User-generated content is crucial for any D2C brand with an online presence. Trusting it more than brand-created content, 79% of consumers say UGC has an impact on their purchasing decisions.
But not all UGC is created equally. Some pieces look like they were created by professionals. Others look like they were captured on a Nokia phone back in 2003. So how can brands ensure they get more high-quality user-generated content from their influencer collaborations?
1. Define Quality
Quality content isn’t just about good lighting and clear visuals. Quality also means that pieces align with your brand values. It doesn’t matter if a photo looks like it’s been taken straight from National Geographic, or if a video looks like it belongs on the big screen. If the content clashes with your brand’s values, it’s not quality for your brand.
To ensure you’re getting content that is quality for your brand, create a list of must-haves and dealbreakers to uncover what quality content means to your brand.
2. Vet Your Influencers
When you find an influencer you want to work with, start snooping. Channel your inner private investigator and run a mini background check by searching their name, email, and social media handles in Google. Are there any major red flags?
Take a look at current and past content created by the influencers you are considering working with. Ask:
- Are they consistently producing quality content?
- Do they align with your brand values?
- Are they working with any of your major competitors?
- Does their content fit in with the content you want them to create for you?
Don’t judge past content too harshly. You don’t need to scroll back years and years. Check out the content that the influencer has produced in the last year. People can develop their digital skills fairly quickly and improve as they create more and more content. So older content may not reflect their current style and abilities.
3. Create a Content Guide
The best way to get something specific from your influencers is to tell them what you expect. Content guides are documents outlining how influencers can create better content. Your content guide can cover:
- Best practices for lighting
- Making sure your brand is clearly visible
- Video specifications
- Audio best practices
- Word counts for blogs
- Words to use and avoid
- And more
It’s also good to have examples featuring dos and don’ts. Show good and bad photos, videos you like and videos you don’t like, and explain why. This allows influencers to see tangible visualisations of what you expect from them and what you don’t want.
4. Have a Strict Approval Process
You are the gatekeeper of acceptable content for your brand. When setting marketing tasks or contracts for influencers, outline a clear list of requirements. Assert that you have the right to reject any content that doesn’t meet these requirements.
Be careful here. It’s easy to go overboard and tell your influencers exactly what to post. But you’re working with influencers because they’ve built a following and curated a style and a way of posting that authentically resonates with their audience.
If you put too many restrictions or requirements on what an influencer can create, their content may seem inauthentic to their followers. And in that case, you might as well just create the content yourself.
5. Use Performance-Based Rewards
Performance-based rewards are a great way to incentivise better content from your influencers. You can reward a certain amount per like, comment, view – whatever you want. You can also create reward tiers. For example,
- $5 for 100 or fewer likes
- $10 for 101-200 likes
- $25 for 201-300 likes
Dynamic reward systems are useful because influencers will want to put more effort into creating quality content because it directly affects their earnings.
Note: This works best with a community of micro-influencers. Often, high-profile influencers have their own fees and brands don’t get to choose the payment structure.
6. Create Exclusive Opportunities for High-Performers
Are you rewarding your best content creators? Higher-tier rewards such as high-value freebies, more cash, or exposure by featuring content on your website and socials encourage those who are already performing well to keep creating more quality content for your brand.
Letting your community know that these exclusive opportunities are available pushes them to become high-performing influencers. Consider featuring influencers who do well. Show them off as an example to your influencer community. This gives other influencers someone to pull inspiration from and ignites gamified competition.
Final Thoughts
User-generated content helps build brand awareness, trust, and loyalty. Consumers want to see people they follow and like show their experiences with a product before they risk purchasing themselves.
The best way to get quality content is to clearly outline expectations and reward content that meets those expectations. If you follow the tips outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to gaining user-generated content that wows and connects with a wide audience, boosting your brand trust and improving your ROI.
About the Author
Trelawney Erwin is the copy and content writer for Brandbassador. She specializes in writing about ambassador and influencer marketing trends, strategies, and technology.
