It is important to post content that highlights your customers and celebrates them. After all, your business’ success is because of their support! A great way to get content from your customers is by asking them to create UGC, or user generated content videos. UGC is content made by your customers, talking about your brand.
UGC videos are important in marketing since they bring authenticity to your brand. Also, when potential customers see that your brand makes people happy, they trust your brand more, which leads to an increase in sales. Showcasing your customers also helps make them feel special, and they will be more willing to share your brand with their peers. This helps your brand get exposure, and build your brand as a unique and preferred brand
When you think of UGC videos, you may have a certain type of video in mind. But, there are quite a few different options your brand has. Using various UGC video types will cause your brand to have many forms of engaging content that can be used in your marketing.
Let’s take a look at all the different UGC video types that your brand can use:
1. Product Reviews
Product reviews are an amazing way to authentically show potential customers what your brand offers. In product review UGC videos, your customers will show your product, and will give their feedback on it. It is easy for your brand to show off your products, but your brand will obviously boast in your video, and focus on all the good qualities. When your customers make a product review video, they can be as honest as they want, which makes it more believable than videos made by your brand.
Additionally, these videos help build trust. If your brand is not as well known, potential customers may be hesitant to purchase from you. They might worry your product will be low quality, not the right material, not the right look, etc. By sharing product review videos on your social media, you are showing the reality of your products. Also, in these videos, your brand can learn what is lacking in your products. Maybe your customers like your products, but wish they came in more colors or more sizes. Collecting product review videos will help your brand grow and improve.
You can encourage your customers to create these videos by expressing to them that your brand truly cares about their opinions. When your customers feel heard and appreciated, they will be more likely to make a video for your brand. Also, it is a good idea to offer customers an incentive for making a video. Some examples are a discount on their next purchase, entry into a raffle, or a free sample of an upcoming product.
Check out this example of a Curology product review video created by Hyram.
2. Unboxing Videos
Unboxing videos are a very popular form of UGC. These videos include your customer opening their package from your brand, and showing off the packaging and products that they ordered. For these videos, it is important that your brand uses branded packaging, as well as carefully package the items to appear aesthetic. These videos are very exciting to watch, and the tone of these videos are usually very upbeat and energetic. Many people watch these videos because they are engaging and have an element of surprise to them. People want to watch the full video because they want to see everything included and hear if the customer enjoys the products they ordered.
These videos are great to leverage in your marketing strategy. By sharing these videos on your social media, you are showing potential customers exactly what they will be getting. There will be no hesitation about the quality of your products if your potential customers are able to watch multiple unboxing videos on your social media. You can also include these videos on your website to show customers what they can expect, which will cause them to make a purchasing decision quickly.
Here is an example of an unboxing video, where PatriciaSucks unboxes blind boxes.
3. Tutorials and How-To Videos
Tutorial and How-To videos are a great way to educate potential customers. These videos include in depth instructions on how to use your products. This can range from how to use the product according to your brand’s instructions, or how to use the product in multiple ways. A benefit of user created tutorials is that you will get to see how your customers understand and use your product. Even if your brand provides instructions for your product, it might still be confusing to new customers. So, these videos allow your customers to address any parts that need clarification. Additionally, seeing the steps via video will provide much better clarity than typed instructions.
A great way to inspire customers to create tutorial content is by interacting with them after their purchase. After your customer has received their product, you can reach out to them and ask them how they are enjoying the product, and if they would like to make a video explaining how to use it. Your brand can offer these customers an incentive. This can include a free sample, early access to your next product, or a discount on their next order. Overall, it is important to express to your customers how much you appreciate their point of view and their experiences.
A great example of a tutorial video are videos where customers build furniture, such as this video of how to build an IKEA shelf unit!
4. Customer Testimonials
Video testimonials made by your customers are one of the most convincing types of UGC videos. These videos include feedback, endorsements, and reviews from your customers. Testimonial videos are a great way to collect positive content about your brand. It is important to get authentic customer stories from your happy customers, since their words are more impactful than a video made by your brand. Your brand can boast about your offerings, but customer testimonials show how your customers really feel with no filter. After watching these videos, your potential customers can make a decision quickly about whether or not they want to buy from your brand.
