How to mix UGC with broadcast diffusion for next-level brand marketing
As a marketer, you know the pressure of keeping your content supply fully stocked.
Now that AI tools can produce content in mere seconds the ante has upped even further for brands to deliver a constant stream of content, messaging and awareness.
But it's one thing creating content -- and even finding tools to automate that for you -- and quite another making sure people are consuming it.
It's also one thing creating branded content which might have the most on-point messaging and clear CTAs in the world, but will still fall short of the simple virality, authenticity and human touch of user-generated content (UGC).
Building an effective brand marketing strategy is a fine balance. The art is finding the right ratios to create a complementary system that maximizes every individual part.
When it comes to generating brand awareness the art is in balancing the right amount of broadcast diffusion to quickly cascade content from one to many, alongside the ripple effects of word of mouth spread through UGC.
The science is in finding the right martech tools to create a mix of both of these approaches to achieve maximum growth.
Boosting Your Brand Awareness
For that maximal marketing effect influencers with reach are a powerful brand ally. This can be especially effective when it comes to reaching Millennials and GenZ. That said, younger generations will also be the first to call-out fakeness, so it is important that influencers have autonomy over the brands and products they choose to recommend.
To do this effectively, brands need simple tools that allow them to find and share collaboration opportunities with influencers of all community sizes. Having the ability to target collaboration opportunities at established influencers with a strong reach provides brands with the chance to create broadcast diffusion through impactful content that spreads awareness and education about the company's product or service offerings.
Improving Your Brand Credibility
Building trust and credibility is as essential as generating reach, and authentic UGC can strengthen the relationship between your company and its customers.
According to eMarketer's 2017 "State of Social Media Marketing" report, UGC is 95% more likely than branded content or advertising to be shared on social media -- in other words nothing beats content from real people for boosting virality. Adversely, Edelman's 2022 Trust Barometer indicates that only 8% of consumers actually believe what they see in adverts.
People trust other people more than brands, which is apparent in social media sharing habits: there is far more social currency in real stories from real people that are relatable on an emotional level. When you use UGC as part of your marketing strategy, it gives you access to this kind of powerful connection with consumers by showing them that their voices matter too.
Increasing Your Online Sales
UGC is so powerful because it doesn't just generate awareness: when it comes to driving online sales it is an even more effective tool than branded content.
Granted branded content has a higher conversion rate than UGC, but it's also more expensive and, more importantly, less authentic. On the other hand, UGC is cheaper than branded content and more likely to resonate with your target audience. This makes it an ideal solution for increasing your online sales by 10-20%.
Creating Successful UGC Campaigns
UGC is the future of brand marketing. It's a great way to get word-of-mouth marketing, customer feedback and make your brand more relatable.
Brands that embrace UGC are seeing a lot of success with their campaigns:
Amazon's Alexa ad campaign was the most shared Super Bowl spot in 2018.
The Coca-Cola Company reported an increase in sales after launching its #ShareACoke campaign on Twitter in 2014.
UGC from amateur content creators is a powerful tool for brands. It packs an even bigger punch when working together with broadcast diffusion through more established influencers. With the right martech tooling both goals can be achieved in a fast, cost-effective and complementary way -- and this is the smart marketer's mix for generating next-level brand marketing.
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