User-generated content is a quick and effective way to boost engagement for your brand. Content creation is key to keeping customers engaged and provides an opportunity to educate and inspire your audience. If you are wondering what exactly user-generated content is, think of The Ice Bucket Challenge. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is one of the most well-known user-generated content campaigns and raised $115 million. Asking users to create content builds community and shows your customers that you care about what they have to offer. Read on for tips and ideas for how to boost engagement with user-generated content.
Let’s start with three ways to create user-generated content.
1. Start a Photo Campaign
A photo campaign is one of the most well-known ways to engage customers with user-generated content. To create a photo campaign simply ask your users to share a photo, tag you, and use a unique hashtag that you have created. You can ask your audience for a specific type of photo, such as a photo of them with their pet, or ask for something general such as what is inspiring them today. Remember to create a custom hashtag for your campaign. This way, when you search for your hashtag all of your customers’ photos show up.
If you want to create a photo campaign, think about what type of photos will represent your brand and what you want to communicate. If your focus is brand awareness, photos with your branded products or services might be the way to go. If your focus is pure engagement, you can be a little looser with what is in the photo and can focus more on the fun. Whatever your goal is, make sure that the user-generated content helps you get there.
For a more in-depth look at creating a photo campaign check out this article by pixlee.com 5 Tips to Running a Successful Photo Contest.
2. Create a Quiz
Quizzes are fun and highly engaging. Most of us know what it feels like to engage in a good quiz stopping at nothing until we get our results. To build audience engagement, ask your customers to share their quiz results. This will create interesting user-generated content and will build a sense of community.
When you create your quiz, think of how you can drive your brand mission forward. For example, part of our mission at Trendeing is to empower our community. So we created a fashion quiz with empowering memes as answers. This allows our users to share their quiz results in a fun way that spreads an inspirational message. Think about what you want your customers to come away with and start there.
To learn how to create a quiz for social media check out this article by socialmediaexaminer.com How to Create an Online Quiz for Social Media.
3. Hold a Contest
Contests boost engagement and provide an element of excitement as users compete for a prize. Contests are fun for customers and build your brand. Offer a prize that encourages the winner to use your products or services. This can bring you new potential customers and also creates brand buzz.
Create a contest that represents something about your brand. For example, if you own a gym you could hold a push-up contest. Ask your customers to take a live Facebook video of them doing push-ups every day for one week. Award the person with the highest number of push-ups a free week at your gym or a complimentary training session. The contest options are endless! Have fun with this one and think about what will make your customers excited to connect with you.
Now, before you start brainstorming, let’s cover a couple of tips that will help you create a stellar call to action.
Be Specific: The clearer you communicate what you need from your customers the easier it is to get it. Be clear and concise with your call to action.
Be Creative: Be creative with how you want your users to engage with you. Do something fun that gets your users excited. Think about what would make you want to participate in a call to action.
Make a Deadline: Give a deadline for your user-generated content. This will keep your campaign organized and will help your call to action feel exclusive and time-sensitive.
Spread The Word: Once you have your call to action ready, spread the word! Announce your campaign through all of the appropriate communication channels and encourage as many people to participate as possible.
For an in-depth guide to creating user-generated content check out this article by optinmonster.com 3 Easy Steps to Awesome User-Generated Content.
