Definition Of User Generated Video Content

(UGVC)
UGVC combines the best of two worlds: user-generated content (UGC) and self-made videos.

 since social media has taken over the Internet UGC has turned into the king of
content. 92% of consumers trust UGC more than marketing content, hence millions of
people are both creating and consuming UGC every day. Content created by consumers
can entertain, inform, and convert prospects into customers. Smartly integrated into
marketing strategies UGC allows brands to show the consumer’s perspective in an
authentic, relatable, and credible way- making it a valuable marketing asset.
Consequently Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group recently
commented:

“We will see a shift away from ads and product promotion, and more on humanization,
personalization, and visualization in content marketing and social media. Marketers will
work to activate employees, customers and partners to tell their stories.”
  Video content, on the other hand continuous to rise in popularity compared to other
content types. which is the main reason for the meteoric rise of short-video app tiktok.
Among the millennial generation, user generated videos are trusted 50% more and are
35% more memorable than other sources. since the universal availability of
smartphones make it possible for anyone to capture incredible video at any time,
anyplace, Cisco estimates that 82% of all social content will be video this year. and
as Territory Creative Director Felix Schmidt recently explained, most of these videos will
be created in vertical 9:16 format:

Five reasons to stimulate user generated video content

in Marketing
1. UGVC is relevant: Video is one of the most relevant content types on social media, and the
pandemic has reinforced this for me even more. Consumers not only seek entertainment but also
information and education via video content. This is likely why platforms like TikTok have
adopted features like the three-minute video format in addition to shorter formats. Hence,
integrating UGVC can help marketers improve their online visibility and engage with
prospective clients.

2. UGVC is easily shareable: in fact social media videos get 12X more shares than any other
type of content. Hence, when they get it right, brands can get a lot of attention from a video that
a lover of their brand creates. Consider UGVC the new digital form of word-of-mouth
marketing. Marketing teams that are trying to capture this trend should, hence, make it as easy as
possible for consumers to share UGVC from the brand website or e-commerce shop to their own
social media accounts.

3. People trust people, not logos: Brand content is often perceived as advertising, which
customers may perceive as exaggerated and untrustworthy. Younger generations, in particular,
may avoid traditional advertising. According to Kantar Millward Brown data, 69% of Gen Z
respondents are avoiding ads. UGVC, on the other hand, is created by a fellow consumer for
their friends and online followers. This content gives viewers a sneak peek into people’s lives
and daily habits, which can deepen the audience’s connection to the product. even marketers
agree that consumers trust content created by customers more than content created by brands.

4. Authentic content at minimal costs: Hiring advertising agencies to create professional

advertising videos for brands is time-consuming and expensive. As I mentioned in a previous
Forbes article, the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns initially caused many marketers
to pause campaigns and product launches. UGVC, on the other hand, is a significantly easier,
cheaper, faster and more agile way to source relevant and current marketing content. The mobile
phone is an everyday companion for many, so everyone can create video content at any time.

5. UGVC can be used across owned media channels: Depending on the brand and the story it
wants to tell, a brand can set up and use UGVC in different ways to reach its audience: either on
the brand’s own social profiles, on the brand’s website or maybe as a testimonial in the next
company newsletter. 14 other ideas how to incorporate UGVC into your marketing activities in
attached Forbes Experts Advice.

Where does UGVC content come from and where is it

posted?
Consumers and influencers capture moments that professionally produced videos never can.
The possibilities to showcase creativity and authenticity are infinite. People create content from
their homes, employees record videos from their workplaces and athletes create content from
their latest marathons. With the rise of InstaStories, SnapChat and Facebook Live, people are
already creating video content every day across multiple platforms. But who are these people?
Your loyal customers - and esp your brand fans - are usually the most prominent cohort that
creates UGVC, either because you’ve asked for it or because they’ve organically decided to
share content about your brand.

Influencers and Key Opinion Leaders can also be a great source for authentic video
content. 92% of B2B customers cited peer reviews and expert video testimonials as the most
important type of content.

Employee generated videos can also show the value and story behind your brand. For example, a
video of your team talking about what they love about your brand. This behind-the-scenes
content helps establish brand identity and works across social and ads to showcase authenticity.

People ultimately trust other people, so it’s essential to think of UGC as the modern-day
word of mouth
Five tips to leverage UGVC in marketing
Just like any marketing method, user generated video content is most effective when it is planned
and executed strategically. Here are five tips that can help you boost your brand with UGVC.

1. Repost UGVC Content From Your Audience

The most straightforward way is to use social listening to constantly look out for user generated
video content and then reshare it on your own social channels. It’s a nice way to show how your
customers are using your products, sharing feedback about your brand, or enjoying your services.
Leading automobile company, BMW for example uses the hashtag #BMWRepost to reshare
videos of proud BMW owners and their rides on social media.

2. Run contests and offer rewards

Contests are a great way to incentivize your audience to create UGVC. You could offer cash,
prizes, exclusive merchandize or exposure to people who create content. Video equipment
company GoPro for example is running their own awards show and promotes daily video
challenges to inspire their consumers to get creative.

Pro Tip: Always be specific in your contest brief to ensure you get the type of user generated
video content you’ll appreciate.

3. Encourage video reviews

user-generated videos that review your product or service are a great way to build credibility and
increase conversion. To solicit these user-generated videos, you should reach out to satisfied
customers explaining why you need them. To increase the number of (video) reviews, you can
also run dedicated ratings & review campaigns with a specialist agency such as Territory
Influence.

Pro Tip: dont forget to have a system in place to monitor and respond to reviews across all
platforms (more insights and practical tips in our Ratings & Reviews whitepaper).

4. Collaborate with Micro Influencers

Micro-influencers have established themselves as a new opportunity for marketers, based on

their topic expertise, content quality and engaged audiences. those characteristics makes then
also a great source for UGVC. Nike used these benefits to run their #betterforit campaign that
featured personal videos from professional athletes who did not necessarily have large social
media accounts, but could tell authentic and credible stories about their struggles and
accomplishments.
Pro Tip: create mutiple videos with different micro influencers and amplify the best content
with paid media to boost reach and lower CPM.

5. Focus on your customers rather than your product

Remember, user-generated video content is about your customers, not your product. When your
customers feel ‘seen’, they make more of an effort to generate a great video content. For
example, Starbucks created a “Meet Me At Starbucks” campaign, inviting customers to use the
hashtag #HowWeMet and tell their stories about the first time they went to Starbucks or when
they met someone interesting there. Customers were so excited by the opportunity to share their
stories that they took Instagram and Twitter by storm, sending in thousands of videos .

Summary & Conclusions