The best way to collect video testimonials from your customers is by asking your top customers. These are customers who expressed their happiness with your brand, have posted about your brand, or have made multiple purchases. Your customers who have interacted with your brand a lot are able to speak honestly and clearly about their experiences. So, it is good practice to not ask all your customers for a video testimonial, but pick and choose your top customers to represent your brand in a positive light.
5. Behind-the-Scenes Videos
Behind-the-scenes videos allow potential customers to get a special look into your brand. These videos can range from capturing content behind the scenes at an event, to your employees creating content behind the scenes. This makes potential customers form a connection, and make them feel like they have an inside scoop into your brand! Additionally, these videos humanize your brand, and allow viewers to emotionally connect.
To capture these videos, you can ask your employees to record some content for your brand. This can be a video of how your product is made, a video of how orders are packaged, or a look into how your brand markets your products. At events, your employees can make a vlog type video showing how everything is set up. This video type would also work great for VIP experiences. Since VIP attendees get special access at events, they are able to show off exclusive areas. In the end, these videos allow your brand to connect with potential customers, and cause them to want to experience your brand themselves.
An example of a behind-the-scenes video is this video of Katy Perry giving a backstage tour at one of her shows!
6. Challenge or Contest Videos
Challenge or contest videos are a great way to gain exposure and entice customers to create a video for your brand. For these videos, your brand can create a challenge or contest. Some examples are, making a funny video with your product, using your products in a unique way, or making a video placing your product in random places. The challenge or contest should be fun to do, and should have an incentive. You can offer the winner free products, a discount, or any other incentive that will make them want to enter. Not only will this encourage customers to create videos, but it increases exposure for your brand. As customers post their videos on their personal social media, their peers will see your brand. Also, when your brand shares their videos, potential customers see that your brand likes to interact with your customers. This will cause them to want to be included in the fun!
An example of a successful UGC challenge is the “Million Dollar Challenge” hosted by GoPro. GoPro challenged customers to capture videos of epic moments using the GoPro HERO9 camera. They went through all the submissions, and chose 56 creators to feature in this video. These creators each got a share of the million dollar prize pool! Additionally, GoPro made sure to credit the creators in the caption, which is essential. The video featuring the winners has accumulated 1 million views on YouTube. Their challenge proves how a UGC based video can perform extremely well.
7. Product Hacks or Creative Uses
Product use videos are a good way to show potential customers how they can incorporate your products in their life. These videos can show how your customers regularly use your products, or creative ways your customers use your products. These videos expand product appeal since it shows potential customers that they need your product to solve a problem. For example, your brand could be selling a line of markers. If your customers show the multiple ways they use your markers, such as when drawing, when labeling things, or when outlining words. This allows potential customers to see multiple ways that they can utilize your brand, which will increase purchases.
Christine M Leung created this video showing creative ways to use wax seals! When people think of wax seals, they might only think of using them in one way. This video does a great job to show multiple ways to use wax seals. In the description, Christine mentions which products are used, which helps the brands get more conversions. If your product can be used in many ways, videos like these will ensure that customers get a bang for their buck. In the end, these videos help with potential customers’ purchasing decisions.
8. Comparison Videos
Comparison videos have a big influence on purchasing behavior. These videos feature your customers comparing your brand to a competing brand. Ideally, your customers would be able to share how your brand is better than your competitor’s! This information is valuable for potential customers since it is likely to be the deciding factor for their purchasing decision. The more information they have about your offerings, the more likely they are to make an educated decision.
It is important to encourage fair and helpful comparison content. This can be done by instructing your customers to pick one or two features, and compare and contrast them. Be sure to tell them not to insult your competitor, but rather focus on the differences. By doing this, you ensure that the videos are constructive, and do not express negative energy. This also helps potential customers make a rational decision in terms of which company they want to purchase from.
Here is an example of a comparison video, where Tim Dessaint compares clothing from different brands to assess whether a higher price = higher quality.
9. Day-in-the-Life Videos
Day-in-the-life videos are a great way to show potential customers how they can integrate your brand into their life. These videos capture your customer’s day, and how your customer uses your product during their day. The benefit of showcasing real life product integration is that potential customers can see if the product could benefit them or become part of their daily routine. This in return will cause an increase in conversions, since people will be more convinced to purchase from your brand.
To inspire users to create day in the life content, you can ask them to make a short video showcasing their daily routine. Be sure to instruct them to use or show your product in their video. It is important to express how these videos are helpful for your brand, and how you appreciate the insight into how they find your product useful. And, offering them an incentive such as a free product will inspire them to create the content.
