Being a creator requires a wide range of skill sets – creativity, confidence, constantly updating your knowledge and insights, and so on. While it might seem hard to embark on this path, there’s a kind of creator where you might find it’s easier to start with zero experience and just a few digital devices. And that is UGC (User-Generated Content) creator, which has more and more demand in today’s world.
If you don’t know what it is, sit back and let’s get started.
What is UGC Creator?
UGC, as mentioned above, stands for User-generated content. At first, this term referred to content that was organically made by real users or customers.
However, as time passed, the opportunity arose as brands typically love UGC, and so do customers. Now we have ‘UGC creators’ who specifically create content that appears to be made by customers when it is actually designed and paid to look like that. UGC creators usually receive financial incentives or free products and services in exchange.
Among UGC content, creators can come up with many different options, such as testimonials, reviews, how-to guides, unboxing videos, demonstrations, and Vlogs, to name a few.
How to Become a UGC Creator
Now, you might be wondering, “Well, I know that this industry is currently in high demand, but where should I start if I want to become a UGC influencer?” Don’t worry, we’ll take you through this journey step by step.
1. Ask The Question “What’s My Brand Identity?”
No matter what kind of content creator you aspire to be, UGC or non-UGC, the essential key is to figure out who you really are. In marketing terms, this can be considered the process of finding your ‘brand identity.’
Your first step can be defining your interests and your target audience. For example, what topics or industries are you truly interested in, and feel comfortable sharing your knowledge and opinions about? This should go alongside understanding who your highest demographic audience is.
Once you have figured out your pathway, all of your future plans should align with your personal brand, values, goals, and also collaborations with brands you select.
When it comes to selecting brands, you can look for brands whose target audience is similar to yours, which would be beneficial to both sides. Additionally, seek out a brand that comes with credibility and reputation so you can hope to collaborate with them in the long run.
Does this seem like it requires a lot of preparation? Let’s move on to the next step.
2. Time To Start Making Content
The next step is to create UGC content. While this might appear as simple as it sounds, there are a lot of sub-steps you can take to meet the standard of high-quality content.
In most cases, you are usually not the only UGC creator in your industry. So, once you are aware of what kind of brand identity is yours, you should make your content as unique and engaging as possible. Of course, this is an abstract concept, you may think.
Well, on one hand, it really is. But, on the other hand, you have plenty of insights to help refine the best out of your content. And this is where audience analytics come into play. You can check the following basic questions like, “What kind of content does your audience engage with the most?”, “What comments are they posting?”, “What platforms come with the best feedback?” or even “What topics do they want to hear from you?”
Most of all, remember that consistency is the foundation of success – post regularly, engage with your audience regularly, and make it a routine. And have fun and be creative!
Suggestion: check out our previous article to discover more secrets to creating compelling UGC content, here.
@curatedbyange Organic UGC Example (Skincare) | @Airyday Skinscreens Mineral Mousse Dreamscreen ✨ See my previous video for the same product, but the Ad version. See my next video that explains the difference between Organic and Ad UGC videos! #ugccreator #ugcexample #ugcadexample #ugcskincare #ugcaustralia #ugccreatoraustralia #ugcmarketing #ugccommunity #ugccreatorjourney #contentcreator ♬ original sound – Ian Asher
3. Present A Versatile Work Portfolio
Last but not least, what you need to do is build your portfolio, meaning that you should diversify your creative content (by format, by content, by guest appearance, and so on) to showcase your skills, styles, and versatility.
Just like curating a work resume, you should always keep your portfolio updated and make sure it reflects the best and latest version of you. This also shows how much you have improved during a certain period of time.
Also, don’t forget the numbers or the impact you’ve made in each content. When it comes to creating a work portfolio, remember that all of the content in there is placed in the hope that potential partners will see your work and be attracted to work with you.
In order to sharpen your creativity, this might also require you to see UGC made by other creators from time to time as a way to spark inspiration.
Monetization and Opportunities
Now that we know how to be a UGC creator, here is some good news for people who want to make money from creating UGC: you don’t need to have a large number of followers. You can start small, but the important thing is to know who to look for.
In recent years, many studies have discovered similar things: most customers tend to trust opinions and experiences that seem like “word-of-mouth” rather than hearing advertisement messages directly from brands.
Brands have seen that opportunity and want to hire UGC creators to do sponsored content these days, after all. Therefore, as a UGC creator, a pile of monetization opportunities awaits you.
There are a variety of ways you can make money from this: you can deal with sponsored content one project at a time, partner with brands who are interested in you and whom you’re interested in, and make content for them without having to post on your account. You can also use affiliate marketing, where you will earn money if people click to buy via the link you posted.
However, there’s also a downside: if you go with an affiliate marketing strategy, people will know that this is non-organic UGC, and they might be turned off by that too.
The Impact of UGC in Marketing
One of the most commonly asked questions is, “Well, so why should I, as a brand, choose UGC over other kinds of marketing campaigns?” The answers can be summed up quite simply in three aspects; let’s take a look at them.
1. Enhance Brand Visibility
Most of the time, people don’t love heavily branded content, or heavy advertisements, and tend to shy away from sharing it on their feed or timeline. However, when it comes to UGC, people love to share it. And that’s why UGC is one of the most often shared and widely shared types of content on any social media platform.
This strategy, we’d say, can increase the number of people who see your products and services, hence enhancing your brand visibility and increasing brand awareness.
2. Drive Conversions
Every brand wants to see a high rate of conversions, and UGC is a powerful tool that can contribute significantly to conversion. UGC can be created to showcase the uniqueness of a product or service, either subtly or obviously, when compared to other competitors in the market.
@airbnb pancakes to paella: a dream kitchen stay 🍽️ #airbnbpartner #airbnb #cooking #kitchendesign ♬ original sound – airbnb
According to the data, UGC creators can convince people to purchase this product as part of their ‘lifestyle’, which not only drives conversion but also leads to more than a one-time purchase.
3. Foster Customer Loyalty
Since UGC content doesn’t seem too salesy and feels like recommendations from fellow users and most of the time, it is made by someone who has actually had first-hand experience with the product, this can build trust among customers. They will have an idea that your brand is trustworthy, reliable, and cares about the users.
And once you have earned their trust, this will lead to fostering customer loyalty in the long run.
Example of Success Case
Is there any viral UGC marketing campaign in the real world? Plenty. One of the best examples awaits you until November comes around, and that is #SpotifyWrapped, a nickname for the year-end recap of what Spotify users have listened to throughout the year.
In recent years, Wrapped has been shared across every social media platform, and the marketing impact is impressive. During the first week of December 2020, #SpotifyWrapped was a significant factor in why Spotify gained a 21% surge in mobile app downloads.
And within only 4 years, from 2017 to 2021, the number of people who accessed their #SpotifyWrapped increased around fourfold. Therefore, on the list of the most successful UGC marketing cases, #SpotifyWrapped definitely should be counted as one of them.
Become a Successful UGC Creator Today
Now, you’ve probably understood why the role of UGC creators in today’s digital world is almost undeniable, as they play pivotal roles in any marketing strategy. Although this journey might not be easy and smooth all the way, together, the brand and UGC creators are surely able to leverage the power of content to the next level and utilize this kind of content to achieve business goals.
