Building an effective UGC strategy for your e-commerce brand
In This Article
What if your happiest customers drive the most sales for you? No scripts. No paid actors. Just real people sharing their experiences. That’s the essence of user-generated content (UGC), and that’s why it’s taking the retail world by storm. With an effective UGC strategy, you can extract the maximum benefits out of this treasure trove.
In this blog, we’ll design a powerful user-generated content strategy for your brand that can attract new buyers, build trust, encourage repeat sales, and set your brand apart. Whether you’re managing your retail store or e-commerce website, this guide will help you strategically unleash user-created content’s true power.
User-generated content strategy for your brand
UGC is more than just content—it’s a powerhouse for e-commerce brands seeking to build trust, boost engagement, increase conversions, and drive repeat sales. Have you ever bought something because someone shared their genuine experience or showed how it improved their life? In that case, you’ve already seen the impact of a strong user-generated content strategy.
But how can your brand harness this goldmine of authentic content? Let’s dive into actionable strategies to build a UGC framework that delivers tangible results.
1. Launch a branded hashtag campaign to build a community
A branded hashtag is the cornerstone of any successful user-generated content strategy. It provides a simple, trackable way for customers to share their experiences with your brand. When done right, a branded hashtag becomes synonymous with your brand identity.
How to execute:
- Create a short, memorable hashtag that reflects your brand values or product experience. For instance,
– Avoid: #StylishFurnitureAtUrbanLiving
– Try Instead: #UrbanStyle - Use this hashtag across your social media platforms, packaging, and even your email campaigns.
- Incentivize customers to use it by offering a chance to be featured on your website or social media. Convey this via personalized thank-you notes in your packaging or follow-up emails like: “Share your space styled with #UrbanStyle, and get featured on our website!”
- Use a UGC platform, like Idukki, to create a UGC feed for your website.
For example, Jennifer Taylor, a furniture brand, runs a branded hashtag campaign by encouraging customers to tag their photos with #jentayhome. This initiative allows the brand to feature UGC in their picture gallery, boosting trust and credibility.
2. Encourage visual reviews and UGC to showcase social proof
Written reviews are essential, but visual reviews add an extra layer of authenticity. Seeing a product through a customer’s eyes can significantly increase trust and drive conversions. This tactic is especially valuable for e-commerce and Shopify UGC integrations, where your e-commerce website is your spokesperson.
How to execute:
- Use a UGC platform to integrate user-created content into your website seamlessly.
- Reward customers who submit visual reviews with discounts or loyalty points.
- Use this UGC social proof on your product pages, marketing emails, and ads to make your products more relatable and trustworthy.
Consider Cluse, a brand celebrated for its minimalist watches and accessories. On their homepage, Cluse highlights real customers wearing their products, creating a relatable and aspirational experience. Featuring authentic customer images shows that people actually enjoy wearing Cluse products, boosting trust and credibility.
3. Host seasonal UGC contests to drive engagement
Who doesn’t love a good contest? Hosting a seasonal UGC contest is a win-win: your customers get a chance to showcase their creativity (and win prizes), while your brand gets a flood of fresh content to use.
How to execute:
- Tie the contest theme to your products and target audience. For example, a skincare brand could run a “Before & After” campaign, asking users to share their product transformation stories.
- Promote the contest through social media, email, and even your website banners.
- Use the contest submissions in future marketing campaigns to demonstrate how your products solve real problems.
The result? An engaged audience, an influx of e-commerce UGC, and an opportunity to show off your brand or its vision in action.
For example, Vitamix runs a “Smoothie of the Year” contest, inviting users to vote for their favorite recipes, such as nutrient-packed “nourish” smoothies or visually stunning “flourish” creations. This contest not only encourages user participation but also showcases diverse ways to use Vitamix products.
4. Showcase UGC on your website with dynamic feeds
Static product pages are a thing of the past. With UGC platforms like Idukki, you can create a dynamic, trust-building experience by embedding curated, live UGC feeds on your website. Idukki collects authentic content from social media platforms and review sites, curates the most engaging posts, and seamlessly embeds them on your site. This keeps your pages fresh, visually appealing, and interactive. This also enhances visitor engagement and drives conversions while strengthening your brand’s credibility.
How to execute:
- Curate customer photos, videos, and reviews tagged with your brand hashtag.
- Use tools to embed Instagram and other social media feeds directly onto your product pages or homepage.
- Highlight how other customers are using and loving your products, turning browsers into buyers.
Take the example of Khoj Crafts. They use Idukki to display a live UGC feed on their customer reviews page, featuring authentic Instagram posts from customers. These posts highlight real-life experiences with the brand, helping potential customers build trust and confidence in the products, which in turn encourages purchases.
5. Integrating UGC strategically across your website
Placing UGC strategically throughout your website ensures that it resonates with customers at every stage of their shopping journey. Instead of treating UGC as an add-on, think of it as a core element that seamlessly fits into key sections of your site.
