If social proof and hashtag campaigns had a baby, it would be called a UGC campaign. These campaigns are a powerful way to build trust with your audiences through authentic content. Keep reading to learn how UGC can take your campaign from meh to wow.
In this post, we’ll explore what UGC campaigns are, why they’re essential for marketers, the strategy you can implement, and examples from big brands using this strategy.
What are UGC campaigns?
User-generated content campaigns leverage authentic content created by customers to promote a brand. They are effective in driving brand awareness, engagement, and conversions by using real user experiences.
UGC campaigns can take many forms, like hashtag campaigns, contests or giveaways, brand ambassador initiatives, photo or video challenges, event-based challenges, and testimonials.
Benefits of UGC campaigns for marketers
Walls.io conducted a survey involving 100 experienced marketers and industry experts. The results we present here offer a snapshot of the current state of UGC and its impact on marketing campaigns.
- 54% of marketers confirm that user-generated content is the most engaging content type on social media.
- 48% of experts found photos to be the most effective visual content format for user-generated content marketing.
- 31% of survey participants expressed that testimonials are highly effective visual content for marketing purposes.
- 62% of experts found the natural and authentic visual style to be the most effective for marketing purposes. This style showcases genuine moments, real people, and authentic experiences, which is precisely what UGC is about.
These are only a few fact-based benefits of authentic content in UGC campaigns.
⭐ Related: What Is a UGC Creator?
How to implement a UGC campaign strategy
A critical factor for a successful UGC campaign is choosing a new, memorable, and unambiguous hashtag. This requires creativity and setting clear goals for the campaign that will determine the hashtag.
A lot of brands do this quite successfully. Of course, things can go terribly wrong, like when fast-food giant McDonald’s wanted to collect people’s heartfelt #McDStories. The hashtag got hijacked and aggregated a flood of horror stories about their brand. Whoops!
So, what can you do to avoid being like McDonald’s? How do you find the perfect hashtag for your campaign?
Pick a hashtag that speaks to your audience
Choose a hashtag that not only reflects the name of your campaign but also triggers emotions. This might not be your brand name, so take some time to find the perfect claim. For instance, consider Ben & Jerry’s. While it’s not an emotive brand name, their #CaptureEuphoria campaign perfectly encapsulates the extreme joy of eating ice cream. This emotional connection is what sets them apart. So, ask yourself, what’s more inspiring: #Nike or #MakeItCount?
Pick a unique hashtag
Find a hashtag that has yet to be widely used. To do this, you must check social media extensively and internationally. Simply search X, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also create a hashtag wall to test the hashtag across multiple platforms.
KISS: The good old Keep-It-Short-and-Simple rule
Try to keep it below ten characters, but when in doubt, go for a longer but more understandable hashtag rather than an acronym no one will get. Avoid the use of special characters where possible.
Decide on only one hashtag for your campaign. Combining different hashtags will only confuse people. It rarely makes sense to use more than one hashtag, for example, when you’re running a campaign where hashtag use equals votes for or against something or when you’re running a multilingual campaign.
Here’s an example of a successful hashtag campaign that uses multiple hashtags: Jack.org Does Something for Mental Health. To promote the campaign, Jack.org is using the hashtag #WellnessForAll and — since the campaign is bilingual — the French hashtag #MieuxÊtrePourTous.
Do’s and Don’ts for your UGC campaign
Picking the right hashtag isn’t the only essential element for UGC campaign success. Here are some do’s and don’ts to guide you.
Do: Use a social wall
A social wall can aggregate content from multiple social media platforms in real-time, keeping the campaign fresh and engaging. This immediacy is crucial for maintaining momentum in a UGC campaign, as it encourages more participation when people see their contributions instantly displayed. You can also embed a social wall on your website, on a screen at a venue, and pretty much anywhere you want people to see it.
Do: Promote your campaign cross-media
For a UGC campaign to be successful, it’s crucial to support online and offline efforts. As you can see in the examples below, the most successful campaigns promote their hashtags cross-media. Walls.io let’s you aggregate content from Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram hashtags and YouTube keywords!
Take a look at all content sources we offer:
Do: Incentivize people to take part in your UGC campaign
Start things off with an fun giveaway. Nothing motivates people to share your hashtag like the chance to win something amazing. Host a raffle or competition to get everyone excited and engaged with your hashtag.
Do: Monitor the content posted with your hashtag
People might misuse your hashtag to share negative content—a practice known as hashtag hijacking, which is quite common. That’s why it’s crucial to use a hashtag tracking tool to monitor all social media content featuring your hashtag. This helps you avoid potential scandals and keeps the conversation on track.
Don’t: Be insensitive
While you’ll naturally want to promote your UGC campaign by using your hashtag frequently, it’s essential to be mindful of when, how, and where you do it. Avoid jumping on trending hashtags or current events unless they’re a perfect fit—and never align your campaign with tragedies.
⭐ Related: How to Run a UGC Hashtag Contest
Examples of successful UGC campaigns
Top brands widely use UGC campaigns to build trust and increase engagement. Here are four examples of successful UGC campaigns that have delivered significant results.
1. METRO’s #ownies Campaign
METRO engaged both employees and customers through the #ownies hashtag campaign, encouraging them to take and share selfies with METRO customers.
Why it works? The campaign successfully created bonds between employees and customers, generated extensive UGC, and enhanced METRO’s brand image by fostering authentic interactions.
2. Cadbury SA’s #CadburyFestive Campaign
Cadbury SA launched the #CadburyFestive campaign, encouraging customers to share festive messages on social media, with the best posts featured on billboards.
Why it works? This campaign effectively utilized UGC by offering participants public recognition, which motivated higher engagement and widespread participation across social platforms.
Cisco used a global social wall during its Leader Day event to connect employees across different time zones through shared UGC on a live social display.
Why it works? The social wall bridged geographical distances, allowing employees to connect asynchronously and engage in the event despite being spread worldwide.
4. VIVO’s Location-Specific Hashtag Campaign
VIVO shopping centers created unique hashtags for each location, like #VIVOBaiaMare, to collect and monitor customer-generated content.
Why it works? The use of location-specific hashtags allowed VIVO to gather authentic customer experiences while increasing engagement and brand loyalty within specific communities.
⭐ Related: How to Publish Social Media Content Accessible for All
UGC campaigns are essential for current marketing strategies
They build trust, drive engagement, and expand brand reach, making them a must-have for any marketer looking to connect with their audience authentically.
Marketers should leverage the power of UGC to create more authentic, engaging campaigns. By integrating UGC into your marketing strategy, you enhance your brand’s credibility and build lasting relationships with your audience.
