Digital signage as a
technology is a fantastic marketing asset. But when you dig a little deeper,
it’s not the tech that’s getting you results — it’s the content that
shows up on your displays.
But there’s a challenge with signage content: you can
never have enough of it. Your audience wants fresh content every time they
engage with you, and overplayed, stale content can push them away.
Now, churning out fresh content frequently can be a
massive challenge for marketing teams (especially for leaner teams).
But what if you didn’t need to?
What if you could get your customers to produce
content for you at a total cost of zero dollars?
That’s the whole idea behind user-generated content
(UGC), and it can do wonders for your content ops.
Your audience wants UGC
We’re not shocking anyone when we say that consumers
across industries crave authenticity and messaging that they can relate to.
We’ve seen this with our clients, and there’s data to back this up as well.
Studies show that up to 56% of consumers anticipate more UGC from
brands. In fact, we think of UGC as the new word-of-mouth — marketing that
typically can generate 2x the sales of paid
campaigns.
But let’s dive into why brands really buy into the UGC hype, and why you should consider it as
well for your digital signage design.
People trust people
Sophisticated content and design is great, but it’s
overrated. Yes, your Facebook ad with a stock image looks great, but it screams
“corporate” every time it shows up in someone’s feed.
The fact is that people don’t trust brands; people
trust people. 70% of customers would rather retweet a hastily
recorded vertical video or share it with someone they know than share your
faceless clip of the latest product features. Why? Because they’re hearing from
someone just like them.
You know what’s really interesting? UGC works better
than even influencer marketing, generating almost 10x more impact at a
fraction of the cost you’d spend on hiring an influencer to do your bidding.
No dearth of content
Behind every successful marketing strategy is a lot of
trial and error. When testing becomes a crucial part of your strategy, you will
need a whole lot of content for it! In
this case, UGC can be your savior. Since it's not labor or resource intensive,
it's easier to produce and scale as you go.
This means that you can repurpose content on end — and
your biggest goldmine is social media! From first impression videos and product
walkthroughs, to customer reviews and testimonials, you can refresh content
frequently on your display network.
Big plus: UGC content on social networks has a 28% higher engagement rate than
branded content, giving you high engagement as well! This way, you get the best
of both worlds: More impact and less expense to engage and captivate your
customers.
What exactly does UGC entail?
User-generated content is everywhere around you — social media, G2 and Capterra reviews,
quarterly NPS surveys, feedback forms, and even your employees’ cellphones!
Let’s look at how you can explore these channels in
the UGC context.
. Social media: Social media is a treasure trove of
impactful, authentic, and trending user content. It covers the whole nine yards
– impression videos, vlogs, demos, and customer reviews. Imagine all this
amazing content for your in-store displays and video walls.
You just need the right tools to make sharing this
content easy. Digital signage software
like L Squared make this possible through 100s of in-built apps, ready to plug
and play! You can blow up your in-store displays and social media walls with
different user content every single day.
. Customer testimonials: Did you know that UGC is 20% more influential in affecting
purchasing decisions than all other media types? It’s like having your friend
vouch for a product or service for you! That’s why many businesses now harness
the power of UGC to reach customers and grow their business.
. Videos: UGC videos are truly where authenticity meets
marketing. Customers become your storytellers, sharing real life experiences
with your products — from first impressions to testing and everyday use, these
videos add a layer of trust that works across industries.
How do you source user-generated content?
With so much content on the internet, finding material
that fits your brand can be a challenge. But with the right strategy, you can
get high-quality, engaging content for your display network. Here’s how.
Run social media contests
Social media contests are a powerful content
generation strategy. You hit two birds with one stone — audience engagement and
content creation! With over 4.5 billion social media users worldwide, social media contests
are a sure-shot way of generating authentic and limitless content for your
display network.
Here are some things to keep in mind.
- First, establish the objective of your content — It is for brand awareness, community engagement, product promotion?
- Then, craft a cannot-resist fun contest. The key here is to make it fun, accessible, and relevant to your target audience.
- Finally, encourage participation. Motivate your audience to participate with exciting prizes or get-featured chances.
A brilliant example to consider is CVS’s #BeautyUnaltered campaign. In an
effort to create more healthy beauty experiences, CVS encouraged users to share
unfiltered selfies, promoting
healthy self-image and breaking fictitious beauty standards.
The results? A change in beauty marketing in over
8000+ stores!
- 3.6 billion earned impressions
- 15.1 million total shared content reach
- 104 million total #BeautyUnaltered impressions
- 0% negative sentiment on social
Check out these larger-than-life digital
signage designs in Times Square.
Get employees to submit content
EGC, or employee-generated content, is a more specific
form of UGC. This type of content is great for offices and enterprises. You not
only connect with your current employees, but also attract future talent!
Studies show that employees are the most trusted source of
information about any business. This type of content includes videos and
pictures of office behind-the-scenes, team outings, office events, product
design stages, new launches and so much more!
Although this content might not generate revenue or
impact sales directly, it’s a crucial part of building an employee-friendly
culture. How? Because happy employees, like customers, will willingly share
content about their positive experiences, making it all the more impactful.
