Whether you’re a newbie to TikTok or have been around for a while, the world of User-Generated-Content (UGC) can always be a bit overwhelming. Especially, as this type of content has the power to change the reshape the entire landscape of our marketing industry, failing to grasp its importance can result in falling behind your competitors.
But no worries, we got you covered! This ultimate guide will take you through the basics of TikTok UGC and help you get started on creating your UGC campaign. Keep reading for more interesting tips and tricks!
Table of Contents
What is UGC on TikTok?
TikTok UGC, or User-Generated-Content, is basically TikTok video featuring products created by users.
Think of it like you and your friends making a funny video about trying a product and posting it on TikTok. That’s an example of UGC! Or maybe you wrote a review and shared it on a website where people can read it, that’s UGC too.
People love UGC because it’s usually made by regular people, so it feels more real and relatable. Brands even love it more because it helps them get the word out about their products or services.
Why is UGC such a big deal on TikTok?
Boost creditability and authenticity
You know how brands and companies like to make ads and promote their products on TikTok, right? It turns out that only 10% of people actually find those ads to be authentic and believable.
On the contrary, almost 80% of people on TikTok think that user-generated content (UGC) is more authentic and real. In fact, a study found that UGC on TikTok is 22% more impactful and can hold viewers’ attention for longer.
It shows that people trust content created by other users more than they trust content created by brands or influencers.
Big impact on purchasing decisions
Due to its genuine nature, TikTok UGC holds significant emotional influence over a user’s purchasing decisions. In fact, to mitigate the risk of making the wrong purchase, 70% of individuals rely on UGC reviews when considering a product for the first time.This makes UGC such a powerful marketing tool on TikTok!
Which one is better, UGC or IGC?
Many brands are still unclear about the difference between User-Generated Content (UGC) & IGC (Influencer-generated-content). This can lead to confusion when they are planning a TikTok Campaign.
So, to avoid confusion, let’s take a look at some keys differences between User-Generated Content (UGC) and Influencer-Generated Content (IGC)
UGC creators and influencers
- UGC creators are paid to make specific videos or photos about products for the brand’s marketing channels and are not forced to post on their social feeds.
- Influencers are paid to create content and distribute it across their social channels and can offer the brand the rights to redistribute the content.
Cost-effectiveness
- UGC is less expensive than IGC and easier to manage, making it a cost-effective option for smaller brands or those just starting out.
- On the other hand, IGC requires higher investment as influencers only collaborate with brands that are willing to pay a high price or exchange something of greater value.
Brand loyalty
- UGC fosters brand loyalty as it’s created by customers rather than official brand representatives.
- IGC helps to achieve brand loyalty as it captures the brand’s distinctive style and generates consumer excitement that goes beyond superficial product appreciation.
Social proof
- UGC provides an easy foothold for brands on social media, as user-generated content on social media can be embedded in e-commerce stores and websites.
- IGC increases the likelihood of social proof spreading as influencers are considered experts in their field.
Content reliability
- UGC is the most reliable and genuine form of content on the internet as it comes from authentic customers with real-life experiences with the brand.
- IGC is not always genuine as the brand-influencer collaboration is based on spreading a good word about the brand.
In general, user-generated content (UGC) is often regarded as superior to influencer-generated content (IGC) due to its perceived authenticity and genuineness.
- Consumers are 92% more likely to trust recommendations from other people rather than influencer-created content, especially in the context of too many brands trying to promote their products.
- Moreover, data shows that after clicking on a UGC image, social users are five times more likely to make a purchase and UGC has been found 9.8 times more impactful in purchasing decisions. On video platforms, UGC videos even get 10 times more views than brand content.
On the other hand, influencer marketing is mainly used for creating awareness and keeping established brands top-of-mind. When it comes to conversions, influencer marketing often involves discount codes and UTM tracking
3 Proven UGC tactics to boost your TikTok presence
Challenge
A TikTok Branded Hashtag Challenge is a sponsored challenge where brands create their own TikTok hashtags to promote their products and get users involved.
The challenge often involves a simple task like dancing, singing, or performing a specific action and users just need to include the sponsored hashtag in their video to participate.
TikTok is a perfect platform for these challenges because it encourages users to participate in trends. Furthermore, hashtag challenge videos offer regular in-feed content, making it more convenient for users to engage without perceiving it as overt marketing.
So, if you want to connect with your audience on a deeper level, drive engagement, and increase reach, a Branded Hashtag Challenge on TikTok is definitely worth considering.
Duet
TikTok Duet is a creative tool that allows you to combine your video with someone else’s video in a split-screen format. This feature allows you to share your content as a reply to other creators on the platform, giving you the chance to reach a wider audience.
Brands can use TikTok Duet as a User-Generated Content (UGC) tactic by creating duets with viral videos or campaigns.
By embracing Duet, brands can strengthen their connection with their audience, drive engagement, increase their visibility on the platform, and diversify their content format.
