{"id":4269432,"date":"2022-05-10T01:46:39","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T23:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/insight\/user-generated-contents-important-role-in-marketing\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T12:35:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T10:35:55","slug":"user-generated-contents-important-role-in-marketing","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/en-au\/insight\/user-generated-contents-important-role-in-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"User-generated content\u2019s important role in marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\n\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBack to all articles\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n<\/button>\n\t\tUser-generated content\u2019s important role in marketing\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\n\t<\/div>
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\n\t\tJacob Favaro\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t10 May 2022\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\n\t\t\n\t\tUnderstanding what UGC is, why it works, and how to dse it\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\tUser-generated content (UGC) in the digital marketing realm refers to any type of creative that is created by real consumers \u2013 not a brand itself. It represents an unbiased voice and can include text, reviews, videos, and images. But when we typically think of UGC content, we\u2019re usually thinking of self-filmed videos.

People often use the terms \u201cUGC\u201d and \u201cinfluencer marketing\u201d interchangeably. In the past, we\u2019ve thought of these as separate initiatives because influencer marketing is more about leveraging an influencer\u2019s audience to drive sales, whereas UGC can be filmed by virtually anyone. We can thank the popularity of TikTok for this evolution, as we are now approaching a point where the creator economy has grown so large that UGC and influencer content are extremely similar.

Semantics aside, user-generated content is something you should consider developing for your brand. It\u2019s not just a fad and should be considered a key concept you test, especially if you are a DTC or eCommerce brand with a physical product. UGC content has been proven to help brands develop trust, promote credibility, and positively influence purchase decisions.

Let\u2019s first explore why it works, and then get into a case study where we have proven this concept.\t<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\t\tWhy does social proof work?\t<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\t\tThe great news about UGC content is that it can be cheap and relatively simple to produce (compared to large video productions). Even better news – consumers relate better to UGC content than traditional ads because it feels like a friend or influencer is talking to you. UGC creative also demonstrates the ease of use for products and lowers the perceived complexity or assembly when you see someone like yourself using it with no problems. As evidenced in the case studies below, social proof is more effective than traditional advertising when it comes to purchasing decisions because of its effect on consumer confidence. It feels like a more natural way of describing a product compared to the exaggerated and forced messaging some brands use.

UGC works because consumers trust their peers, and engagement is more organic. It feels native to the platform, meaning that it doesn\u2019t immediately jump out as an ad when you first come across it, so it can build more trust when compared to the blatant and obvious advertising we are used to.\t<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\t\tHow do you produce user-generated content?\t<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\t\tUser-generated content is an attractive option for marketers because it takes considerably less time to develop compared to traditionally-produced video assets and typically performs well. Although it\u2019s considered a more straightforward approach, quite a bit of planning is still needed if you want your UGC creative to succeed.\t<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\t\tFinally, you\u2019ll want to scope out your talent and work with them in a collaborative and community-driven way. Let your UGC creator have their personality shine through! The best UGC creatives feel authentic and raw, so don\u2019t micromanage your creator. It should be a collaborative effort!

We have dedicated creative resources to develop UGC creative assets. One route you can take when developing UGC creative is to scope, book, and script the talent, so you get the exact talking points you want to hit about your product. Another option is to utilize a third-party vendor to manage the UGC content development. However, the downside is that you have much less control over the final result, which can be problematic for brands with complex products and specific value propositions.\t<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n