Is UGC Better Than Influencer Marketing For Retail Brands?
Marketing strategies are constantly evolving and the latest trend is no different. Recently, two strategies have emerged as game changers for retail brands: influencer marketing and user-generated content (UGC) marketing. But which one should you pick?
Here at Country Content, we pride ourselves on being experts in content creation for lifestyle brands, whilst bridging the gap between creators and brands. It is crucial that brands know what type of marketing sells best whilst creators also need to create the most beneficial content for brands in order to see success themselves. As a content creation agency, we focus on UGC and this blog aims to explain why we recommend this marketing strategy to our clients.
The Power Of Influencer Marketing
As hard as it is to believe, influencer marketing didn’t just burst onto the scene when we all downloaded Instagram. Forbes suggests that one of the first widely acknowledged ‘influencer’ campaigns dates back as early as the 1760s when Wedgwood used the influencers of their era, the Royal Family, to market their new tea set which saw them make a tea set for the wife of King George III and consequently gave their brand royal approval ever since. However, since social media and the ‘influencer phenomenon’ in 2009 which saw the start of bloggers and vloggers, influencer marketing continues to revolutionise the way that retail brands connect with their audiences. Between our two agencies, we organise on average 30 campaigns a year, reaching an audience of over 3 million online users across a large demographic.
There are three positive impacts for retail brands of influencer marketing that deserve highlighting.
01/ Amplified Reach
Commonly, influencers possess large social followings and have the power to extend a brand's reach to a wide audience. Influencers can create content that features and endorses your brand in an authentic way, helping your brand to reach a wider audience, build brand awareness and generate leads.
02/ Authenticity and Trust
When an influencer promotes a brand, their followers perceive it as a genuine recommendation from a trusted source. Influencer marketing adds an authentic touch to your brand's image, allowing you to establish trust and credibility within your target market.
03/ Storytelling and Brand Integration
Influencers are skilled storytellers who can seamlessly integrate a brand into their content. By leveraging their creativity and personal style, they can bring a brand to life in a way that resonates with their audience and makes the brand more desirable. This storytelling approach generates excitement, stimulates curiosity and strengthens brand recall.
Like all good things though, there are always some potential negatives that you need to be aware of and influencer marketing is no different.
01/ Influencer-brand Alignment
It is so easy to lose a brand's tone by selecting the wrong influencer as a representative, making the selection process crucial. If the chosen influencers' values or content style don’t align with the brand, the partnership may seem forced, inauthentic and could damage your brand identity. It is essential to find influencers whose aesthetic, values and target audience align with your brand's goals.
02/ Transparency And Disclosure
Perhaps the biggest negative to be aware of with influencer marketing is the potential for lack of transparency and lack of authenticity. In the recent days of influencer marketing, transparency is not necessarily an issue with the requirement to state whether it is an AD/#gifted. However, this has led to many users losing trust in creators, knowing that the content is paid for. Because of this, it could be said that influencer opinion has lost its weight and that influencers need to have built extreme brand loyalty in order to move past the inauthentic nature of #ads. Not to say that all influencers carry this negative connotation of being inauthentic, it is just the case of years of being misled.
If influencer marketing is failing to provide recommendations on a brand based on trust and loyalty, what is the alternative in an age dominated by social media and opinions?
The Power Of UGC Marketing
User-generated content marketing is the latest marketing force to be reckoned with. It’s a marketing strategy that capitalises on content created by creators and consumers. You may be thinking that UGC sounds extremely similar to influencer marketing, which in part it is. UGC content comes in many forms including imagery, video content, reviews and testimonials but what makes it different from influencer marketing is that it is ultimately created by individuals with no brand affiliation, giving the content created a much more authentic feel.
Before we look at the positives of UGC marketing, first let’s address some of the negatives surrounding this strategy.
01/ Quality Control And Moderation
As UGC marketing is solely based on content creators and customers creating their own content with no brand direction it’s extremely difficult to control the quality of the content produced, which can be damaging. Similarly to influencer marketing, brand identity can be lost as a result of this with the opportunity for content creators' and customers' values not aligning with the brand's voice and identity. At Country Content, we use UGC marketing but ensure that it is in an environment that aligns with your brand, to maintain brand consistency.
02/ Dependency on User Initiative
Unlike influencer marketing, UGC relies on creators' willingness to create and share content on their social media platforms. Traditionally, organic UGC for a brand is either because the user has had an amazing experience that they want everyone else to have, or they feel the need to warn their followers because of the negative experience connected to the brand or product. Let’s be honest, no one wants negative feedback going viral. As well as this, while some users are eager to contribute, others may require encouragement or incentives. It is important to know your audience and motivate them accordingly to actively participate and generate UGC that aligns with your brand messaging.
Quality control and brand management are the biggest letdowns of UGC but do the advantages outweigh these?
01/ Authenticity
Although quality control is hard to manage, it's actually a huge benefit to have a variety of consumers producing content with your products, especially as showcasing the inclusivity of a brand has become imperative in today's age. UGC brings genuine user experiences to the forefront, providing social proof that resonates with your audience. Brands can use this organic content to showcase how their products or services positively impact users, knowing that the users truly believe in the brand, unlike influencer marketing. The authenticity created by UGC allows for a deeper connection and builds trust among potential customers.
02/ Community Building And Brand Advocacy
Perhaps the biggest advantage of UGC is the natural community of content creators and brand enthusiasts that it feeds to. Encouraging your audience to contribute their content fosters engagement, strengthens relationships, and turns customers into brand advocates. The shared experiences and interactions within this community create a sense of belonging and inspire others to join the conversation.
So What Does Country Content Recommend?
Obviously, both influencer marketing and UGC have their fair share of positives and negatives but hold immense potential for retail brands. Whilst influencer marketing offers amplified reach and creative storytelling, it lacks the authenticity, reliability and community feel of UGC marketing. But it’s not necessary to write off influencer marketing altogether. By embracing the strengths of both strategies, content creators and retail brands can establish a robust presence within the industry. Take our content days for example. We host a range of creators, with both influencer and content creator status, but our main focus is on bringing a brand's identity to life throughout the day through our imagery and creating an unforgettable experience for our creators to create authentic content.
If you have the budget for an influencer campaign then you shouldn’t shy away, but it is possible to make meaningful content through your own customer base who know your brand the best.
If you’re a brand or creator and want to get involved with our next content day to create your own authentic media, then don’t hesitate to get in contact!