The takeover of User Generated Influencers
It’s safe to say influencers have officially taken over the way we do marketing, with brands turning to them for their content needs. But this has started to lead towards influencer fatigue. With social media becoming more and more commercialised, people are becoming turned off by overly polished or staged content. Enter UGC influencers.
UGC (User Generated Content) refers to any content that is created by users rather than brands or organisations. UGC influencers leverage this type of content to connect with their audience and build trust and credibility. With de-influencing on the rise, people want to see people selling things they really believe in. The authenticity and relatable content from UGC influencers resonates with their audience, which is why they’re coming in hot and heavy. Instagram have recently added a feature on the shopping channel with a section just for UGC, so it’s a trend to take seriously. But why has UGC become so popular?
Why are UGC influencers on the rise?
A key trend for social media marketing this year has been authenticity. UGC influencers create content that feels real and relatable. This hits consumer needs for raw content, and if brands use UGC influencers, it feels like a genuine partnership.
Another reason for the rise of UGC influencers is that they often have niche audiences that are highly engaged. UGC influencers tend to focus on a specific topic or interest area, which allows them to build a loyal following of people passionate about the same things. This can make them more attractive to brands looking to target specific demographics or interest groups. Take our client Rowse for example. We use UGC influencers throughout their social content from people who genuinely love creating recipes with their honey, and it goes down a treat. We’ve built them a loyal/trustworthy buzzy little community.
Finally, UGC influencers often have lower production costs and can create content more quickly and efficiently than traditional influencers. This can make them more responsive to trends and changes in the market, which can be a valuable asset in the fast-paced world of reactive content on social. Some UGC influencers will even create content and tag brands, so if you get permission, you can use the content for free. A complete win win.
The benefits for your brand using UGC influencers
So it’s clear why UGC content is on the rise… But you might be thinking, what’s in it for you? There are many benefits to using UGC influencers for your brand, including:
Increased Authenticity: UGC is created by real people and often showcases real experiences and opinions, which makes it more authentic than content created by brands and mega influencers. This can help build trust and credibility with your audience.
Cost-Effective: UGC is often created and shared by users for free, which means that brands can save money on content creation and advertising costs. If you choose paid UGC influencers for campaigns, they tend to be much cheaper, as they will work with brands they genuinely love.
Increased Engagement: UGC can be highly engaging and shareable, especially if it resonates with your audience. This can help increase brand awareness and reach a wider audience.
Diverse Content: UGC can come in many different forms, such as reviews, photos, videos, and social media posts. This can help diversify content and give your audience something new and fresh.
Stronger Community: Encouraging UGC can help build a sense of community around your brand, as users share their experiences and connect with each other.
Improved SEO: UGC can also help improve your SEO by providing fresh, relevant content that can help boost your search rankings. Read more about other SEO trends here.
Overall, using UGC can be a powerful tool for building brand awareness, engagement, and trust within their online community. By encouraging your audience to share their experiences and opinions, you can create a more authentic and diverse brand narrative that resonates with your target audience. Plus, it moves you away from critique of disingenuous, over-filtered mega influencer content. Doing all this while not having to spend the big bucks as well? It’s a no-brainer.