How to do it:
- Homepage: Make a strong first impression by featuring a dynamic UGC carousel. Highlight real customers engaging with your products to establish authenticity right from the start.
- Category pages: Use UGC galleries to inspire customers. For instance, display customer photos showcasing different styles or use cases for products within a category.
- Checkout pages: Integrate concise customer testimonials or small UGC snippets near the total amount to build last-minute trust, boost average order value, and reduce cart abandonment.
- About Us page: Incorporate UGC to tell your brand’s story. Use customer photos or quotes that align with your mission, showing that your values resonate with your community.
For example, Visit Switzerland displays live UGC feeds on its homepage, featuring real-life traveler photos. This not only makes the homepage visually engaging but also invites more travelers to share their experiences, fostering a sense of community.
6. Incentivize post-purchase UGC creation
The moment after a customer receives their product is a golden opportunity to encourage UGC creation. They’re excited, engaged, and more likely to share their experience if you nudge them the right way.
How to execute:
- Include a card in your packaging encouraging customers to share their unboxing or first impressions using your branded hashtag.
- Send follow-up emails after purchase, inquiring about their experience and asking them to leave a review or share a photo.
- Celebrate their contributions by resharing their content on your channels, fostering loyalty, and encouraging others to join in.
For example, ASOS motivates customers to tag their Instagram page on their posts, offering a chance for featured content on their website, boosting engagement, and showing customer-driven authenticity.
7. Turn UGC into shoppable content
Why stop at showcasing UGC when you can make it directly shoppable? Tag products on UGC to make shopping effortless. Customers can instantly discover items featured in photos or videos and seamlessly add them to their carts. This approach integrates purchasing into engaging visuals, reducing friction in the buying process and boosting conversions.
How to execute:
- Use tools, like a UGC platform, that allow you to tag products within UGC galleries on your website or social media.
- Ensure that every piece of UGC leads directly to the product page, simplifying the buying journey for customers.
For example, Tortura Backpacks leverages shoppable videos to enhance customer engagement and drive sales. These videos highlight their backpacks in real-life scenarios, allowing customers to explore product details and functions. They make it easier for the customer to add items to their cart, shortening the checkout process and speeding up purchases This strategy bridges inspiration and action, simplifying the shopping journey and boosting conversions.
This strategy is a staple for UGC marketing, ensuring that content doesn’t just engage—it drives measurable results.
8. Capitalize on unboxing and ASMR moments for viral UGC
Unboxing content has taken social media by storm, and for good reason—it’s engaging, personal, and inherently shareable. With an unboxing experience that customers can’t resist sharing, you tap into a new realm of user-generated content.
How to execute:
- Invest in visually appealing, branded packaging that enhances the unboxing experience.
- Add small surprises like personalized notes, samples, or stickers that encourage customers to share the moment.
- Promote the unboxing trend with a branded hashtag and highlight customer unboxings on your channels.
For instance, Plum BodyLovin’ uses unboxing and ASMR videos as UGC on their social media to engage customers. These videos capture the excitement of receiving products and showcasing packaging and product features. The brand reshapes this content to build social proof and encourage more user participation.
9. Make UGC part of your loyalty programs
Loyalty programs are a proven way to retain customers, and tying them to user-generated content adds an extra layer of engagement and value. This strategy boosts content creation and fosters a long-term connection with your audience.
How to execute:
- Reward loyalty program members with points for sharing UGC, such as reviews, photos, or videos.
- Create tiers or badges for customers who consistently contribute high-quality UGC.
- Showcase these “top contributors” on your website or social media as brand ambassadors.
The LEGO Insiders program, for instance, goes beyond rewarding customers for purchases by encouraging community engagement. It allows members to earn points and rewards for registering LEGO sets, sharing content, and participating in activities like LEGO Ideas. In LEGO Ideas, their original designs can be voted on to become official products.
This initiative strengthens UGC by fostering creativity and community interaction, with members sharing their builds and ideas online.
10. Track performance to optimize your UGC strategy
Tracking performance is crucial for enhancing your user-generated content strategy. This helps measure which type of UGC drives the most engagement and conversions. Use these insights to refine your UGC strategy, ensuring better results and increased e-commerce success. How to execute:- Monitor metrics: Track engagement, clicks, and conversion rates on your embedded UGC to get insights into what resonates most with your audience.
- Set conversion goals: Use tools like Idukki to track how UGC for e-commerce platforms impacts sales.
Tracking your UGC performance helps refine your strategy, assess content effectiveness, and identify the best-performing assets.
Build an Effective UGC Strategy with Idukki Today
A strong user-generated content strategy can drive engagement, increase trust, and boost conversions for any e-commerce brand. With Idukki, you can build a customized UGC strategy to enhance brand presence and make your brand feel more relatable. You can curate and showcase dynamic UGC directly on your website, seamlessly integrate product tagging for social commerce, and track performance to refine your strategy.
Get started with Idukki today to build a tailor-made UGC strategy for your brand.