The Structure & Format For Creating UGC Ads That Print You Money

You’ve probably heard that user-generated content is the hottest advertising trend at the moment.

The numbers speak for themselves. Consumer Acquisition found that 79% of customers say UGC highly impacted purchasing decisions. Meanwhile, Hootsuite research shared that companies incorporating user-generated content on their platforms gain the trust of 65% of consumers.

There are also many other benefits, including production cost savings and higher engagement.

So, how do you get in on this trend?

In this article, we’ll investigate why you should incorporate user-generated content into your marketing strategy. You’ll also learn how to implement it, reach out to creators, and create an ad that prints you money.

Here’s everything you need to know.

The Shift in Consumer Behavior

The fight for online attention is becoming more fierce, especially for brands. Shoppers are more selective than ever about who they purchase from and the marketing they engage with. Sometimes, the more polished an ad is, the less likely they are to interact with it.

The State of UGC Report found marketers agree that consumers trust content created by customers more than content created by brands. Another way to think of it is that user-generated content is a word-of-mouth campaign. It can lead to higher engagement as well as more customers sharing your ads.

Why Use UGC in Your Advertising Campaigns

You’ve probably noticed more user-generated campaigns lately. Sometimes, the only indication is a #ad or a sponsored symbol above the captions. Even huge national brands like Woolworths and Coles are partnering with creators to make UGC. These are just some of the reasons why:

• Social Proof and Trust: During the buyer's journey, customers look for every bit of information they can access to ensure they purchase the right item. They’ll read user reviews, get recommendations from friends or family, and find out what others say about the product. User-generated content combines all of these elements to give potential buyers an honest point of view.
• Enhanced User Engagement: Likes, shares, and comments are gold for marketers. Particularly for ads. Facebook monitors the relevancy score of campaigns based on these metrics, and if it increases, the cost per engagement can decrease. With user-generated content often receiving higher engagement rates, it can lead to increased click-through rates and more sales for your online store.
• Stronger Brand-Audience Relationships: The Edelman Trust Barometer report recently found that only 38% of Australians trust the media. This number dropped five points year on year. More audiences are turning to user-generated content for something they can trust in the same way they look to recommendations from friends and family.
• Efficient Ad Creative Testing: Creating new ads is expensive. However, UGC shares the burden with the creator. It becomes a more cost-effective way to promote your business to wider audiences, especially if they’re already engaged with an influencer.

Strategic Implementation of UGC in Ads

Millions of people are creating content across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Trying to integrate UGC into your marketing campaign can seem overwhelming. But it only takes a few steps to get started.

Collecting and Curating UGC

You might not know it, but there could be user-generated content about your brand already floating around social media. All you need to do is find a way to gather it efficiently. A few ways to do this are:

• Run a hashtag campaign to collect UGC. This works best across social media, where it’s easy to gather, review, and acquire the content you want to use for your ads.
• Search for your brand using hashtags and review your mentions. You’ll want to select posts with high engagement and come from creators with similar values to your brand.
• Instead of looking through every single post yourself, some tools collect the recommended content for your brand in no time. Some examples are Taggbox, Grin, and Upfluence.

Implementing UGC Across Ad Formats

Just because you see UGC on Instagram doesn’t mean you can’t adapt it to other formats and platforms. Your goal is to maximise the reach and engagement in your ad campaigns.

Download any videos and images of people using your product and upload them to your Facebook and Instagram campaigns. You will need the creator’s permission first. Once you have it, you can manage and measure their success in Ads Manager.

If you're looking to keep things simple, start primarily on Facebook ads, get good at using the platform, and then when you're making more profit you can consider expanding to various other ad platforms.

Best Practices for UGC Ads

Before hitting the publish button on any UGC, you should cross-check it against your strategy and these best practices.

