In recent digital marketing, one keyword that is gaining increasing importance is "UGC." UGC stands for "User Generated Content," which refers to content created and disseminated by consumers themselves rather than by corporations. As the name suggests, it refers to all content that is generated and shared by consumers, not companies.
This time, we will introduce the basics of UGC, marketing case studies, and new methods and tools to connect it to sales promotion in physical stores.
"UGC" is, for example, SNS where you posted impressions using products/services, EC site reviews, and introduction articles on blogs or video sites are representative examples.
[Specific examples of UGC]
◆SNS posts
Photos, videos, and text posts on Instagram and X, etc.
◆Reviews on review sites
Posts on review sites such as Tabelog, @cosme, and Kakaku.com
◆Product reviews on EC sites
Product reviews on online shops, Rakuten Ichiba, Amazon, etc.
◆Blog articles
Articles posted on personal blogs or websites
◆YouTube videos
Videos created and posted by users
Unlike advertising and information on owned media sent by companies, UGC is characterized by being told from the consumer's perspective, so it has high credibility for the receiver and is easy to gain empathy. Especially in an era of information overload, consumers tend to believe "real user voices" rather than corporate words.
1. Improvement of credibility and empathy
Compared to content sent by companies, content based on users' actual experiences tends to have more reality and be more easily trusted.
2. Impact on Purchasing Behavior
Reviews and posts by actual users serve as a strong push for prospective customers still in the consideration phase, becoming a factor that heightens purchase intent.
3. Improvement of SEO effect
By collecting a lot of UGC, website content is enriched, and it becomes easier to improve evaluation from search engines.
4. Formation of community and strengthening of brand loyalty
Users interacting with each other or sharing common experiences deepens the connection with the brand, leading to long-term fan development.
With the development of SNS and review sites, the utilization of UGC is spreading regardless of industry. For example, various measures are being carried out, such as restaurants sharing posts from visiting customers on their official accounts, and apparel brands conducting campaigns where people post coordination photos.
On the other hand, UGC also presents several challenges, and its utilization requires caution.
Confirmation of content reliability
There may be false content or negative information included
Organization of rights-related matters
When companies reuse user posts, permission and maintenance of guidelines are necessary
Consistency with tone and brand image
Even with free expression, it is necessary to determine if it is consistent with the company's values
Currently, UGC plays an important role in marketing and advertising. By utilizing UGC, companies can gain customer trust, increase awareness of products and services, and improve customer satisfaction.
The following processes are effective for utilizing UGC in marketing.
1. Clarification of purpose
Deciding what to expect from UGC, such as awareness expansion, purchase promotion, or brand loyalty improvement.
2. Selection of platform
Selecting mainly SNS where your customers are active, such as Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube.
3. Design of UGC collection measures
Designing hashtag campaigns, post contests, and providing benefits for review posts.
4. Terms of service and permission design
Developing guidelines and terms of service regarding the reuse of posts and obtaining consent in advance.
5. Selection, Editing, and Utilization of UGC
Select content that fits the brand image and deploy it across advertisements, LPs, POPs, SNS posts, and more.
6. Effectiveness measurement and improvement
Visualizing KPIs with impressions, click-through rates, CV rates, and engagement rates, and turning the PDCA.
Case 1: Apparel brand (Instagram campaign)
An apparel brand conducted a campaign asking purchasers to post their coordinates on Instagram with the hashtag "#MyRecommendationOutfit." By introducing excellent posts on their official account once a week, they stimulated participation motivation.
Result: Many posts were collected, and dwell time and navigation rates on the EC site improved.
Case 2: Restaurant chain (Review cooperation campaign)
A major restaurant chain promotes reviews on Google Maps and Tabelog to visitors. It conducted a campaign to distribute discount coupons by lottery among posters.
Result: The number of reviews increased, and top search results display became continuous.
