What Is a UGC Creator?

Connecting with your target audience isn’t always as smooth as it should be. After all, modern consumers are constantly being bombarded by offers and content from various different companies all the time. It’s really no surprise that they’re on the fence about engaging.

Over the years, brands have tried all the strategies and tactics in the book. Still, nothing resonates with the target audience as well as user-generated content (UGC) does. Lo and behold, consumers trust other consumers more than they trust brands. But why is that?

If we look at UGC objectively, this type of content is basically user testimonials from consumers who have used a product or service and have created content about their experience. Companies leverage such content and post it on their blogs or social media pages to portray customer satisfaction and encourage others to convert.

In other words, UGC is basically a new level of user reviews. That said, 84% of online consumers trust user reviews as much as they trust recommendations from friends or family members[1]. And, there you have it, the recipe for success lies in the consumers themselves.

All you need to do is either convince your audience to create and post content about their experience with your products and services or hire a UGC creator if you wish to have more control of the narrative. But what is a UGC creator, you ask? Let’s find out.

What Does UGC Creator Mean?

Simply put, a UGC creator is a regular content creator. The only difference is that they create user-generated content for your company or brand, for which they get paid, of course.

Hold on, why would you pay someone to create UGC when you can encourage your customers to do it for free? That’s the thing.

No matter how beneficial UGC originating from users can be, it’s a wild factor that’s quite volatile. You never know if positive or negative content is going to emerge on your social media pages.

You also don’t have to be reminded that it takes just one negative review, testimonial or video to have other users question your products or services. A negative review doesn’t have to be true; it just has to go live, and you’ll have a reputation crisis on your hands in no time.

That’s something best avoided, wouldn’t you agree?

Therefore, hiring a UGC creator helps you keep the UGC in a positive sentiment. Sure, it may not be as organic as the original UGC, but as long as you can back everything up with product or service quality, it won’t matter where the content originated from.

The Difference Between Influencer Marketing and UGC

An influencer and UGC creator are terms that are often mistaken as one and the same. However, there may be similarities in what they do, but the two are essentially quite different. To help clear things out, let’s have a closer look at both.

Influencer

An influencer is someone who has a large or small following on multiple social media platforms. They have more or less of an influence over their followers, hence the name. Brands often commission influencers to endorse their products and services for a fee, so that the brands can reach a niche of consumers that they otherwise can’t reach themselves.

This is why they hire someone else to do it for them. More often than not, influencers sign a contract with brands they work with in order to agree on user rights, how content should be made and whether or not it can be redistributed in the brand’s other marketing endeavors.

UGC Creator

Now, a UGC creator is someone who creates content based on their experience with a brand’s product or service. They don’t have to have a following, nor do they have to get paid. Let’s say you bought a bottle of shampoo, you really liked it and decided to share your story on the brand’s social media pages. Congratulations, you’re technically a UGC creator.

If you do this out of your own volition, you own the rights to your content, but if a brand reaches out to you and compensates you for the content either in monetary rewards or by giving you free products and services, you must disclose your relationship with the brand. Those are the rules imposed by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission)[2].

So, What’s the Difference?

Even though influencer marketing can objectively be considered UGC, it’s not really there. It’s more of a brand awareness and exposure tactic that helps your business reach out to a wider audience via influencer endorsements.

On the other hand, UGC is designed to build consumer trust and encourage indecisive prospects to make a purchase. Using the same type of content, influencer marketing focuses on recognition, while UGC focuses on sales.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that influencer marketing cannot lead to more sales. This is especially true when you’re considering micro vs. macro influencers as your go-to strategy. However, this is more of a long-term objective, because it takes time for someone else’s audience to take a liking to your brand.

Not to mention the fact that influencers endorse more than just one brand at a time. Conversely, UGC focuses on your brand only and it does so by appealing to the needs of your target audience.

The Benefits of Hiring a UGC Creator

Ensuring that your audience will want to create content is not as easy as it may seem. Usually, it involves some sort of incentive like a discount or a coupon, for example. Experienced companies already know how to work their crowd, but new businesses on the market are having difficulties with engaging their audience the right way.

After all, your business is an unknown factor and consumers would prefer to research and examine before they commit. You can always get in touch with a user-generated content agency and have experts help you out or you can also hire a UGC creator to make some content for you.

The thing about UGC is that once someone begins posting such content, others are likely to follow, and before you know it, you’ll have more engaged consumers than you imagined. That being said, here are a few benefits of having a UGC creator on your side:

• Establish trust with your audience
• Create social proof
• Published UGC encourages others to post their own content
• Improved customer engagement
• Spark word-of-mouth recommendations
• Boost sales and revenue
• Control the narrative and ensure positive sentiment

How Does One Become a UGC Creator?

As mentioned before, one does not have to be famous or be an influencer to become a UGC creator. All you have to do is be skilled at creating content, while specializing in creating UGC for different brands. Be that as it may, many micro-influencers are also UGC creators.

Their small following gives them authenticity and the ability to engage their audience more effectively than macro influences. So, if you’re in need of quality UGC, you can learn how to find micro-influencers fast and perhaps strike an arrangement with them for your content strategy.

Moreover, if you wish to be in the business of user-generated content creation, you’ll have to work on your skills and make a name for yourself. Like with any business, promoting yourself the right way is the key, as well as choosing the niche and the brands you wish to work with. That said, it’s always a good idea to examine the top effective niches in influencer marketing, for example, so that you’ll get insight into where and how to position yourself.

Influencer marketing niches are correlated to UGC, which is why you should keep your fingers on the market’s pulse and determine the best course of action.

So, if you wish to become a successful UGC creator, you should keep these tips in mind:

• Watch other people’s work to get inspired
• Reach out to different brands
• Don’t copy other people’s work
• Work some pro bono campaigns to build recognition for yourself
• Create your portfolio
• Promote and advertise yourself on multiple media channels

What to Choose: UGC or Influencer Marketing?

Why not both? After all, both strategies have proven to be more than effective at helping companies achieve their goals. They use the same principles to get results, and both strategies appeal to the consumers directly.

You can explore white-label influencer marketing solutions for agencies and leverage UGC creation to aid other businesses in remaining afloat in a very competitive market. And, if your company offers certain products or services, you can definitely use these strategies to your own advantage.

The fact of the matter is that modern consumers have more power over their purchasing decisions than ever before, which makes them quite choosy and demanding. Appealing directly to their needs, wants, expectations, and preferences is the only way to get their attention and nudge them in the right direction.

Create Your UGC at The Influencer Marketing Factory

Every now and then, people operating in the digital world need help from a professional agency. That’s what we do, and that’s why we’re here. The Influencer Marketing Factory can help elevate your marketing strategies and campaigns across every social media platform you can think of.

Why choose us, you ask? Because of our professionalism, expertise and data-driven approach, among other things, of course. So, don’t hesitate to contact us today and see what we can do for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Conclusion: UGC: The Bridge Between Companies and Customers

It’s no secret that modern consumers don’t have a lot of faith in the majority of brands today. They’re not easy to trust, and if that trust is betrayed, consumers will likely never do business with a brand again. This is why a delicate approach is required to establish a more meaningful relationship with consumers and potential customers.

A UGC creator can do just that by creating content that will resonate with the audience the right way. Show users that your products or services do, in fact, deliver value in a way that they can relate to, and you’ll be able to win them over sooner rather than later.

Frequently Asked Questions