How to Drive Engagement with User Generated Content [PART 3]

In Part 1, we found that User Generated Content (UGC) has endless potential for ecommerce businesses.  In Part 2, we went over how to minimize the potential risks involved in implementing a UGC strategy. To conclude the series, we will show you the 5 golden rules for creating a User Generated Content campaign.

1.  Present a Clear Call to Action

Just as it is important to have a clear call to action button on your ecommerce store’s homepage, it is equally as important to formulate a clear call to action that identifies the objectives for your campaign.  Adding an inspiring element or a value proposition to the call to action will help incentivize potential contributors.

The San Diego Zoo uses social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram to engage their fans through User Generated Content (UGC).  Participants can get zoo-themed prizes, such as a personal behind-the-scenes tour. In addition, winners can see their photos featured on the San Diego Zoo’s website.  They provide a great example of a clear call to action for UGC.

2.  Make it Fun

Generate excitement around your campaign with an entire marketing campaign, like Tourism Australia did.  With a creative slogan (“The Best Job in the World”) and enticing pictures of Australia’s beautiful landscape, Tourism Australia was able to create one of the most successful tourism campaigns in recent history.  For $1 Million, Tourism Australia generated over $70 Million worth of global publicity in just one month following the launch of the campaign (BBC News).

In fact, the campaign was so successful that they recently re-launched the campaign. This time they offered the “Six Best Jobs in the World.”

3.  Ensure High-Quality Content

One of the risks involved with opening your brand up to intake UGC is the potential for user-content quality standards to fall short.  This is why it is vital that you take the time to set clear parameters and expectations for users before implementing your UGC strategy.

In order to ensure quality, try offering an incentive of some sort.  By turning the submissions a competition, you will be incentivizing high-quality content.  Quality content is much more pertinent when using the product review strategy.  In addition, keeping user content in line with core values and the overall brand strategy is equally important.

Creating technical and qualitative traits for users will help you to attract the quality of content that you desire.  Include standards in your guidelines, such as length, style, how to treat links, etc.  Also, setting an expectation of voice, topics, and organizations is equally as important.  Providing examples is an easy way to set the expectations for your users.  Decide ahead of time if you will share everything submitted or if you will need a gate-keeper to keep low quality content out.

4.  Create Value for Everyone

Power up a marketing campaign that provides value to both the content viewers as well as the content submitters.  In an ideal campaign, content submitters would be competing to win a prize of value, content viewers would be able to benefit from the content submitted in some way, and the store owner would gain greater levels of brand engagement.

Miva Store, Squishable, hosts an ongoing campaign of user-submitted designs that creates value for everyone.  Through Project Open Squish, Squishable gives their customers the opportunity to get involved in selecting the next Squishable, by voting on designs and even submitting their own.

5.  Be Authentic

Trust is vital for your UGC Campaign.  For example, if viewers don’t believe your product reviews are real, then they likely will do no good for your sales.  In any UGC campaign, marketers must make sure that the content is authentic, true, and consistent with the brand.

Giving your customers a sharing platform for every stage of your campaign will help generate a more authentic and meaningful campaign.

A Win-Win-Win Situation

User Generated Content strategies, if implemented correctly, can significantly increase brand engagement and generate loyal customers.  There are so many opportunities with the rise of social media and sharing platforms for your ecommerce store to find ways to generate the content that is so highly demanded in today’s world.  The way I see it, it’s a win-win-win situation! You will get the content your ecommerce store is in need of, your content-creators will get to share what they want with the world, and your content-viewers will be exposed to new and unique content!