20 Feb UGC is taking over the world, and here’s what you need to know
The creator economy is booming and is only expected to continue growing in 2024. The era of polished content, the perfect aesthetics, and models is coming to an end. Everyday people and everyday content is taking the lead.
So what should you know as a brand? Consumers want to see real content, and authenticity is crucial. By engaging creators for your brand, you ensure that your content feels the same as what the target audience would post themselves. Leading them to scroll slower and take it in, but there are more benefits: here are 5 reasons to start with User Generated Content today!
Build trust: Consumers rely on the opinions of others, but only if they feel genuine. We can see through influencers who promote a product for a substantial sum. UGC creators are real people who really enjoy creating content. They have their own authentic style, and you can feel it.
Build a community: UGC encourages interaction between brands and their audiences. When you see someone you identify with, you’re more likely to engage with the content. Additionally, people feel they can be part of a brand, fostering a sense of community and involvement.
Cost-effective and efficient: Compared to producing branded content, UGC is much more affordable. As a brand, you can benefit from the creativity of creators and generate a lot of content for little investment. Win-win.
Diversity and creativity: By hiring creators to make content, you benefit from a variety of unique perspectives, creative talents, and diverse backgrounds. This ensures that your target audience feels more connected to the content.
Building brand loyalty: UGC offers the unique opportunity to establish a genuine connection with your customers. When an individual sees themselves in a brand’s content, it fosters loyalty. It’s a powerful method for building a long-term relationship with your customers and audience.
Case study
In collaboration with us and our creator platform Influentials; The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport recently used UGC for their Hey het is Oké campaign. In the campaign, “Ook ik heb wel eens last van een Winterdip” (“I also sometimes suffer from a Winter dip”), young creators talk about how they deal with their gloomy feelings during the dark winter days. In this case UGC is used to show that you are not alone and helps to open up the conversation in an accessible way. The creators approach this taboo topic in their own way and make the subject discussable for the target audience. See below how the creators deal with their winter dip.
Want to know more about UGC? Charlotte Koeleman, our managing partner at Somention and Influentials, discusses the development of the UGC landscape on the Dutch program, Stand van Nederland. You can watch the entire episode here.