Don’t Try to Impress on TikTok – User Generated Content Guide for Marketers

“UGC is usually imitated by brands and companies. There is a different approach when it comes to the platform you decide to advertise on. For a TV or Youtube-oriented ad, brands would usually try to impress the audience by showing famous celebrities, high-quality footage, thought-out scripts, or anything else that may indicate that the production was professional.

When imitating UGC or native content, we believe in making content that blends inside the platform. For example, we make tutorials on how to use our different apps, hacks, tips, and so on – in a way that is acceptable inside the platform. The ad won’t “feel” like another annoying ad you are exposed to on every social platform.”

Why Do UGC Ads Perform Better Than Traditional Ads?

It’s a known fact that TikTok UGC content outperforms other ad formats in driving attention on mobile devices. Therefore, brands should study authentic storytelling principles from popular User-Generated TikTok videos and develop new ways to engage with creators and other active users.

Not only do most of the consumers value UGC higher than regular brand posts or promotions, but it’s also cheaper to produce (or rather “use”) and super convenient to share with your followers and fans.

As Adweek disclosed, more than 50% of millennials base their decision to buy a product on recommendations from their family and friends. This is where UGC can shine since it is exactly that: a personal recommendation.

Organic traffic is one of the best ways to get new clients. It assures viewers of your brand’s credibility, increasing the likelihood that they’ll prioritize you when making a purchase.

Modern-day consumers require social proof before buying from a brand. They wouldn’t just choose a brand because it runs creative ad campaigns. They want to see people like them interacting with your product and having fun before making a purchase.

Since it’s easier to influence the average consumer with organic content created by other users, you might be missing out on an effective marketing strategy if you’re not working with UGC.

How to Generate Your Own UGC?

User-Generated Content is the future for connecting brands to their target audiences. In-feed Native Video allows for better, original, and interactive ads, which are designed to trigger more in-depth interactions from the users.

The first rule you should follow is to make sure your images and videos are beautifully produced and done. The second key rule – make quality content. Remember, it brings your audience joy to share what they think is interesting with friends and in their community. Lusil’s advice is to

“focus on whether a piece of content works or not—in other words, whether it raises brand awareness or results in leads.”

Using fun tracks is a great way to directly entertain the users instead of just asking them to buy your products.

Avoid using popular songs that don’t offer free commercial purpose rights. A great alternative is to use TikTok’s music library, or else you can get sued.

How Do Marketers Encourage Their Audience to Create Native UGC?

1. Tell Your Audience What Content You Want

The best part about using UGC content is the opportunity to inspire more UGC content (and therefore free advertising!) When coming up with your social media campaign, consider how to get your audience more involved.

You could be asking them a question, creating a social competition, or using a photo or video as a callout for them to respond. Whatever it is, it creates a cycle of more content to utilize, saving you the time and expense of professional shoots.

A great example is the latest Instagram campaign by Clean My Mac.

UGC often comes in the form of challenges or duets. This way, people are more likely to engage with your campaign as well as your products.