The notion of user-generated content material (UGC), is just not new. In truth, it’s at all times been a part of the usual ultimate advertising and marketing handbook — earn natural love from precise customers of your product? Sure please.
That being stated, the subject of UGC content material creators has been getting new buzz once more with the emergence of latest platforms like Kale (which launched in October of 2022). In case you are a marketer or company working for a model you could be questioning:
- Ought to I be evaluating UGC content material creators in its place or alternative for influencer content material?
- If sure, how ought to I associate with UGC content material creators and what ROI ought to I count on?
- If not, is there a technique to combine UGC content material creators into my influencer program technique?
Beneath I’ll reply these questions primarily based on my expertise within the influencer advertising and marketing business — most of which was spent speaking to among the prime magnificence, trend, and life-style manufacturers about their influencer packages.
How UGC Content material Creators Can Affect Your Influencer Program
Should you’re an influencer marketer (or a lover of influencer advertising and marketing), by no means concern. This business and the creator financial system isn’t going wherever. In truth, the resurgence of curiosity in UGC content material creators could also be a very good factor. Right here’s a run down of what to anticipate and my recommendation on easy methods to regulate your influencer program:
1. UGC platforms aren’t a completely new idea.
UGC has been an influence that entrepreneurs have been making an attempt to harness for ages. In truth, its core precept is considerably just like the likes of lengthy standing platforms like Bazaarvoice or Influenster. The principle distinction is that Kale affords customers the power to receives a commission, whereas Bazaarvoice and Influenster are extra targeted on a product seeding mannequin, the place customers can be part of and get despatched merchandise to put in writing a evaluate.
2. UGC content material creators received’t exchange the normal influencer.
The reality is the influencer advertising and marketing house might be vulnerable to hyperbole, particularly when evaluating the impression of latest instruments and platforms. UGC content material creators received’t exchange conventional influencers, identical to Meta’s Threads received’t “kill” Twitter. As a substitute, the reality is usually someplace within the center. UGC content material creators and conventional influencers are highly effective and helpful in several methods. If something, the emergence of latest platforms like Kale signifies an growth of the influencer advertising and marketing house. One received’t exchange the opposite, the 2 will coexist.
3. UGC content material creators and influencer advertising and marketing will probably coexist.
On the model aspect, platforms like Kale supply a comparatively cheap technique to get some model consciousness by way of genuine mentions. It will probably additionally function a discovery device to assist them discover their “superfans” and might be good for serving to them discover micro influencers. This will likely be particularly poignant for manufacturers that don’t have entry to influencer advertising and marketing platforms like Traackr, which offer the best and most thorough technique to discover and vet influencers.
Clearly for UGC content material creators, platforms like Kale give them a technique to receives a commission to advertise the manufacturers they love. It might additionally function an entryway into the world of influencer advertising and marketing for the “common” shopper.
Nonetheless, it’s probably that manufacturers is not going to depend on UGC content material creators to drive the kind of outcomes and targets they count on to get from campaigns with skilled creators with bigger attain. For instance, whereas UGC might help make sure that a model is securing a share of dialog, influencers play a vital position by spreading largely on-brand messaging. A part of the wonder (and ache) of UGC posts is that they don’t include any assure that the content material will likely be constructive or keep “on message”.
Bear in mind Flip, the UGC social evaluate app particularly for magnificence? It made a giant splash, however definitely didn’t exchange conventional methods or campaigns for influencer packages.
4. UGC is proof that group is constant to be a key space of focus for manufacturers.
If something the emergence of extra UGC platforms like Kale is a sign that manufacturers are leaning extra into making an attempt to create group. They are going to need to construct buyer advocates and communities alongside their common influencer packages. The opposite risk (that I discussed in bullet three) is that these UGC platforms might grow to be a means for manufacturers to feed their influencer packages. In some methods you might consider prospects as nanoinfluencers, and even influencers at the beginning of their profession. These UGC platforms give manufacturers a technique to harness area of interest nano/micro influencers earlier than they grow to be massive, locking in loyalty early and rising long run relationships from genuine love.
5. The significance of UGC content material creators will depend upon the model.
Most manufacturers spend money on one thing like Kale as a result of it’s perceived as a “low hanging fruit” alternative to extend model consciousness and carry. That being stated, it can imply various things for various model sorts. For mid-to-large manufacturers this kind of factor will likely be a small a part of an even bigger technique, however for small manufacturers this may very well be a giant focus.
