The Dos and Don'ts for User Generated Content : A Guide for Customer Reviews and Ratings

User-generated content, commonly referred to as UGC or consumer-generated content, is unique content made by customers specifically for a business and shared on social media or through other channels and is extremely important. In today's age of online digital marketing, user-generated content (UGC) has grown in significance. Businesses must make sure they are delivering a pleasant user experience in order to foster loyalty and trust since customers now wield more influence than ever before. User-generated information, such as consumer evaluations and ratings, is one approach to accomplish this. 

Companies are at last paying attention to their customers and realizing how crucial user-generated content becomes to their primary goals. They may identify brand supporters, learn more about their customers, and find a bunch of new leads just by concentrating on brand-relevant posts. You should use this tremendous feedback loop to your advantage.

Source: Safalta.com

Nevertheless, many marketers are unclear about how to exploit brand-relevant fan content responsibly, morally, and legally in a digital environment where complex copyright regulations rule.

Table of contents
Dos
Do Ask for Permission
Do Repurpose the user-generated content
Do Give Credit
Do Ask the User to Share Once You’ve Published
Donts
Do Not Request From a Personal/Unbranded Account
Do Not Be Spammy
Do not publicly share private content
Do not Ask for free professional content

There are several dos and don'ts that companies should be aware of when using UGC to enhance their brand reputation.
 

 

Let's look at the Dos for better User Generated Content:

Do Ask for Permission

While you must request consent to utilize a follower's post, how you do so and the details you offer are as crucial. So make it clear how the post will be used and be cordial.

Use a hashtag in the campaign if user content is being produced as part of a brand competition. It indicates approval and facilitates organizing user-generated content when viewers share content with the campaign's hashtag. Request complete rights to a follower's content if you intend to use it for more than one campaign to avoid future liabilities or legal problems.

Do Repurpose the user-generated content

It is crucial to exhibit and represent user-generated content about your brand, event, or product/service. Research about the market there has repeatedly shown that consumers trust their friends more than brands.  Share users' experiences on your website including all the feedback they have to give. Displaying fan posts on your homepage or at your event boosts engagement while lowering critical comments on social media. Hence, use fan stuff appropriately rather than avoid it.
 

Do Give Credit

User-generated content is just another form of content use. Similar to regular free-use laws, it's critical that you acknowledge publicly where and who your content was sourced from. Give the original author credit in a public forum. It doesn't matter if it's a shout-out or a link back, either way, the act will help them become more visible online and foster the growth of a genuine customer-brand relationship.

This not only gives your website excellent, genuine content, but it also increases the original author's visibility. You can develop genuine relationships that you can grow and maintain by recognizing fan contributions.

Do Ask the User to Share Once You’ve Published

Incorporating user-generated content into your marketing plan is done in part to improve SEO and expand your audience. To increase reach, request from your authors that they forward the highlighted piece of content to their contacts. They'll frequently be pleased to show friends and relatives how their work was showcased by a well-known company.

Let's look at the Don't's for better User Generated Content:

Do Not Request From a Personal/Unbranded Account

As we have seen in the do’s part, it is essential to ask for permission before using a person’s content and informing them about where, why, and how their content will be used. However, Always communicate from your brand's official account or as someone who is clearly and directly affiliated with the brand. Use a generic account instead of a personal one. Not only it is more professional, but it is also more secure as well.
 

 

Do Not Be Spammy

If I have to explain this point in a few words, I will say to be short but direct. If you send out a lot of similar messages, people will probably disregard you, so try to avoid doing so. 

Also, ensure that your communications don't seem like spam. A lengthy list of email marketing terms will surely make you appear spammy. Remove these from your body text and subject lines. To lessen the chance of being mistaken for spam, establish numerous variations of default messaging if you must use it.

Do not publicly share private content

There are public and private networks on social media. Public networks like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook (Public Topics), and Instagram (public accounts) allow users to upload content knowing that it will be seen by everyone. Facebook and Instagram are private networks where user data is secured and where users do not want to share their information with the public.

Never copy, save, or publish content from a private network again on a public forum. Only share public content on public networks. Simply ask the individual who posted it before reposting if it was meant for public or private viewing. You can get a lot of similar content on the internet, so avoid publishing content from a private source or ask for permission before using it.

Do not Ask for free professional content

Many people in our digital society make a living by creating social media content. Never request stuff from photographers or artists who make their living creating art, even if they are your friends. Not all professionals are concerned with your website's, brochure's, or book cover's "visibility." Buy it, pay them a licensing fee, or make a transaction in exchange for access to their creations.
  Customer evaluations and ratings are examples of user-generated content that can be effective tools for gaining your audience's confidence and credibility. Businesses can successfully use UGC to enhance their goods and services, cultivate customer loyalty, and show their dedication to customer happiness by adhering to these dos and don'ts.
 

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