UGC). Many app owners know this term, but most do not understand its effectiveness and how valuable it can be.
Let’s check out what UGC is and why you should take it seriously. As the name states, User-Generated Content is a form of content (text, pictures, and videos) provided or generated by the consumers of your product.
The tool is effective and can boost your engagement drastically and quickly. The tool keeps users engaged and ensures that others talk about your app.
Furthermore, the tool is even simpler to use and implement, and you can also integrate it into your promotional strategy. It allows others to take photos or create videos and send them instantly to others through their phones.
To give you a better idea about User Generated Content, let’s discuss it below, and by the end, you will exactly know how to promote your apps with user-generated content.
User-Generated Content at a Glance
- It is human nature to share our opinion regarding any subject. So, by giving people something exciting and new to discuss, they will share their thoughts gladly and willingly. Remember that comments bring more comments. It creates a chain reaction, and by handling things smartly, you can easily gain plenty of engagements.
- Have you ever stopped in the middle of the journey or event because you haven’t take a picture? In present times, all of us want to immortalize our feelings by clicking images. The same is applicable to your app, and images relevant to your mobile app will enhance your popularity.
- Almost all of us like to share life events and snippets with others. If you relate or connect that fact with your mobile app, then you are a definite winner.
What Is User-Generated Content?
User-generated content (UGC) can be defined as content drafted and published by guest authors, unpaid contributors, or your fans. The content includes pictures, videos, testimonials, tweets, articles, blog posts, and everything related to content materials. In simple words, it is a type of branding that users do on behalf of the brand.
Some eye-opening stats about user-generated content?
Still not sure about using the UGC for your mobile app? Here are some impressive statistics:
- Around 76% of social media users think this type of content is more reliable than branded content. About 86% of Millennials state that UGC is a healthy sign of the content quality of a brand.
- UGC-based ads receive 4x higher click-through rates along with a 50% drop in cost-per-click than the other mediums.
- You will witness a significant boost in engagement up to 28% when you give users a combination of user-generated content and professional content.
- Users between the ages of 25-54 like to create and share 70% of UGC.
- User-generated videos only on YouTube receive 10x more views than the other type of content.
- 93% of users find UGC helpful and state that it impacts a purchasing decision.
- 87% of brands utilize UGC to share “authentic content,” and up to 72% believe that it keeps the audience engaged.
- Sites with UGC witness a 20% increase in returning visitors with an enhanced bounce rate up to a 90% increase on the website.
- 70% of users trust online reviews and recommendations much more than professionally written content.
Benefits of UGC For Your Mobile App and Business:
Here are some notable benefits of User Generated Content for your business:
It Offers Trustworthy Elements to Your Mobile App
Many studies and stats have proven that 78% of Millennials like images uploaded by real customers over images created by brands.
It Strengthens the Relationship Between Consumer and Brand
Making your audience part of the journey will enhance their trust in your brand. It is not sufficient only to display your app to them; instead, try to connect with them.
Provides Personalization for Each User
Who doesn’t want to get treated well or special? This is possible by using User Generated Content. Everybody from the group contributes and makes this content unique.
It Helps to Boost Engagement
By relating your consumers to your products or campaigns, you can effortlessly convince them to use or purchase your app.
Affordable Than the Others
User-Generated Content is the best and affordable alternative to professional web content. You can also use it as a solution for your app. Plus, you can go creative and create a contest among the users with digital incentives.
This will help you retain the users and save you some time and precious money you could have been paying to professionals.
It Enhances the Brand or Content’s Reach
If you are able to generate word of mouth, your conversion will increase drastically, and no other person can promote your app better than your target consumers.
How to Promote Your App with User Generated Content
Follow these rules when promoting your app through user-generated content:
Design Your Campaign as per Your Users
Create a promotional campaign as per your users. It should be engaging and appropriate to users so that they participate willingly. Remember that not all types of user-generated content are suitable for all audiences.
For example, if you think that your users will not submit images or videos, ask them to submit innovative ideas, letters, artwork, testimonials, poems, and so on.
Utilize Your App as a Base For UGC
The content that you want users to submit must be relevant and compatible with your app. Your app will act as a platform where you will collect all submissions and show them to others. However, you can also integrate social media networks for this purpose.
