Unlocking the Power of User-Generated Content

A little Background

If you’re like me and want to quit your job to travel the world, then stick around! When I first met my fiancé he was about to quit his job and travel the world for a year with nothing but his savings… It sounded like an amazing adventure, but having my dog and not much of my own savings the idea was terrifying.

We started dating and fell in love * swoon * and eventually saved up enough money to get engaged and buy our first home which is where I’m writing from now. We are planning our wedding in Ireland since the travel bug is still very real with us. We still want to quit our jobs and travel the world, but this time have passive income to fuel our adventures!

I’m here to bring you along on our journey to creating passive income and traveling the world, but for now we can learn about UGC and digital marketing together.

What is UGC?

User-generated content(UGC) is any content created by real users of a companies product, service, or platform rather than created by the brand itself. UGC can take many forms such as videos, photos, reviews, blog posts etc.

UGC is important to companies because it can help build trust with potential clients or users and show how real people have used the product and loved the results. If you go to buy something on Amazon and they have lots of reviews from certified buyers you’re more likely to buying that product than the same product without reviews… right?

User-generated content(UGC) is any content created by real users of a companies product, service, or platform rather than created by the brand itself. UGC can take many forms such as videos, photos, reviews, blog posts etc. UGC is important to companies because it can help build trust with potential clients or users and show how real people have used the product and loved the results. If you go to buy something on Amazon and they have lots of reviews from certified buyers you’re more likely to buying that product than the same product without reviews… right?

Companies use UGC to post on their social media sites as organic content, or will use ads made my creators to promote their products. UGC is more than just creating content. I offer b-roll footage, photos, videos, ad/product promotions, voiceovers, text on screen videos, and more. You don’t have to offer all these items as a content creator and I would only stick with what you are comfortable with, but keep in mind being versatile in your work can help expand your reach and work with companies.

I have my week one journey posted below diving into what I did for my first week starting UGC. There were many things involved getting to this point, but one of my biggest pieces of advice it to use the endless information posted on social media. Content creators build their brands on posting tutorials and how-to’s so don’t be afraid to start following creators that inspire you!

Week One in my UGC Journey

My first week of UGC creation I focused on 3 things, UGC Socials, creating content, and making a portfolio.

SOCIAL MEDIA

I started UGC social media channels across all socials to start building our UGC brand. I’m posting 3-4 days a week to my Instagram and as often as I can to TikTok to get my work out there, which leads to my second topic….

CREAT CONTENT

I started creating content with things I already own around the house; my face wash testimonial, vacuum demonstration, local restaurant recommendations etc. I didn’t have many aesthetically pleasing products (in my opinion) so I went to the dollar tree and bought their new skincare line. I was able to film lots of content with just $5 worth of products. I even found some stick on backsplash/tile that I can use for a backdrop. I also bought a tripod and a few other things from amazon that I have linked in my UGC Amazon essentials button below.

PORTFOLIO

I started adding the content I created to my portfolio that I made using Canva’s website template feature. I didn’t have much to start with, but I go on and update it almost everyday. I do want to add, I didn’t start with nothing. I started an Instagram creating content featuring my dog Paisley and had about 6k followers when I started this journey. I had paid partnerships in the past so I used some of those photos and videos for my portfolio, BUT I wanted to make more than just pet related content.

I was getting unmotivated to create content for my pet instagram and hated that feeling. I wanted to create different content and not be confined to one specific niche. I discovered UGC and felt it was a right fit for me. I’m creating this blog to help others that might be feeling stuck or might just want to learn how to create content without posting to socials or being an influencer.

START

If you’re interested in starting UGC then the first thing you need to do is START. Create your socials, make some content, and build your portfolio. You won’t start your journey until you start creating. Don’t wait for an amazing opportunity to fall in your lap, because chances are? It won’t. If you start now you’ll start learning and growing every single day. Make today the day you start. Make today your new beginning. Make today the day you look back on and say, “I’m so glad I started and didn’t keep waiting”.

Let me know if you have any questions about UGC or my journey and follow along on at @ugc.bydanielle on Instagram and TikTok!