We’ve covered the topic of what user-generated content (UGC) is and discussed the benefits that this kind of content has to offer small businesses in a previous post. Now, let’s have a quick look at a practical example of how to use user-generated content in your digital marketing activities.
A form of user-generated content that is often overlooked is customer reviews and testimonials. While they might not seem as fancy as a series of influencer selfies, they are an invaluable asset to building trust, increasing engagement, and driving sales.
Here’s how you can make this kind of content work for your business.
For Product Businesses: Product Reviews
Product reviews are a type of UGC that can help small businesses showcase the benefits of their products to potential customers. By displaying product reviews on your website or social media platforms, you can provide social proof and demonstrate the value of your products. For example, a small bakery could ask customers to leave a review of their favourite pastry on their Facebook page.
For Service Businesses: Customer Testimonials
Customer testimonials are a type of UGC that is applicable to small service businesses. This kind of content can be used to showcase the benefits of the services that the business offers. By displaying testimonials on your website or social media platforms, you can build trust with potential customers and demonstrate the value of your services. For example, a small cleaning company could ask customers to post a testimonial about their experience on their Instagram page or in their Stories.
Both customer testimonials and product reviews also help manage the expectations of your potential customers by giving them a better idea of what to expect when buying your product or service. What’s more, this kind of content can be used and reused in many different formats. Where the original format might be a written sentence or two on your website or social media page, what you can create with this kind of content is astounding!
Here’s how you can use customer reviews and testimonials to create different kinds of content:
Images: Turn customer reviews and testimonials into visually appealing graphics and share them on your social media platforms.
Case Studies: Use customer testimonials and reviews to create detailed case studies showcasing how your products or services have helped solve a specific problem for your customers.
Blog Posts: Write blog posts about customer reviews and testimonials to show your audience what your customers are saying about your business. This can also help with search engine optimization (SEO).
Video Content: Create videos featuring customer testimonials, either in an interview format or as a video montage of customer reviews.
Email Marketing: Use customer reviews and testimonials in your email marketing campaigns to build trust and credibility with your audience. You can also include them in your Abandoned Cart Emails if you have such a functionality installed on your website.
Landing Page Testimonial Section: Include customer testimonials on landing pages to help build trust and manage customer expectations.
Conclusion
User-generated content does not have to be difficult to source or use in your marketing activities. Something as fundamental as customer testimonials and product reviews can be used in many different ways to help you fully take advantage of the benefits of using user-generated content in your marketing activities.