In case you weren’t aware, User Generated Content (UGC), is any form of content, such as images, videos, text, and audio, that has been posted by users on social media platforms to promote a brand.

Using UGC on Instagram is an effective way to strengthen your content strategy. Not only does it allow you to diversify your posts and better represent your community, but it’s also the best way to crowd-source beautiful, scroll-stopping content for your feed and can save time and money (if you pay professional photographers to take your snaps!)

However, finding and collecting the right kind of UGC for your brand isn’t always as easy as it seems, that’s why we’re here to give you all the tips you need!

More than ever, businesses and brands are including UGC into their social media strategy, as a great way to share high-quality content, while also bringing your community together. Incorporating UGC into your feed can also be a powerful sales strategy, as it’s the social media equivalent of a word-of-mouth recommendation!

Whether you believe in it or not, all businesses can benefit from including UGC and If you’re not sharing it on Instagram yet, now is the time to get started!

There are plenty of ways to add UGC to your Instagram content schedule, but you should choose a strategy that best supports your business goals.

If you’re mainly focused on raising product awareness, it’s a good idea to use UGC that features your products. Whether that’s someone wearing your jumper, eating your ice cream or drinking your Gin, it can all be easily included.

And remember, UGC doesn’t have to be limited to your Instagram feed only. You can also include it on your Stories, IGTV or if you’ve entered the world of Reels yet, you can use it there to!

Once you know the type of UGC you want, you can start gathering content that helps you get it.

The easiest way to do this is by encouraging your audience to tag relevant content with a branded hashtag. These are like a filing system that everyone in your community can use to help you collect UGC.

For example, if you have a unique business name, just using this as a hashtag works.

It’s a good idea to make your branded hashtag as unique as possible, as this will keep your content stream neat and tidy. Once your hashtag is set, you can search for it under ‘Tags’ on Instagram and see all your relevant UGC there and repost it on your channel!

If you are using UGC on your Instagram feed, it’s always common courtesy to ask the original poster if it’s ok to share on your channels and of course give them credit for the photo/post by tagging them in it.

If you find you have lots of great UGC content, it’s always handy to create a separate folder (whether on your phone or PC) and add all the images in it, to keep them all together. Rename the image the person you need to credit, so you don’t get mixed up. Then once you’ve used it, you can delete it out of the folder!

Now you know what UGC is and how you can obtain it, it’s time to start gathering your content and posting it on your channels!

Want to know more about how your business can incorporate UGC into its content plan? Contact us as hello@socialsoda.co.uk for more information!