6 mins
UGC (User-Generated Content) Campaigns: Bringing Real Local Voices to Life in the UAE
Building trust is the most important thing you can do for your brand to establish a strong market position, retain customers, and attract new ones.
Studies show that user-generated content (UGC) can help build a lot of this trust, especially in the UAE and the Gulf community, where nothing beats the trust of peers and recommendations from friends and family.
People no longer trust traditional ads; instead, they sometimes see influencers as the face of the brand they promote. People who have used the product before and talked about their experience are the ones who trust it.
Come along as we examine user-generated content (UGC), who creates it, and how to run UGC campaigns to maximize exposure and benefit your brand.
Who creates user-generated content?
First, find people who can make user-generated content so that you can run UGC campaigns. Here are their types in detail:
Traditional customers
These people have already used your product and discussed it on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram.
You can benefit from displaying their unboxing experiences or posting positive comments about your product.
Brand loyalists
These people really like your product and want to talk about it, point out its benefits, and convince others to buy it.
They are a significant force behind your business, and their passion and loyalty to your brand can make your ads more effective.
Social media followers
Likes and shares help people become more aware of a brand, whether they are content creators or followers.
UGC creators
They are professionals who make sponsored content that looks and feels like a real customer's post. People usually share their posts on the brand's pages.
They do a good job of showing off the good things about the brand without worrying about their profile, which looks like it's from a customer who bought the product. Makes them different from other influencers.
Benefits of User-Generated Content Campaigns
User-generated content (UGC) in advertising campaigns offers several significant benefits, such as:
Increased trust and credibility
Audiences typically view user-generated content as more authentic and credible than brand-generated content.
Peer trust
More than any other source, 92% of people trust recommendations from other people.
Building trust
Adding content from real customers and sponsored user-generated content to a brand's website builds trust and makes it more credible.
Increased engagement and sharing
User-generated content is often more engaging for audiences.
Higher engagement rates
Posts with user-generated content achieve at least 28% higher engagement rates.
Wider reach
Authentic content encourages sharing, increasing campaign reach without additional costs.
Cost-Effectiveness
Creating high-quality content with user-generated content is cheap and works well.
Cost Savings
Relying on user-generated content reduces the need for large budgets to produce advertising content.
Better ROI
Ads using user-generated content achieve higher click-through rates and lower cost-per-click (CPC), translating to better campaign ROI.
Influence OF UGC on Purchasing Decisions
User-generated content has a direct and consequential impact on consumer behavior.
79% of people report that user-generated content significantly influences their purchasing decisions.
- Purchase Motivation: Many consumers are influenced by user-generated content before purchasing.
- Increased Conversion Rates: Statistics show that including user-generated content in the online shopping journey can significantly increase conversion rates.
Understanding Customer Behavior
User-generated content can provide valuable insights into what customers like about your product or service.
- Audience Knowledge: By analyzing the content users share, you can better understand their interests and preferences.
- Personalization: This understanding can be used to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns in the future.
How to Manage User-Generated Content Campaigns
The cornerstone of your campaign is orienting your user-generated content and aligning it with your brand's needs and goals.
Clearly define what you're looking for
Do you want content that shows off your brand's videos, pictures, or detailed descriptions of its features?
To reach your goals, talk to the people who make your content.
Set strategic goals
You should have a clear idea of how your campaign will succeed and what you want to get out of it. You should also set specific goals for it.
Curate and monitor
Not all user-generated content will help your brand, so choose the content that does and monitor it to ensure it fits with your goals.
Conduct regular analytics
Analytics help you determine how your user-generated content campaigns affect engagement and increase conversion rates.
Essential Tools and Platforms for Managing User-Generated Content in the UAE
To effectively manage user-generated content (UGC), you need the right tools that simplify the process of collecting and sharing it while ensuring it aligns with your brand's goals.
Here are the most essential types of tools that can help you achieve this:
Social media management tools
These platforms allow you to schedule posts, engage with your audience, and monitor brand mentions.
Content curation platforms
These special tools help you create content from different places, like blogs and social media sites.
They help you find high-quality, relevant content and organize and display it on your website or social media channels, which makes your customers' stories more believable.
Analytics and performance tracking tools
It's essential to know how your user-generated content affects things.
These tools can help you understand how users interact with your content by keeping track of engagement rates, reach, and conversions.
This lets you see how well your plan works and make changes for the best results.
Legal and Copyright Management Tools
Protecting your brand and respecting the rights of content creators is crucial.
Specialized tools are available for monitoring visual content and managing copyright, ensuring you have the necessary permissions to use content and comply with laws.
Using these tools can improve the process of collecting and sharing real content for your customers.
Why do user-generated content (UGC) campaigns succeed in the Gulf?
- User-generated content (UGC) is better for promoting brands in the Gulf region for several reasons rooted in society and consumer behavior. These reasons can be summarized as follows:
- In Gulf communities, consumers trust recommendations from ordinary people or their peers more than traditional advertising.
- Reflecting authentic, unpaid experiences with a product or service.
- It shows the product in its natural environment rather than in a polished advertising setting, making it more credible.
- Gulf consumers are highly influenced by social proof, a concept that drives individuals to follow the actions of others because they believe them to be correct.
- Gulf communities are characterized by strong interconnectedness, where social and family networks are pivotal.
- This interconnectedness extends to the digital world, where influencers trusted by the public and viewed as peers are of great importance.
Generally, A recommendation from a friend or relative is the best promotional tool, and user-generated content expands the reach of these recommendations to a broader audience.
