3 creative ways to mix UGC content and brand

Brand content and UGC (User Generated Content) seem to belong to two different worlds. 

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Branded content is designed by your employees, who allocate a large budget to its creation by professional teams. UGC is produced by your consumers at home with their cell phones. 

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They have little in common other than the fact that it's creative content that has your brand as its main subject. And yet, for an optimal marketing strategy, both are essential. 

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There's no need to rack your brain to find the winner between the two: they serve different purposes and are equally important. Branded content is the one that will make your audience dream, it is in it that your brand's universe and personality lives. Without branded content, it is impossible to capture the attention of consumers or to make them identify with your values. UGCs, on the other hand, embody the human side of your brand. A reassuring friend that comes to the rescue of consumers when they hesitate, are plagued by doubts or are unable to get an idea of your product only from your brand photographs. 

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How do you combine these two strengths in your strategy?

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Despite their differences, both in terms of design and objectives, UGC and branded content can be combined in many ways. While there are instances in the customer journey where only one of the two is relevant, there are also times when their combined strength is the best solution.

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We will review 3 creative ways to combine UGC content and brand on different channels.

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1ʳᵉ creative way to combine UGC content and brand: your product sheets.

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As we've mentioned before, the power of branded content is that it manages to grab the attention of your audience. Your new customer has probably seen one of these pieces of content pass by on an Instagram ad. Something caught his attention: your colors, the strength of the image, the design of your product, the tone of your copywriting... he somehow identified with this image, which appealed to him. His curiosity piqued, he clicks on the CTA. 

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It is, therefore, logical to show him this image that has bewitched him on the product sheet. After all, that's what he's looking for. Not to put it forward would be a mistake, the consumer could feel fooled, confused or disappointed not to find exactly what he wanted. This does not mean that the only photos to put on your product sheets are brand photos, packshot photos. On the contrary. After the dream, the reality. Mix these carefully captured images with the UGC content you have. This more authentic and real content will reassure the customer before they make a purchase. 

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2ᵉ creative way to combine UGC content and brand: your advertising campaigns.

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Who says UGC only belongs in organic channels? Sure, they are native to social networks, but that doesn't mean they don't have a place in your paid campaigns. 

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More and more brands are daring to do advertising campaigns with their consumers as stars, so why not with their content? The ads you run on YouTube, Facebook or other social networks (Instagram, TikTok) can benefit a lot from UGC content. If this type of content offers organic results, why not invest in it and feature it with your ads? 

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For your next advertising campaign, consider mixing your branded content with the content proposed by your consumers. You will have created a more authentic, human and successful campaign! 

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3ᵉ creative way to combine UGC content and brand: your social networks

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Social networks are the most direct communication channel that brands have with their consumers. Despite this, brands often appear to their customers as very distant and inaccessible. 

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One way to get closer and more engaged with your audience is by mixing your branded content with your UGC content on your social network feed. A good balance between reverie and human brand trust. 

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Moreover, this way of doing things gives you more time to create your branded content or to interact with your audience in a direct way, because you don't have to create half of the content you post yourself. Feeding a social network is a demanding job, with a frenetic pace: to break through, you have to post several times a day. Lean on your community and take advantage of their content to stay afloat! 

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We leave you with this final thought: your brand represents you as much as your consumers. Doesn't it make sense that their content and vision of the brand be represented and promoted as well?

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