The impact of EGC on your display network:
- Fosters open communication between your employees and business
- Increases employee engagement and collaboration
- Creates a strong brand identity among employees and customers
- Builds a strong sense of community
Ask questions on social media that draw user submissions
To get the engagement you desire from your audience,
you have to create a compelling offer they cannot refuse. Simply asking Yes or
No questions isn’t enough. Instead, ask thought-provoking, action-oriented
questions.
Since your goal is to generate UGC for your digital signage network, ask questions that will
entice customers to act. If you’re a hotel owner, you can ask questions like
“What’s your favorite spot in the hotel? Show us a photo and tag us with
#hashtag”
Let’s consider this amazing campaign by Shangri La. On
its first UGC campaign, the global hotel invited passionate travelers worldwide
to capture their favorite moments at the hotels with #MyShangriLa. The idea was to connect with the “Insta-generation
of travelers” and garnered traction and submissions from guests all over the
world.
Questions and polls for engagement: Asking
hard-hitting questions.
Share these polls on your display screens.
Create photo-ready spots at your business location
Nothing motivates your audience more than a
photo-ready spot at your location. Couple aesthetics with a unique hashtag, and
you’ve got the recipe for high customer engagement.
While designing your business, design with social
media in mind. Think Instagrammable, shareable, and likable! Whether it’s a
wild mural, a quirky piece of art, or a photo booth with your brand's unique
touch, design spaces that beg to be photographed. The point is that the more visually
appealing it is, the more likely it is to end up on social media.
Run livestreams for key events
Live streams are a great way to generate engaging,
dynamic and real-time content. It’s a chance for your customers to see your
event live, creating a sense of inclusivity and community.
Here’s how to make the most of live streams:
- Make them interactive: The best way to boost engagement is to encourage your audience to participate in the livestream. You can ask questions, share polls, and even live reactions to keep things fun and interesting.
- Select events carefully: Choose to share events that will resonate with your audience the most. These could be tech conferences, product launches, webinars, community events, or even a light Q&A session with your team!
- Use the right tools: Choose software and hardware that makes live streaming effortless. This could be your signage software or your digital displays. Either way, you want to ensure that both work optimally so that there’s no interruption.
L Squared makes live streaming events simple with its
built-in Live Streaming widget. All you have to do is insert the link of your
live stream and share to targeted devices on your display network.
Now that we’ve discussed how to source UGC, let’s take
a look at some key things to keep in mind in the process.
Best practices while sharing UGC
Ask for permission and credit creators
In your search for UGC content, you’ll find gems that
are just worth sharing! But before you repost them on your network, always,
ALWAYS ask for permission. This isn’t just about legality issues but also about
mutual respect for the creator’s work.
You can send a simple message to request for
permission to share. A simple, “We love your post. Mind if we share it?” goes a
long way.
Once you’re set to post, don’t forget to credit the
creator and tag them.
Check for music copyrights
While on the track to seeking the right approvals,
don’t forget about music copyright as well. This is crucial to not overlook.
If there’s any kind of music in the UGC you want to
share, check if that music has commercial usage permissions. It’s always a good
thing to be the brand that respects a creator’s art and gives credit where it
is due.
Monitor impact with analytics
Measure what you want to improve. Keeping track of
your KPIs and metrics will help you reach your goals faster. Additionally,
measuring progress is a good way to set realistic benchmarks. Regular analysis
will give you a good idea if your strategy is working or if you need some
redirection.
Signage software like the L
Squared Hub reports content and device performance so you know exactly what’s
working and what’s not. This way, you know exactly how you mold and craft your
UGC strategy to hit your goals.
Content moderation
Research shows that more than half of consumers want
clear instructions from brands about the kind of UGC they want. However, only 16% of brands offer clear UGC guidelines for their audience.
Bridge this gap by making it easy and enjoyable for
your audience to create content for you. Be clear with what kind of content
you’re looking for. Of course, this doesn’t mean a copy-paste method. But offer
clear guidelines or even templates to make it easier for your users to stay on
course.
Trend monitoring
Social media trends are tricky. You don’t want to fall
behind any, but hopping on every trend bandwagon might make your content super
generic and boring.
The answer here is the right balance. Monitoring trends is important to stay relevant and
meet customer expectations. It’s a good way of staying “visible” and on top of
your users’ minds. But, 38% of customers believe the most memorable
brands prioritize creating original content, so don’t be afraid to share
original content and chart your own path!
Conclusion
Looking ahead, businesses that harness the power of
UGC in their content strategy create authentic and relatable brand experiences
for customers.
As customers continue to look for more humanized brand
interactions, UGC achieves this as it allows brands to tap into genuine
customer experiences and perspectives. Besides building trust with your
customers, UGC fosters community and connection with your target audience.
All in all, leveraging UGC for your display network is a strategic move toward building a brand that resonates with the values and sentiments of the consumers. It could be the edge that sets your business apart — Creating lasting impressions in the hearts and minds of customers.