How to be smart with user generated content?

User-generated content - be it reviews, testimonials, photos, or videos - plays an important role in influencing purchasing decisions. It's not just about collecting content - it's about hearing the authentic voices of customers to build trust and foster community. The question then arises: how can we encourage our audience to actively contribute? 

One of the easiest ways to collect content from your customers is contests and giveaways. It might be a good idea to host periodic contests where customers can share their experiences, photos, or videos with your product to win prizes. This not only brings in the content but also enhances brand engagement. One more thing you can do is create a loyalty system - offer points or discounts to customers who leave a review or share their experiences on social media platforms. Don't forget to feature the received user content - by showcasing the content on your official channels (website, social media, newsletters etc.) you can give them a sense of being valued, encouraging more to participate. And as long as we're talking about the website, it's always a good idea to incorporate easy-to-use review platforms on your website, so you can ensure that the review process is as simple and intuitive as possible to encourage participation.

When posting on social media, people should be well informed that the brand is going to see their content when they use the appropriate hashtags. I strongly advise you to create these hashtags and encourage users to share their experiences or photos using these tags, because this will make it easier to track and curate the user-generated content.

Alongside this, you should think about creating email follow-ups, so after a purchase or service experience the customer is sent an email requesting feedback or testimonials. Providing direct links to review platforms can increase the likelihood of a response. If you offer offline products which are sent to the customer, maybe it's a good idea to add a little coupon with a QR code to a survey, so they can leave their review immediately when receiving the goods. Don't forget to thank the customer for leaving the feedback. Maybe you can spare a small gift? 

Last but not least - highlight the testimonials you've received, engage with the content by liking, commenting and sharing. People love to feel heard and appreciated.