• Be Clear on Your Goals: Using user-generated content is no different from any other marketing campaign. You should have an idea of what you want it to accomplish to ensure you choose the right UGC and present it in the best way so that it helps your business.
• Be Real: Customers know when someone is trying to sell to them, and The State of Community Powered Marketing 2024 found that 39% of people don’t trust influencer marketing. You can’t fake being authentic, and you must choose wisely with whom you collaborate on campaigns.
• Leverage Multiple Mediums: UGC can take many forms. It can be videos showing your product in action or a traditional customer review. Check what social proof your potential buyers need before purchasing and present the relevant user-generated content in various ways, such as carousels, short-form videos, and display ads.
• Stick to Your Values: Not every piece of user-generated content will make the cut, nor will every creator align with your brand. When reviewing UGC, look into the influencer and ensure their purpose is similar to your goals. For example, if you sell eco-friendly products, the people you collaborate with should demonstrate a passion for sustainability.

How to Organically Outreach Influencers to Create UGC

As part of implementing a UGC campaign, you’ll need to get comfortable connecting with creators and influencers. But you’ll also need a process to keep track of your discussions. Here are some strategies to help you get started.

Contacting Influencers Directly

A simple Google Sheets document is the easiest way to track who you’re in contact with. Use these column headings to monitor the results:

• Profile link
• Number of followers
• Hashtags used to identify the creator
• Niche
• When you contacted them
• Response

Aim to send anywhere from 10 to 30 messages daily to creators within your industry. You may not get a response from some of them, so it’s best to send as many as possible. Add to your list of potential collaborators by searching for a hashtag or keyword relevant to your industry.

Sending a personalised message is also recommended. It shows a genuine interest in their account and increases your chance of getting a response. If you’re unsure what to say, use this template as inspiration.

If you don’t receive a response, follow up with them at least three times to gauge their interest. When you get an answer, update the response column in your Google Sheet.

Find an Influencer on Marketplaces

If you don’t have time to look for collaborators and connect with them directly, there are other ways to find partners. Some popular platforms available in Australia are:

• The Right Fit
• Vamp
• Tribe

These platforms connect you with influencers that have a similar audience and align with your marketing goals. Some will have search filters based on criteria such as engagement rate and location. You can also find creators on marketplaces such as:

• TikTok Marketplace
• Billo.app
• gotrendzi.com
• Trend.io

Use People You Know

Instead of connecting with influencers and creators, you can make user-generated content with friends, family, or coworkers. You can write a script and include all the points you want mentioned. Alternatively, hit record, give the person your product, and ask them to describe their experience.

When using people you know, you should be upfront about your relationship. The internet has a knack for identifying fake testimonials. If your audience discovers that it’s your mum in the video talking about how good your business is, the campaign will backfire, and your brand reputation will be damaged.

Creating a Money Printing UGC Ad

The best way to create any type of ad is to experiment with multiple variations and let your audience decide the best one. Create several user-generated campaigns and perform split tests within your ad manager.

If this is your first time creating a campaign or writing a script, ensure that it has these elements:

• Hook: The hook grabs the viewer’s attention and instantly creates interest or intrigue, leading to further engagement throughout the ad. Aim to write three variations of the hook.
• Problem: Hone in on the issues your audience experiences. It might be how they’re short on time or the difficulty in performing specific tasks. Write three distinct problems, one for each ad.
• Product: Explain how your product is the solution to these problems. How does it make life easier or speed up the completion of tasks? Create three variations for each campaign.
• Demonstration: Saying it isn’t enough. Demonstrate how your product is easier to use or gets the job done faster.
• Features and Benefits: Highlight what the creator loves the most about your product and how it has improved their lives.
• Call to Action: Have the creator recommend the product and let viewers know how to get their hands on it.

Now that you have your video, you can create paid campaigns on your preferred social media platforms. After a week, review the data and see which ads aren’t performing. Pause them and reallocate your budget towards the campaigns that meet your expectations and achieve your marketing objectives.

The Future of Advertising with UGC

User-generated content isn’t new. It’s been around for years, but it’s gaining traction as customers look for authentic material they can trust and brands seek new ways to connect with audiences.

Authentic UGC can increase engagement, click-through rates, and sales. But it’s also cost-effective. Most importantly, these genuine experiences resonate with customers and can forge connections, resulting in long-term relationships built on trust.