TikTok’s active user base of 1 million monthly, combined with the popularity of challenges and authenticity on the platform, make TikTok Duet a great tool for businesses to market their brand and reach the younger population.
Giveaway
A giveaway is a marketing tool where a brand offers something for free to its customers.
It can be a contest where the top entry wins based on specific criteria or a sweepstake where the winner is chosen randomly. Giveaways can range from small items like t-shirts to big prizes like vacations.
Brands do giveaways to improve brand recognition and drive sales. Do you know one thing special? People are more likely to buy from brands they recognize and giveaways help build that recognition.
Giveaways are also a way to spread the word, reach new customers, collaborate with other businesses, foster loyalty in existing customers, sell more products, promote seasonal items, and gather important data.
How to create a UGC TikTok campaign in 5 simple steps
Understanding your audience
To make your TikTok UGC (user-generated content) campaign successful, you need to know who you’re creating content for and ask yourself some questions about them.
For example, what are their interests and hobbies? What are their values? What type of content do they like to see?
The more you know about them, the better you can make content that they’ll enjoy.
Remember, understanding your audience is an ongoing process. Living in the everchanging era, people’s needs, motivations, and behaviors are not gonna be the same for long, so you need to keep reassessing what you know about your audience to stay relevant.
Having a clear goal
Having a clear goal helps you understand what you want to achieve and what kind of content you need to create. Without a clear objective, it’s hard to know what type of content will best match your brand and deliver the results you want.
To create an effective UGC TikTok campaign, it’s important to start by establishing three key campaign objectives. This might include promoting a new product, driving engagement on social media, or generating leads.
Once you have these objectives in mind, you can create a focused message throughout the campaign and create effective content around it.
Finding the right UGC creator
Finding the right influencer is so important because only the right influencers can make sure that your audience will get the right message.
When looking for a UGC creator, consider working with micro-influencers who have a smaller following but higher engagement rates. You can also use TikTok Creator Marketplace to find the right creators for your brand.
However, the best approach is to reach out to a creator directly and build a personal connection. This way, the creator will feel more connected to your brand and will produce more authentic and meaningful content.
Remember, relationship building is key in this strategy, so treat your creators well and maintain the relationship. Find creators that show passion for your brand and its mission. Collaborate with them could produce content that resonates with your target audience.
Make sure to choose the right influencer for your brand and establish clear rules. Also, encourage the use of hashtags to track and measure the success of your UGC campaign.
Forming content brief
When it comes to creating user-generated content (UGC), it’s important to have a clear, but not strict, content brief for the creator. This will help ensure that the final product is authentic and easy for your audience to relate to.
It is important to strike a balance between establishing campaign guidelines and allowing the creators the freedom to create their own unique content. Otherwise, you will risk having bland and uniform content, potentially diminishing the effectiveness of the campaign.
When forming a content brief, think about your objectives, audience, content format, messaging, and any specific requirements. You should share your goals with the creator and give them some creative freedom to play around. But also provide guidelines and examples of what a successful collab looks like for your brand.
If you’re facing a creative block, it can be helpful to jot down a few high-converting user-generated content (UGC) formats as inspiration for your upcoming UGC campaigns.
How-to content
With tutorial-based content, you can demonstrate to your audience the proper way to use your product and provide solutions for common mistakes they might encounter while using it.
Review/Testimonial ad
This type of ad is highly valuable for driving conversions as they can create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) for the viewers. With raw and authentic reviews from ordinary people who have used the product, these ads can establish a high level of credibility with their audience.
Problem to Solution
This high-converting format involves drawing attention to a problem that your target audience is facing and then presenting your product as the solution. It is advisable to back this type of content with evidence-based claims and scientific research to enhance your credibility.
Your brief should also reflect your brand’s voice and values, so inject some personality into your writing. Keep your brief short, so as not to overwhelm your creators with too much information.
Getting the UGC Loop Rolling
Getting the UGC Loop Rolling is important for maintaining the flow of your UGC campaign. By actively encouraging user participation, amplifying user-generated content, and fostering a sense of community, you can fuel the ongoing cycle of UGC creation, consumption, and sharing, resulting in a thriving and dynamic campaign.
To master the process, there are 4 steps that you will need to follow:
Step 1: Post UGC content organically.
Step 2: Spark high-performing content to reach more audiences.
Step 3: Increase conversion (get customers to buy the product).
Step 4: Create more UGC content (customers posting content about your product).
To make the most of your UGC, remember to track your analytics and repurpose your videos on other platforms. Also, you can try experimenting with different types of content and advertising strategies to see what works best for your audience.
TikTok UGC for the win!
Do you have a better vision of TikTok UGC now? We hope our guide will help you understand the basis of UGC TikTok so that you can try boosting TikTok UGC on your next marketing campaign
However, there’s one secret for you: many brands have also leveraged TikTok UGC Ads to promote their products. So, if you are looking to master TikTok Ads to win your competitors, feel free to contact us for more advice or try NestAds – TikTok Advertising Management Software for free!
