A Guide on Paid User-Generated Content for Food & Bev Brands
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for food and beverage companies looking to engage with their customers and build brand loyalty. UGC provides valuable insight into consumer opinions and preferences.
TYPES OF UGC:
Online reviews
Social media posts
Customer photos and videos
Blog posts and forums
Crowdsourced content
Influencer content
However, it also presents unique challenges, including issues with quality, scale and authenticity. Let’s explore the strengths and weaknesses of UGC for food and beverage companies.
HOW TO GENERATE USER GENERATED CONTENT (UGC)
UGC has become an increasingly important aspect of modern marketing, especially for food and beverage companies. As always, in today's digital age, consumers are influenced by the opinions of others when making purchasing decisions. UGC provides a valuable source of social proof, enabling companies to showcase the experiences of real customers and build trust with their target audience.
HOW BRANDS CAN GENERATE UGC:
Social media campaigns
Customer contests and promotions
Product launches and events
Online forms and surveys
Influencer partnerships
In-store displays and signage
Email campaigns
All user generated content falls into two categories, paid and unpaid. Here’s a breakdown of of each.
PAID UGC:
Can include cash, discounts, free products or services, or other incentives
Typically created as part of a brand campaign or influencer marketing initiative
Brand may provide guidelines, requirements, or a brief for the content
Brand may edit or tweak the final product for branding or legal reasons
Higher level of control over the content
UNPAID UGC:
Typically created and shared spontaneously, without any direction from the company
Often organic and seen as more authentic
Creators have more control over the content and the message they wish to convey
Virtually no level of control over the content
For today let’s focus on paid UGC since this most likely the type of UGC you’ll be directly involved in creating. When producing paid user-generated content, consider the following pre-production steps:
Define objectives:
Clearly define the objectives for the UGC campaign, including what type of content they are looking for, the target audience, and desired outcomes.
Select content creators:
Carefully select the individuals or influencers who will create the content, taking into consideration their style, audience, and alignment with the brand.
Create guidelines:
Create guidelines for the creators, outlining the expected tone, style, and messaging for the UGC. Our creative brief is a great place to start
Obtain legal consents:
Research and obtain the proper legal consents and permissions for the use of the UGC, including releases for individuals who appear in the content.
Establish budget:
Establishing a budget for the campaign will help track costs and measure ROI. Include line items for the creators and and editing you may need to outsource.
Plan distribution:
Most important include how and where the content will be shared and promoted. Also, think outside the box with other partnerships.
Monitor and review:
Create a plan for reviewing and testing the content, while ensuring it aligns with your brand image and messaging then making any necessary edits.
When looking to fill your content calendar you may look to UGC as a quick solution, but in reality there is a significant pre-production and post production aspect to making a UGC campaign successful.
To ensure the success of a paid UGC campaign these steps are an excellent start to the process. UGC is a powerful tool for food and beverage companies, providing valuable social proof and building trust with consumers.