Case 3: Cosmetics manufacturer (YouTube review collaboration)
In conjunction with the launch of new products, many collaboration videos with beauty YouTubers were developed, and viewers were also encouraged to post on SNS.
Result: Multiple videos with high view counts were created, and the credibility of "voices that actually used it" spread to the entire brand.
UGC marketing is a powerful technique that shortens the distance between brands and customers while turning user voices into strength. By strategically incorporating it, you can spread "real empathy" that is difficult to reach with advertising.
Among UGC, product reviews in particular have the power to directly link to purchasing behavior.
In fact, many consumers check reviews before purchasing and refer to the real experiences of others. Unlike advertising sent by companies, reviews are easily trusted as "raw voices," and positive reviews multiply the appeal of products. On the other hand, negative reviews are also an opportunity for building trust by showing the improvement stance of the company.
We propose a mechanism for effectively collecting and utilizing such product review UGC. We help enhance brand value through strategic review generation and utilization, not just posting.
BEEATS is developing "UGC Clomoni," a new initiative to connect UGC more directly to purchasing behavior, and is conducting a Proof of Concept (PoC).
This "UGC Clomoni" is a service that fuses in-store product experiences with online user evaluations by displaying actual reviews and comments posted on EC sites on digital signage installed in real stores.
BEEATS has formed a business alliance with REGALI, Inc., which provides "LEEEP," an EC site customer experience improvement platform. Utilizing its technology, we automatically aggregate product reviews and similar content posted on corporate EC sites and SNS.
In addition, sales staff SNS posts, videos, and promotional videos such as commercials can also be utilized.
The design of signage display is based on BEEATS' in-store promotion and signage utilization technology and know-how, and content distribution and management can be easily done using the cloud signage "Clomoni."
As a result, by displaying reviews in real-time in the immediate vicinity of products:
〇 Pushing the backs of customers hesitating at the store
〇 Providing a consistent purchasing experience that crosses net and reality
〇 Deepening product understanding and improving post-purchase satisfaction
Such effects can be expected.
In this PoC, we are conducting various validations such as visibility of the installation location, and as a result, positive reactions are gathering, such as a certain number of customers in the store referring to signage information to pick up products and leading to purchases.
Furthermore, we plan to expand the "UGC Clomoni" mechanism to various categories and sales floors and further evolve and develop it as a new purchasing support tool for real stores.
UGC marketing is a powerful technique that shortens the distance between brands and customers while turning user voices into strength. By strategically incorporating it, you can spread "real empathy" that is difficult to reach with advertising.
UGC is no longer just a weapon for digital marketing. In an era where the boundary between reality and online is fading, the utilization of UGC has the power to create the most powerful values called "trust" and "empathy."
We will continue to challenge ourselves to create mechanisms that draw out the value of UGC from multiple angles and shorten the distance between brands and consumers.
If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
Q1. What is UGC?
A1. UGC is an abbreviation for "User Generated Content," and it refers to content created and sent by consumers themselves, not by companies. SNS posts of photos and videos, reviews on review sites and EC sites, and blog articles are listed as representative examples.
Q2. Why is UGC considered important in marketing?
A2. Because UGC is real voice from the consumer's perspective, it is more reliable and easier to gain empathy than corporate advertisements. In addition to providing a push to increase the purchasing motivation of prospective customers considering a purchase, it also leads to improved SEO effects and strengthening of brand loyalty.
Q3. What are the challenges in utilizing UGC for marketing?
A3. As a challenge when utilizing UGC, since there may be false or negative information included, it is necessary to confirm the reliability of content. Also, it is important to organize rights-related matters when reusing user posts and to determine consistency with the company's brand image.
Q4. What kind of service is "UGC Clomoni" that utilizes UGC in real stores?
A4. "UGC Clomoni" is a service that automatically displays product reviews and word-of-mouth posted on EC sites on digital signage installed in real stores. By fusing in-store product experiences with online user evaluations, it supports the purchasing behavior of customers who are hesitating at the store.
