Why Marketers Should Implement User-Generated Content: 23 Stats You Should Know

As a young professional based in Boston, the biggest product I had to invest in was an affordable one.

And this year, with fully virtual apartment tours, I have found it even more difficult to do the extreme research needed before entering into a lease. Now, as I search apartment after apartment online, my new process feels like an intense buying journey .

In my research phase , I spend hours at the end, researching listings, researchingSearch for addresses on Google Maps, search for neighborhoods, browse Yelp reviews from potential property managers, and analyze photos or video tours for potential issues an invisible apartment might have.

Ultimately, I have found that the apartment listings that I am most drawn to have links to video tours filmed by current tenants.

When I watch tenant filmed tours, they will explain what they like about their apartment, note the main pros and cons, and give tiny - but authentic - details that the average seller might not bid. For example, in a video, a tenant honestly revealed a plus and minus about a bathroom saying, "The tub has a great jacuzzi tub which compensates for the water pressure.lower".

After watching an enjoyable and seemingly trustworthy virtual tour, I feel like I got a deep and genuine look at the product, as well as the thoughts of a previous customer who is an expert on the product. Additionally, because the tenant often voluntarily volunteers their time to host the creative video or Virtual Tour, I also have a feeling they are willing to help a trusted landlord find a new tenant.

Ultimately, I'm more likely to respond to an apartment ad with excellent tenant-generated virtual tour than a listing with over-produced images or videos edited by a stranger.

When it comes to small purchases, I feel the same about promotional content created by customers. This content shows me what the product looks like in real life and proves that customers are delighted enough with it.their experience to promote a brand of trust.

And, I'm not the only consumer (or marketer) who thinks this. It is estimated that 90% of consumers say that User Generated Content (UGC) has more influence over their purchasing decisions than promotional content emails and even results from search engine.

Below I will highlight some other stats, facts and figures that demonstrate the benefits of user generated content.

23 User Generated Content Statistics to Know in 2020

Benefits of User Generated Content

• Consumers find UGC 9.8 times more impactful than influencing content. ( Stackla, 2020 )
• 79% of users say UGC has a big impact on their purchasing decisions, ( Stackla, 2020 )
• 48% of marketers believe content created by cCustomers can help humanize their marketing. (TINT, 2018)
• 34% of TINT users surveyed and 45% of marketing professionals agreed that UGC helps increase media KPIs social. (TINT, 2018)
• 42% of marketers say user-generated content is a critical part of their marketing strategy. (TINT, 2018)
• Ads with UGC garnered 73% more positive comments on social media than traditional ads. ( Jukin Media, 2018 )
• 31% of consumers say ads that feature UGC content are more memorable than traditional ads without them. ( Jukin Media, 2018 )
• 28% of consumers say that ads with UGC content are also more unique than ads without this type of content. ( Jukin Media, 2018)

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UGC Tactics

• 50% of marketers used content generated by users in email marketing, (TINT, 2018)
• Meanwhile, 58% of marketers put implement UGC in advertising campaigns. (TINT, 2018)
• Almost half of marketers use UGC to support their global marketing campaigns. (TINT, 2018)
• 41% of marketing professionals ranked content engagement as their top KPI for the tracking user-generated content. (TINT, 2018)
• The most common types of UGCs are photos,videos, social media content, customer reviews or forums, and content created with branded AR filters. ( IAB, 2019 )

Brand authenticity

• 60% of consumers think UGC is content most authentic marketing. ( Stackla, 2017 )
• 75% of marketers think user-generated content is more authentic than other types of content. (TINT, 2018)
• While 92% of marketers think they are creating authentic content, 51% of consumers think their favorite brands offer of authenticity. ( Stackla, 2020 )
• 57% of consumers believe that less than half of content created by brands resonates as authentic. ( Stackla, 2017 )
• Consumers are 2.4 times more likely to say user-generated content is genuine compared tocontent created by the brand. ( Stackla, 2020 )
• 56% of Internet users say they have discovered products from friends or acquaintances, while 32% trust to customer reviews. (Statista, 2020)
• On average, 20% of consumers have no longer followed a brand on social media because they felt that their content was not genuine. ( Stackla, 2017 )
• 70% of the time, consumers are able to distinguish between content created by consumers and the content created by the brand. ( Stackla, 2017 )

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UGC audiences

• Demographically, more YouTube viewers of genGeneration Z prefer UGC videos to professional videos than previous generations. ( YouTube, 2020)
• Globally, Gen Z and Millennials are watching more user-generated content than generations X and Boomer. ( YouTube, 2020)
• Over 30% of Millennials have given up on a brand due to inauthentic content. ( Stackla, 2017 )

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Define user-generated content policy

Like you can see it in the statistics above, the user generated content not only saves you production time, but it can also make youra more authentic and reliable brand.

If the above data has convinced you to implement UGC in your marketing strategy, here is a few steps you can take into account:

• Get Inspired by Other Brands: Seeing successful examples of T & Cs from brands in a similar industry will give you an idea of ​​which customers to reach out to and how to amplify their positive thoughts about your product. For some good UGC examples, check out this blog post.
• Determine how you will get the content: Do you encourage fans to send you videos on social media, run a content contest or ask directly to your customers to promote a product via email? For advice on this step, read this post ,
• Be authentic: Remember that the greatest strength of the content generated by the utilisateurs is that it allows the public to see an authentic view of your product. Don 't be afraid to promote TOS which might be of lower quality, but which highlight all the best features of your brand or product.

To learn more about how to leverage user-generated content in your marketing, click here .