Online nowadays it's all about UGC: if you don't know what they are, we explain it here. Replacing or reducing your dependence on some of the most expensive content sources with UGC can not only save you money without compromising quality, but is likely to bring you better results. That is why more and more companies are investing in IGC, reaping cost and performance benefits, while presenting their brand more authentically to the public. This strategy keeps existing customers and attracts new ones. But how can IGCs make you money and save you money? Read on to find out!
1. Content audit
Taking a long, hard look at where you are currently spending money is a first step to saving money! You probably do it anyway, but taking a closer look could expose potential areas of overspending and opportunities to downsize in some places. Typically if you do influencer marketing you will have these sources in your spend items:
- In-house team
- Agency
- Stock photography
- Professional photographers and videographers
- Influencers
Now ask yourself three questions:
- How much money are you spending on each source?
- How much content do you receive from each source?
- What does each piece of content cost you on average, source by source, and how many times do you reuse it?
You will often find that the most expensive content to produce is also the content you use only once, on a single channel: that is where UGC and IGC, made to be reused, make a difference. With Roundabout's end-to-end managed campaigns, creator selection, agreements, content and usage rights sit in a single flow instead of across many suppliers to coordinate.
2. Use AI and data to find the right influencers for you
For a successful influencer marketing campaign you need to find the right influencers, but also those in the right circle to expand your target audience in the right way. This is where AI and data come to the rescue: they make your workflows more efficient and help you choose in a smart way. The Roundabout tool can help you. With Roundabout's Creator Analysis you assess an Instagram or TikTok profile beyond the KPIs: which segment it belongs to, which funnel stage it performs best in, how reliable it is for a brand and how it compares with creators in its tier. This means you no longer have to rely solely on manual research or recommendations, and you avoid paying for content from creators who don't fit your goal.
Want to try it now? Sign up for free and analyze your first profiles
3. Get more leads from your advertising dollars
User-generated content tends to be perceived as more authentic than branded content, which is why many brands also use it as ad creative. If not already, now is the time to incorporate IGC into your marketing strategy!
Looking to save money? Reusing IGC as creative in your advertising campaigns saves you from producing a brand-new set of content for every campaign. For this to work, advertising use has to be planned from the start: you need an agreement with the creator that sets out content, timing and usage rights.
4. Embed UGC in your product pages
Strategically placed UGCs engage buyers and give them confidence that existing customers had a good experience with your product. We call this social proof, and social proof at the point of purchase drives conversions. So, if you are an e-commerce brand, you want to get UGC on your product pages.
Photos and videos of real customers answer the questions a product page alone leaves open: how it fits, how big it is, how it is actually used. Offer shoppers what they need to convert: UGC.
5. Incentivize your most passionate followers to become your army of content creators
Influencers are another form of paid advertising. You know it, I know it, and people see through it.
Instead of paying people who do not organically support your brand to create content, why not reward your loyal fans and supporters who will happily create it for you?
There are many ways to incentivize supporters of your brand, including:
- Discount coupons
- Free product sampling
- Contests
- Recognition through featuring their content on your social channels or website
- Exclusive "advocates only" physical or virtual events
In addition to cutting down on content produced from scratch, this is a strategy that rewards your passionate customers and nurtures their loyalty, collects authentic content with better performance, and is a reliable source of content creators to draw from on a regular basis.
If you need tailored advice on finding the right creators or running your campaign, email us at [email protected] or book a free 15-minute call.