Nicole Laeno is known for her lifestyle videos. In this day-in-the-life video, she shows off a few products as she uses them throughout her day.
10. User Q&A or FAQ Videos
User generated Q&A or FAQ videos are a great way to address points that your potential customers may be hesitant about. These videos usually feature text or a reply to a comment, answering a question that potential customers might have. Some examples would be: Is this product vegan? Does this product come in more than one color? What material is this made of? These videos are a great way for potential customers to get questions answered, and based on the answer they will make a purchasing decision.
To collect these videos, your brand can provide a question for your customers to answer. Then, your customer can read the question out loud and answer it in their video. Or, your customers can choose to reply to comments they see on their post about your brand. This way, they are directly answering the question and it will notify the asker. Also, your brand can create videos answering more specific questions that your customers might not know the answer to. Overall, these videos help provide clarity and easy any hesitation about purchasing from your brand.
This video by Patricia Regier is a great example of a user of Canva answering questions that other users may have.
Best Practices for Leveraging UGC Video Types
The first step when collecting UGC videos is to decide which type of video best suits your brand. Your brand should focus on one type of UGC video in each UGC campaign. This ensures that customers do not get confused when creating content, and it is easier to keep track of all the videos collected and filter through them based on their video type. You can always explore other UGC video types in different campaigns.
Each industry has video types that are commonly seen, so it is important to do research to see which type would interest customers in your industry. For example, many people make day-in-the-life videos where they show off their skincare of beauty routine. Your customers will be more likely to create a video if it is natural to them. So, choosing a video type that best fits your brand is important.
To encourage customers to create a video, your brand should offer them an incentive. Sometimes, your customers will create a video just for fun! Or, they might want to be noticed by your brand, so they will create a video about your brand. But, many customers would appreciate something in return for their work. After all, they are creating videos for your brand for free. Also, for customers who typically would not create a video, incentives are a good way to encourage them to create a video.
It is also very important to properly credit your customers. First, ensure your customers know that the videos they submit will be used by your brand. When you use their videos, you should include their name, or tag their social media account. Some ways to utilize their videos in your marketing is by using them in social media, website pages, wall-of-love pages, advertisements, and email campaigns. When you showcase their videos in many places, you are showing your customers how much you appreciate them! Plus, by using their videos in your overall marketing strategy, you have a clear and specific marketing message. This makes it easier for potential customers to recognize, and connect with, your brand.
To learn more, check out our blog, “11 Creative Ways to Showcase Your Video Testimonials”.
Measuring the Impact of UGC Videos
Measuring the impact of your UGC videos is important to ensure that your UGC campaigns are working well for your brand. Some key metrics to track include view count and watch time, engagement rate, conversion metrics, bounce rate and time on pages, CTR, video completion rate, and lead generation metrics. To learn more about key metrics, check out our blog, “Measuring the Impact of Video Testimonials on Content Performance”. Additionally, your brand should collect data from your customers when they create a video. This can include giving your brand a number rating or asking them how likely they are to recommend your brand. Then, your brand can analyze the analytics to learn more about your customers’ wants and needs.
There are a lot of different tools and platforms you can use to analyze UGC video performance. Your brand can utilize Google Analytics to give you data about how viewers are interacting with your UGC videos. Many social media websites also offer insights into how your posts performed. There are also video analytic softwares that offer video specific analytics that might not be included in Google or social media analytics.
Using these insights, your brand is able to refine your UGC video strategy. If your brand is not getting a lot of engagement on your UGC videos, maybe you should change the description or the type of UGC video your brand is collecting. Or, if viewers are not watching the full video, ask your customers for shorter videos. It is important to assess the analytics you get from your UGC posts, and take it as an opportunity to improve your marketing strategy.
Choosing the Right UGC Video Type
As discussed in this blog, there are many UGC video types. The right types of videos to collect depends on your brand, and what fits your marketing. It is important to credit, and reward, your customers for creating content for you. If your brand needs help collecting UGC videos, be sure to check out Vidlo! Here at Vidlo, we make it extremely easy to set up branded UGC campaigns, and make it easy for your customers to create content. To learn more, sign up for a free trial at https://app.vidlo.video/register today!