Request Entries That Are Valid for Future Uses
Even though the promotional campaign for your app is about making users feel special, but it should be beneficial for your brand. You need to gain something tangible that you can use for your future marketing campaigns.
Keep this benefit in mind when promoting your app with user-generated content. You should clearly know what types of entries you need and then ask the same from users.
Set an Appropriate Reward For Your Customers Against Their Efforts
You should offer a prize to encourage customers, but it needs to align with the amount of effort you are asking them for.
If you ask your participants for something valuable that can be used in marketing efforts later on, then they’ll have an incentive to contribute and participate.
Make It Simple to Participate
Even if you are acquiring content from your users in the form of UGC, make their participation in the campaign easy and hassle-free.
Try to keep instructions and terms as straightforward as possible. Similarly, the submission process should be clear easy to navigate on your mobile app.
Avoid any unnecessary subscriptions from the users. It would be beneficial if you use your official business website and social media accounts to promote this UGC-based campaign.
Deal with the Legal Issues:
Before starting a campaign, you must consult your lawyers about two things. First, what rights will you have over the data that participants submit for your campaign? Second, are there any specific laws or rules that can affect the contest?
Best Practices Of User Generated Content
It is very difficult to design a User Generated Content strategy. But at the same time, it is vital for your customers and enables them to catch its spirit.
Don’t let users think that you are only promoting your mobile app. That’s why try to give them valid reasons to socialize with other consumers.
In this regard, here are some best and valid practices that will help you when you want to promote your App via User Generated Content:
Build a Community
This is the secret that no marketer will tell. If you realize the power of spreading the word about your mobile app, it can do wonders for your app. By building a community around your app, you can easily convince them to use the app and request them to share their feelings in the right way with other users.
Be Original
Authenticity is important if you want to make your app stand above the rest. Don’t copy other’s features or campaigns just because you liked them. Instead, go with your skills and think about what value to can provide to your users.
Creativity Is Love
Experiment with new things, features, and other things that are relevant to your mobile app. Know your market and create that they will love to use and want to share with others.
Don’t be dull. Despite all your hard work, if you are still unable to meet their expectations, it’s time to market your app in a new way. If you adopt the same path, you will make things even worse.
Gain the Control
Anyone can lose control when the wave of user responses starts to come. You need to manage things smartly and assist the users timely and adequately.
The Personal Touch Is Vital
Your involvement is vital at all stages during the process as it allows you to make interactive relations with your users.
In the End, It Comes to Emotions
Whether you are creating a funny campaign or an emotional one, you need to seek out users’ passions about the campaign. Keep your focus on their messages and how they are responding to your actions.
Some Successful Examples of User Generated Content
Now that you know User Generated Content and its benefits and best practices let’s see some fantastic campaigns that have used the UGC in a creative way and touched the world.
Owaves is a wellness scheduling app that helps people calculate how much time they consume on a particular activity. The brand designed a UGC campaign known as “Share your O.” The company talked with athletes, past Olympians, or other influencers and convinced them to take part in the competition.
Users who participated in the campaign and shared their videos about their activities won the $100 voucher or gift cards. The final outcome was amazing, and the app enjoyed a more than 120% increase in downloads and daily actions.
Blizzard Entertainment is also among the brand that designed its campaign using the UGC strategy. The brand during the launch of their mobile game “Heroes of the Storm.”
The campaign was well-designed and inspired people to upload their own content with a gaming avatar. The makers offered their fans trailers of their new game during a spectacular live event on the release day. And the whole campaign was immensely popular and highly successful.
Coca-Cola utilized User Generated Content in their popular campaign “Share a Coke” back in 2011 when UGC was not that popular.
The company put different labels on the bottle with human names. This unique idea was so successful that the brand immediately generated another campaign named “Share a Coke and a Song” with lyrics of famous songs on bottles.
Coca-Cola also join forces with Shazam and encouraged users to scan the lyrics displayed on the bottles and upload them on the Shazam app.
After that, users had to record a digital lip, make a short video, and upload the clip on social media using the popular hashtag #ShareaCoke. Fans enjoyed a music concert organized by Coke in Houston for their efforts.
Final Thoughts
If you want to achieve success, you need to move things and promote your mobile app with User Generated Content. An inspiring UGC campaign can make a massive difference between a successful brand and an average one.
Try to make users talk about your new app, and you will get two elements that are vital for any app and its success: user procurement and user retention.