UGC is different from traditional marketing in several key ways. Unlike traditional marketing, which is created and controlled by the brand or company, UGC is created and shared by users. This means UGC is typically more authentic and genuine, whereas traditional marketing can sometimes come across as inauthentic or forced. Additionally, UGC is often more relatable and relevant to the target audience, as it comes from people who have personal experiences with and opinions about the brand or product. 

In 2023, users want to be entertained and delighted, without feeling overwhelmed by commercial banners or pressured to make a purchase. The value of individualism has never been higher, and users prefer honest and unpolished video content because it allows them to fully express their identity. This makes UGC and IGC highly effective at engaging and resonating with consumers, especially when it comes to advertising. 

For online brands that wish to maximise the potential of creators in their paid advertising campaigns, this article is a must-read. Here, we will take you through the following:

• The process of identifying and recruiting competent creators,
• Ways to integrate UGC and IGC into your marketing campaigns,
• Long-term strategies to roll out once you have nailed the previous two steps.

So, without further ado, let's dive in!

How to Find and Onboard Relevant Content Creators

The process of discovering micro influencers and leveraging user-generated content can be overwhelming. However, with the right UGC platform in the UK such as Trendt, it can be a breeze. To help you streamline the process, we've divided it into four simple steps: creating a brief, discovering relevant influencers and creators, pitching and onboarding, and tracking and optimising.

🎯 Step 1: Create a brief

In order to ensure that the content created by creators aligns with the brand’s aesthetic and messaging, it is crucial to provide them with a well-crafted brief.

Before starting any work, it is important to define the brand’s ideal customer. This includes understanding their demographics, interests, and social media habits. 

E-commerce brands are typically more equipped to do this due to their access to data, but agencies servicing e-commerce brands should also spend time picking their clients’ brains and analysing their social media and website analytics.

Once the ideal customer is defined, the brief should cover the aesthetics, format, and messaging that the brand wishes to convey. The aesthetic guidelines should include past collaborations that match the brand’s ethos or a mood board of content that the brand appreciates from other brands on Instagram. The format restrictions should be based on the ad formats that drive the best results on Facebook and those used by competitors. Finally, the messaging should clearly communicate the unique selling proposition of the product and any other selling points the brand wants to convey.

🎨  Step 2: Discover relevant micro-influencers and creators

Now, let's discuss the various ways to find influencers and creators. You can use a tool like Trendt, go through influencer marketplaces, or do the work manually. Trendt's free trial is ideal for those looking to experiment with influencer marketing. However, if you want to know more about manual discovery, read this article.

We recommend collaborating with micro-influencers who boast an Instagram following of 2k to 10k users. They offer exceptional content quality at lower fees. But, if you're selling a product with a high cost of goods sold, like a mountain bike, you should seek influencers with a larger audience to justify your upfront expenses. It's best to contact influencers via email instead of DMs as email boasts a higher response rate. Plus, email allows for the use of CRM tools.

📝  Step 3: Pitch and onboard

After compiling a roster of potential influencers to reach out to, it's important to choose a CRM tool that facilitates mass email or direct messaging workflows. While we personally prefer Hubspot, there are many other options available for you to choose from. Once you've made your selection, it's time to move on to crafting your pitch, contacting the influencers, negotiating terms, and bringing them on board. During the onboarding process, you should share the brief you created in step one with them.

📊 Step 4: Track your Campaigns

As a marketer, it's crucial to keep track of your influencer marketing campaigns to measure their success. One way to do this is through user generated content (UGC) platforms like Trendt. The feature is currently in beta, but you can reach out to us to gain access.

If you prefer to track your campaigns manually, you can make it a part of your agreement with your collaborators to send you a link to their post once it's live. This can make your job much simpler.

Another option is to hire a virtual assistant to update your campaign metrics in Google Sheets two days after a post has been published. This will allow you to track the cost per engagement and sales for each influencer. To track sales, create a unique promo code for each collaborator to share with their followers.

Regardless of the method you choose, tracking your campaigns is essential for successful influencer marketing. Consider using Trendt's UGC platform or any of the other methods mentioned above to ensure that your campaigns are effective and profitable.

What’s Next?

If you've made it this far, you've likely done some hard work. Now, it's time to consider how to utilise your content throughout your marketing strategy.

In this segment, we'll demonstrate what we've discovered from utilising User Generated Content (UGC) on Trendt's UGC platform in a paid media plan.

Specifically, we'll examine Facebook ads, which are vital for many online businesses. However, you can use your content on any channel you find useful.

How to Implement User Generated Content Across your Paid Advertising

So, you received  multiple content pieces from your creators! Here are four tips to help you optimise your content for conversion and save up to 5x on cost per conversion.

Tip 1: Optimise your Content for Conversion

Different platforms and placements require specific optimization tricks. For instance, if you're designing a carousel ad, make sure it's carousel-friendly. If you're formatting a video as a Story ad, include a clear CTA to swipe-up.

Tweak your visual to feel native to the channel you're using. Check out Facebook ads Library to see how competitors are displaying their ads across different channels.

Tip 2: Display Your Social Proofing

When doing paid advertising with Influencer Generated Content or User Generated Content, include an influencer's or a customer's statement in the description. Social proofing is vital to conversion, especially when expressed by relatable people.

Tip 3: Follow the Optimal Ad Structure

For best results, follow this optimal ad format:

• Video or GIF format
• Short tagline from an influencer or a creator

Test these ads with as many variations as you want. Different audiences respond to different creatives and taglines.

Tip 4: Ask Your Creators for Their Audience Insights or Check on Trendt

Influencer's Instagram Analytics can provide valuable insights into their audience demographics and interests. By using this data, you can create targeted campaigns that resonate with your audience. For example, with the metrics above, you could create a geo-specific female audience with an age range of 18-24. You can also check on Trendt to see creator's audience insights. This way, you can be more granular in your targeting and ensure your message reaches the right people.

Long-term advertising strategy for 2023

One great way to generate UGC regularly is by hiring your influencers as long-term brand ambassadors. This will not only provide ongoing access to their audiences, but also build trust for your brand. To make it enjoyable for your creators to be part of your ambassador program, consider paying them a fixed sum each month, sharing exclusive offers, and involving them in your product decisions. Providing brand swag and proper equipment will incentivise your network to share their affiliation with your brand.

If your influencers have a business page on Instagram, which most likely they do, they can share their audience through the Facebook Audience Manager. Encourage them to create an audience of people who have interacted with their page in the last 365 days and share it with you. The benefits of this strategy are multiple brand touchpoints with your influencer’s audience, strong social proofing by being in the hands of a recognisable face, and giving Facebook's distribution algorithm a head start which multiplies the number of winning campaigns you run.

To ensure long-term success, consider the following checklists:

• Hire influencers and creators as long-term brand ambassadors,
• Make it enjoyable for creators to be part of the ambassador program,
• Pay a fixed sum each month and share exclusive offers,
• Involve influencers in your product decisions, 
• Provide brand swag and proper equipment,
• Encourage influencers to create an audience through Meta, 
• Share their audience of people who have interacted with their page in the last 365 days with your brand

Although it may entail additional effort, the potential returns from this approach can be considerable. Staying at the forefront of the industry and maintaining growth can be achieved by embracing user generated content and leveraging influencer marketing through a trusted UGC platform. Don't hesitate any longer; take advantage of this opportunity by signing up for your free video today!