From owned media and the proliferation of social media platforms the need for content creation is great and brands and marketers are kept busy as they work to constantly keep the pipeline full of interesting, timely and relevant content that is both on brand and engaging for consumers.
And that’s where the challenges come in. Content marketing is a full-time job. How do brands know what will work for their consumer and what is the right type of content? The answer is, there is not a right answer…like all marketing the answer lies in being true to yourself, identifying your audience and staying on brand.
From tagging a brand on social media, to participating in a name or design outcome for a product, to contributing stories for owned media, what makes up user generated content is only limited by what a brand can conceive.
Frito Lay opened our eyes to the power of fan enabled ideation with their Do Us a Flavor contest and now Oreo is using a similar fan based flavor concept with their Mystery Flavor Oreo’s. Over the past several years, Oreo has made limited time flavors and seasonal offerings a staple of the cookie category. Just the flavor releases alone generate tons of online buzz translating into millions of impressions. But by taking an additional step and creating a mystery flavor, fans are turning to social media to weigh in on what they think the mystery flavor is. It also doesn’t hurt that the best flavor guesser will win $50,000.
Whether it’s fashionistas or beauty bloggers sharing their latest fall favorite lipstick shade and best boots for fall, or food bloggers sharing new recipes, consumers want connections. They want stories, they want ideas and inspiration – and they want them from real people. We know that brands and photographers can create great visuals…but it’s the aspirational connection to our peers that makes user generated content so powerful.
Starbucks, Mint, American Express, and even Bank of America’s new campaign for Pay A Friend Back Day show us how brands can create instant connections with consumers by having them be the star of the content.
Many brands are doing amazing things with user generated content. It’s easy to forget this when we see the trolls of social media spreading hate and fake news. But social media can be a powerful tool for good and help raise awareness for social issues. If you haven’t been paying attention, user generated content doesn’t only come from brands. User generated content has been the sole existence of social media. As the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein ripple through Hollywood and beyond, users have taken it upon themselves to tell stories in their own ways and come together as one under the hashtag #MeToo. It’s their way of shining a light on a story that needs to be told and raising awareness of just how far reaching the issue of sexual harassment and abuse can be.
When you lament the time and money spent on social media, remember that like anything…be the good you want to see in the world. The same applies to the brand you want to be. Be real and chances are your consumers will understand you are exactly who they want you to be and they will become your powerful advocates ready to share their stories with you, because their story is your story.
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