It’s common knowledge that high-quality content can attract a lot of visitors naturally, leading to high organic traffic. The appropriate type of organic content, alongside advertising initiatives, can inexpensively introduce a brand to new audiences throughout the web.
Unfortunately, brands and marketers still have a hard time coming up with content that is interesting for their audiences. Among the many difficulties that modern marketers confront is coming up with content that people really want to see. To be more precise, marketers have trouble both creating enough content and creating material that people really want to consume. However, online retailers have a leg up on many other brands, particularly those that offer tangible products. When you employ user-generated content in your online shop, you can save time and money on content creation since it already exists.
Having a customer witness a real person using a product increases the likelihood that they will buy that product. Taking cues from Instagram and other popular social media platforms, UGC is becoming important for e-commerce and online marketplace platforms.
By channelling happy customers into persuasive endorsements, UGC can be a powerful marketing and conversion tool. In this article, we’ll go through the best practices for encouraging user-generated content on your e-commerce website.
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Showcase Customer Photos on Product Listings
High-quality photos are an asset to every single product page. Based on previous case studies, VMO presented data indicating that selecting the right photos can boost conversions by up to 40%. Every other online brand, however, uses photos of higher quality. You can make your items stand out by avoiding the manufacturer-supplied photos and focusing on what your consumers want. Begin by turning your customers into models. Consumers are far more likely to buy your product after seeing it being used or worn by actual people. In addition, it can aid in communicating a certain message while promoting your brand and marketing.
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Exhibit the merchandise in order to attract new customers
While it’s reasonable to assume that highlighting the features of your product in any category is a tried-and-true method of increasing exposure, the reality is very different. Traditional approaches are being supplanted everywhere by user-generated content. Many D2C brands are seeing a rise of about 29.45% in online conversions when they incorporate user-generated content, suggesting that users increasingly see this kind of content as more useful and trustworthy than that produced by professionals. What’s more? UGC, in the guise of ratings and reviews, is used by approximately 71.4% of online purchasers before making a purchase, so putting it into practice seems like a great idea. Therefore, it is true that UGC reviews are achieving remarkable success rates and providing crucial information on a product that aids in the acquisition of new consumers.
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Integrate UGC with Ecommerce Ads
There are no restrictions on utilising user-generated material on your website. If you want to expand your consumer base, you need to start thinking beyond the box of your online store. Using user-generated content in advertising campaigns yields far greater returns than just sharing it organically through social media networks, which is still a good practice. Keep in mind that buyers place more value on the thoughts and opinions of their counterparts than on brand promotion, therefore include reviews in your advertisements.
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Dedicate one specific page on your website for user-generated content
Have a page on your website that is solely devoted to user-generated content, and organise all of that content so that it is easy for your audience to locate. Furthermore, content placement on important key pages is also recommended. Make your Instagram profile “shoppable” by connecting posts there to your product pages, and you can use it to generate leads on Instagram as well. This will be of much greater benefit to you if a significant portion of your Instagram followers are also your best customers and often post material related to your merchandise.
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Email campaigns
Emails used for marketing and sales are ideal for displaying user-generated material and re-engaging former consumers by reminding them of the amazing products that you offer. If your email marketing initiatives are not generating the needed return on investment, it is possible that it is time to try something else. You can try focusing your emails and messages on user-generated content in order to boost sales and encourage consumers to come back.
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Include images with product reviews
User-generated content in the form of reviews is particularly simple. Your brand produces reviews by delivering exceptional customer service and high-quality goods. The email follow-up and social interaction can encourage further testimonials. Choose an integrative review platform that lets users contribute photographs and even videos to their reviews if you want more compelling feedback. Customers are eager to express their feedback, and this is significant. 77% of shoppers believe that real photographs from other customers have a greater impact on their purchasing choices than professional store photos. In a separate poll, 40% of respondents said that rich user-generated content (pictures or videos) would likely influence purchasing choices. The more information your customers provide in addition to their reviews, the better your online shop will be.
Conclusion
The use of user-generated content as a marketing technique is gaining popularity. You can increase your website’s and social media’s traffic, leads, and, ultimately, revenue by re-sharing content that your satisfied customers have created (with their permission, of course). Customers are far more inclined to buy a product if they can see a genuine person using it. UGC can enhance the credibility of your e-commerce website and facilitate the development of strong connections with your most loyal customers.