Benefits of User-Generated Content
Reduce Content Burden
It can be hard to write continuously about the same topic while keeping the content fresh and engaging. Content marketers often run the risk of their work becoming repetitive and stale. User-generated content brings new ideas to the table, even if it is something as simple as a product review.
Save Time and Money
Time is money, especially in the world of content creation. You can outsource your work to users who can take much of the burden off of your own content marketing responsibilities. User-Generated content can save your business both time and money in the long run.
Increase Reach and Engagement
Social media provides many platforms for increasing content reach and engagement. User-generated campaigns, in particular, are a great way to boost engagement with your brand.
For example, you can create custom hashtags to promote your service or product and encourage users to post images with them. User-generated content is often a lot more effective than relying solely on brands.
SEO Benefits
User reviews are often peppered with keywords that drive website traffic. In fact, a good portion of search results for the world’s leading brands include links to content generated by users.
Moreover, if you structure your website to follow Schema.org standards, you will bring in even more traffic.
Increase Dwell Time
Dwell time is how long people stay on your website, and your goal is to stretch this time as long as possible.
Including user images, comments, and reviews is an excellent way to keep people engaged after clicking on your site. It encourages users to contribute their own thoughts on your product or service.
Improve Trust
Most people trust product reviews over website descriptions. They tend to be a more accurate representation of a product or service. For this reason, user-generated content is pivotal in gaining your consumers’ trust. You want your users to know that you have their best interests at heart.
Negatives of User-Generated Content
Negative Content
One disadvantage of user-generated content is that a good portion of it can be negative. People are not always going to say what you want them to say, and this can reflect poorly on your business. At the same time, it is not always a good idea to censor negative feedback, especially if it makes a valid point.
Need for Monitoring
People are unpredictable and not always willing to follow the rules. The internet makes it easy to express negative opinions, and this can quickly backfire. Moreover, your website could become overrun with spam if you are not careful.
Content moderation is a must-have for running a successful website. You might even consider a free trial of a profanity filter service.
Legal Issues
User-generated content such as photos or images belongs to the person submitting it. This is why you must obtain that person’s permission before sharing it on your business’ website or social media outlets.
Otherwise, you need to make it clear that the content is not yours.