Advertising is creativity at its core. Those who think otherwise probably shouldn’t be in this business. Think about it, ads are a creation of creativity that extract an emotional response from the viewers. It’s that emotional response that makes UGC ads stand out from the rest. Their authenticity has the power to provoke stronger emotional connections to the content that real people made that is now being shown in the ad. We are here to argue that using UGC in your campaigns can actually increase your creative power.
Super Bowl 2023 Advertisement
We’re sad that there weren’t more found content campaigns in this year’s Super bowl commercial spots. The Super Bowl is one of our proudest moments here at Locomotive! The Discover Card campaigns, “Yes & No” aired during the Super Bowl a few years back that we helped source and license content for. That being said, there was one ad this year that stood out to us as relatable and funny. This type of ad falls under the found content space that we deal in and that was, “Football Cat.”
Found Content is the New Word of Mouth
Word of mouth marketing is the oldest advertising strategy out there. Although times may have changed greatly to that of a digital age, one thing is for sure, WOM is still the most common way that people find a brand. 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and WOM marketing influences 99% of B2B purchases. Those numbers are truly staggering. In our digital world, WOM is no longer restricted its literal meaning. It now extends into the online space and is just as important, if not more, on social media. This is the new word of mouth. Instead of telling one or a few people, you can tell thousands if not millions. It will spread through the grape vine quickly.
Two Truths & A Lie: UGC Myths
Not all UGC is good for your brand. True! There have been plenty of UGC campaign gone awry and it would be naive to think that all UGC is good UGC. Found content seriously affects your customers’ trust and opinion of your brand through emotional connects. Also, true! People trust real people so if this goes sideways you could be looking at some serious consequences and fires to be put out. This is what we are here for, to get your brand quality, legally cleared content that reflects positively on your company and its mission. However, that being said, we thought we would go through some myths on UGC and clear them up for you.
Increasing Creative Control Through Found Content
Creative Control: the power to exercise the final authority over the planning and execution of an artistic medium, such as a film, commercial, a song, etc. We often think of produced shoots as having complete, immense creative control from the production and directing teams from start to finish of a campaign or project. However, here at Locomotive, we believe that when using found content in marketing and advertising campaigns, it in fact gives the team more creative control than that of a produced shoot. Not to mention it saves time, money and the environment.
History of User Generated Content
Did you know that the first massive user generated content composition was the Oxford English Dictionary? Yep, that’s right! It was composed solely of contributions aggregate by the public in 1857. To look back throughout the history of UGC in the media however, one would have to go all the way back to 1840 with the first U.S. patent for photography. Because if you think about it, this was when the rise of photography and film began. You can’t have user generated content without users having access to cameras and although, it won’t become publicly available until much later this was the when the birth of UGC would be.
Found Content: Recession Proofing Costs
Americans feel terribly about the state of the economy right now. We can’t say we disagree. Just this week we wrote an article on holiday consumer spending trends during times of financial distress this season. Advertising agencies and brands are not immune to the economic hardships that we are all currently facing. Everyone is navigating budget cuts for advertising spend. This is yet another reason how found content in your marketing and advertising strategies can help recession proof your brand’s budget this year. The cost effectiveness of UGC makes for a good plan to combat these budget cuts and rising cost of production.
YouTube Stats 2022
We deal quite a lot with content creators on YouTube for our projects. It’s by far one of the best places for user generated uploaded video content. It’s importance in the UGC advertising industry is quite considerable. Just in case you don’t believe us, we thought we would throw together some interesting stats that may change your mind.
Explanation of Terms in the UGC Space
UGC. User generated content. Sourced content. Found content. What do all these terms mean? People get confused by what it is and how they are different. We thought we’d clarify a few things for you. They’re not different. All of these terms are literally synonymous with one another! They all mean the exact same thing. It’s anything on the internet.
Ways to Incorporate UGC Into Your Marketing Strategy
It’s no secret that we love UGC. It’s what we do and we’re passionate about it! We deal with UGC in the advertising campaign spaces mostly. However, there are some other areas of marketing that you can use this powerful tool. First, let’s talk about UGC in advertising since that’s what we specialize in. This is a great way to get consumers to trust your brand seeing real people in real-life situations that your audience can relate to. This type of UGC marketing will increase your ROI immensely. Let’s dive in to the other ways your brand can use it for marketing strategies.
The Future of Video Content Creation
Desktop Posting Guide
Top Reasons to Adopt UGC Into Your Advertising Strategy
It’s no secret that we love user generated content pieces. We’ll scream it to the mountain tops and swear by its effectiveness. We’ve written articles on the cost effectiveness of UGC, building brand trust with UGC and overall UGC statistics for making our case. But…just in case you aren’t sold yet, we’ve decided to put a list together to show you just why you should incorporate it into your advertising if you haven’t already.
1. Increased customer engagement. People are more likely to share content created with UGC. Millennials share more UGC as well. There is a “28% increased engagement rate when UGC and product videos merge” (Comscore).
2. Brands are focusing on UGC. 16% of brands have an effective UGC marketing strategy already and 86% of companies understand the importance of it according to an article in Taggbox.
3. Increases return visitors. Digital Information World Brands claims that brands featuring UGC on their sites have a 20% return rate.
4. High impact. People spend more time watching UGC than produced content and it has a higher impact on the viewers.
Do you believe us now? We hope we’ve made you a believer as we fully trust what UGC has to offer in the advertising space. Contact us now for your consultation to get started!
UGC Stats
We’ve all heard it a million times now. People trust people more than paid actors. It’s for this reason and many others that user generated content is now at the forefront of digital advertising. The purpose of this blog is to shine some light on some statistics about user generated content, otherwise known as sourced content.
Consumer Empowerment Through UGC
A customer who feels empowered is a customer for life. People who feel supported by a brand to make smarter choices will then develop a stronger bond with that brand. With the continued digital space for advertising and brand promotion, the communication between customers and the brand has ultimately changed. The customer now has the power to state what they want, what they need and what they expect from brands. Businesses that listen to their customers will lead to an increase in overall customer satisfaction and retention rates. With social media, customers can now connect with their favorite brands online. This is where UGC can come into play for your brand to empower its audience. User generated content can be created by anyone, anywhere. Your brand will benefit from creating customer empowerment through the use of UGC. We’ve all seen videos on product reviews and promotional videos from a customer at some point while scrolling through the gram or YouTube. This is where customers feel empowered to be part of a brand’s journey. They are invested with them as their values align. Social media now gives customers authority on decision making for a brand. They will publicly state whether or not they like a product and you want them to like it but if not, this is where the brand can benefit from the feedback and make changes for the benefit of the consumer by way of the consumer, if that makes sense. Brands can also license this UGC content from their audience in order to further promote their brand and/or products. It’s a feedback loop where everyone wins. Most brands now understand the importance of sourced content within their advertising strategy but if yours has not, it’s time to start looking into it. Contact us today!
