The Benefits of User Generated Content as Part of Your SEM Strategy

Simply put; user-generated content (UGC) is content that is created by a brand’s target audience rather than the brand itself. UGC can take on the form of images, videos, audio, or even blog articles. 

In an ideal world, businesses would recognize this untapped opportunity, and come up with creative and engaging ways to make user-generated content part of their marketing strategy. In reality, however, a lot of brands simply don’t prioritize user-generated content.

In this article, we look at some of the benefits of incorporating user-generated content into your search marketing strategy. Keep reading to learn more.

Build Stronger Brand Recognition

User-generated content is sometimes referred to as “earned” media.

Earned media refers to marketing content generated from a loyal audience base who advocates for a certain brand and product, as opposed to a paid media campaign. The target audience is so moved by the good service, product, or brand values that they willingly and loudly share their experiences with others.

When you take a look at the most thriving brands right now, you’ll see they all have one thing in common; they have extremely strong brand recognition. A recent study found that Ninety-two percent of consumers polled say they completely trust earned media, which is almost double the number of consumers who say the same about conventional paid media. 

To exponentially increase brand awareness, incorporating UGC into your digital marketing plan is a great idea. 

Make it a priority to provide your brand advocates with the necessary resources they need to make it as easy as possible to create user-generated content. If you want to take this even a step further, you can also provide them with the tools and training they need to create a unique UGC for your brand.

Enhanced User Experience (UX)

If you’re using content created by your customers in your marketing plan, you can be sure that it’s genuine and authentic. Nothing makes your brand more relatable than using user-generated content. 

In fact, a recent study showed that over 50% of millennials base their buying decision to buy a product or service almost entirely on the recommendation of people within their friend circle. 2.4 times the amount of people polled thought that user-generated content is more authentic compared to branded content. User-generated content speaks directly to this shifting change in consumer behavior. 

When you integrate user-generated content into your digital marketing strategy, you’re able to enhance the user experience of your website. You’ll notice that when you create fake user-generated content or use the same content over and over again, it can become monotonous and tiresome for your audience. But genuine, unique user-generated content adds a breath of fresh air to your brand’s online persona. Best of all, it’s not just for one segment or type of audience – it appeals to a wide range of people. 

Help Grow Your Audience

When you use your customers’ user-generated content in your marketing plan, you’re not only able to engage with your present audience, but you’re also able to reach out to a wider audience. The beauty of user-generated content is that it’s open-ended in nature. It provides you the freedom to use it in a way that best suits your brand. 

You can use it on your website, social media channels, and newsletters. You may have noticed that on some of the products you’ve purchased, there’s a section where you’re able to write a review. Well, that’s where your company uses UGC to its advantage. You can also use UGC in your advertisements and email campaigns. 

Strengthen a Brand’s Relationship With Users

Including user-generated content in your marketing plan sends a clear message that the target market is important to the brand. User-generated content acts as authenticity and trust signals vital to establishing a relationship with your target audience.

User-generated content also allows you to effectively identify the problems your customers are facing and offer real-time solutions.

Conclusion

User-generated content is a great way to get your content noticed when you don’t have the resources to create new and engaging content consistently. 

It’s authentic, relatable, and can be used in a variety of ways. By integrating User-generated content into your digital marketing plan, you’re able to build stronger brand recognition, enhance the user experience, help grow your audience, and strengthen your relationship with them. The benefits of incorporating user-generated content into your SEM strategy are numerous.

Developing, implementing, and maintaining an effective SEM strategy might seem daunting to a small business doing it on its own. Partnering with a digital marketing agency that specializes in this makes it a lot easier. NAV43 is an SEM-focused digital marketing agency that could help you set up and manage your SEM strategy. Contact them today to find out how they could help.