As the world of business moves online, so are the marketing tactics shifting towards online strategies. One of these strategies is user-generated content. Strangers help create the content you need for your website, and they do it all on their own. It seems simple and useful enough on the surface, but user-generated content has a bunch of additional benefits that come with its usage.
It brings real conversions
If someone tells you about the high-quality branded pants they bought, you probably won’t think much of the exchange. Even if a couple of different people start talking about these pants and complimenting the material you’re pretty unlikely to give them a second glance. However, once the numbers get higher, it might just pique your curiosity.
It’s hard to argue against solid numbers, especially when it comes down to consumer experiences with products and services. A business praising itself won’t convince most consumers to try out their product, but the opinion of others mighty sway their thoughts. When you see for yourself how a product is positively influencing someone else’s life, you’re a lot more likely to consider it for yourself.
Organic content adds to your credibility
Everyone trusts people that are similar to them. Organic user content will better resonate with consumers than something that a marketing expert created. No matter how good you are at creating personalized content, it’s never going to match the authentic feel of passionate users.
People are a lot more likely to trust user-generated content. These users are people just like them and they have the same wants and needs. When they explain why products are useful and worth buying, potential buyers will listen attentively.
Businesses should be quick to allow users to post their own experiences on their websites. Travel agencies are starting to let users attach their own photographs of the places they’ve stayed at. Even the most mediocre review or photograph will do more to attract consumers than a brightly-lit professional photoshoot. The user content is considered a lot more credible.
It helps drastically reduce the content crunch
Creating original content is simple enough in theory, but there’s only so much creativity you can work with. The internet is filled to the brim with both user and expert generated content, which means just about every topic has been covered at least a thousand times. Something truly original needs to come from personal experiences and different perspectives. That’s not something you can easily replicate organically.
Continuously creating this type of content is pretty difficult for businesses. However, it’s made a lot easier when users can add to the pool of interesting and unique experiences. This touch of originality helps lighten the load for a business that requires tons of content. You’re more easily able to manage a smaller pool of necessary content when users can just fill in the blanks.
It’s more relatable
Users will have the perfect perspective on any product or service that they use. No matter how their content or review rates the service, they’re going to share a very relatable experience. Consumers reading this content will easily see themselves in the same position and this might push them towards purchasing a product or service.
When you present a product as a solution to common problems, it’s often done in a very generalized way. People want to hear concrete examples of real-world situations, and those are hard to come by. You need some first-hand experience to be able to retell a story like that and make it seem authentic and relatable. This is something users can provide you if you allow them to create content for your website. They’ll indirectly inform consumers about the possibilities and limitations of the products they’re interested in.
It bolsters your own content
When you continuously create original content for your business, a pattern tends to emerge. In some cases, it’s a writing style or a tone that the content sets that become too eerily familiar. It’s subtle enough that you might not be able to tell, but consumers will eventually catch on to it.
It’s the result of trying too hard to be original when creating content. When users create their content, they’re not worried about sounding original because it’s their real experience. Having a lot of user-generated content will create the ideal backdrop for your own content, which will feel a lot more original when surrounded by other content.
It adds positive online publicity
Everyone knows that all publicity is good publicity, but E-commerce businesses should always strive to get positive reactions first and foremost. A lot of businesses are fearful of adding user-generated content options such as reviews to their websites because they don’t want negative publicity. It’s not an unfounded fear, either. People can leave fake negative reviews on any website and try to bring down the reputation of a fair business.
While the risk is there, the numbers show that these situations are outliers and don’t negatively affect E-commerce businesses. Allowing user content boosts your website’s positive publicity and creates more traffic. This is why Search Engine Optimisation services often recommend allowing user-generated content on websites, as it positively affects search rankings. Even negative reviews bring attention to your products, although many consumers will be critical of them. This will only lead to them reading positive reviews and possibly trying out your product.
It might just be the future
Creating content is a difficult skill that requires constant improvement and new research. You want to optimize your ability to attract new consumers without creating an unauthentic vibe for your business. This is something user-generated content doesn’t have to deal with.
The content is undoubtedly original and unique, which makes it instantly usable and effective. Businesses are slowly shifting towards using more user-generated content because it helps them get conversions. It might just be the future of content marketing,
Conclusion
User-generated content is proving to be a pretty useful resource for online businesses. The authenticity and originality that come with it are just the beginning. It turns out that user-generated content might just be the thing businesses have been looking for to improve their conversions.
