Influencers mean business. And it’s about time we start taking them seriously.
What was once a slightly laughable label, is now the job title of millions of paid civilians around the world. As their influence has grown over the years, so has the importance of understanding and utilizing their presence. The fact is, 61% of customers trust an influencer’s content over a brand’s, specifically the younger target markets. So, what is influencer marketing, what is UGC marketing, and how can your business benefit from the two?
What is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing is the collaboration between influencers and brands. Influencers typically have an impressive following or presence on social media that makes their content relatable, digestible, and trustworthy. Influencers are paid to promote a brand’s product or service on their personal social media channels.
Compared to branded content, advertisements, and commercials from brands, consumers prefer seeing product and service recommendations from influencers themselves. 92% of consumers turn to the opinion of someone they know before making a buying decision. The only difference between turning to an influencer versus your roommate, per se, is that your favorite influencer has thousands of generally like-minded people supporting their claims and endorsements. It’s a fairly easy sell. You’re right – I DIDN’T know I needed that Amazon product!
What is UGC Marketing?
UGC stands for User Generated Content. Although similarly a partnership between person and brand, user-generated content is not promoted by the content creator, themselves. In fact, many UGC creators are not “influencers” at all. UGC creators are paid to create photos and videos that are later shared by the brand at multiple points of the marketing funnel. UGC may be seen as:
- UGC Content for Websites
- UGC Content for Paid Ads
- UGC Content on Reels and TikTok
- UGC Content for E-Blasts
Although these content creators are not sharing the content on their own feed, UGC has proven to produce impressive analytics. In fact, UGC results in 29% higher web conversions than campaigns or websites without it. People like to see people. If you aren’t yet taking advantage of influencer and UGC marketing – it may be time!
Dumb it down. What is the difference between influencers and UGC creators?
Put simply, influencers are paid to create and distribute paid content. UGC creators are paid to create. No distribution required. UCG content is commonly cheaper than influencer marketing, depending on the experience of the creator your brand is collaborating with. You may now be wondering – is influencer marketing right for my business?
What is Influencer and UGC Marketing Good For?
Enlisting in the help of influencers and content creators for your marketing can truly take your brand to the next level. Industries that presently benefit the most from influencer marketing include: health and beauty, travel and recreation, entertainment and tech, and food and drink.
PGN Agency Royal Oak specializes in strategic social media marketing and content strategy. Our process is carefully curated to tell your brand’s story, and sometimes that entails the help of influencer marketing!
Benefits of Influencer and UGC Marketing
- Increasing Brand Awareness
- Expanding your Reach on Social Media
- Driving More Web Traffic
- Help Launching a New Product
- Creating a Bank of Positive Reviews
- Encouraging Top-of-Mind Awareness
- Establishing Brand Loyalty
- Driving Conversions
Influencer and UGC Marketing for Your Business
Put a finger down if you have ever been influenced by an ad, TikTok, or sponsored post on social media. We, as consumers, are all guilty of it! If you are looking for conversion, conversation, and creativity for your business, then it may be time to enlist in the help of user-generated content.
Not sure where to begin when it comes to your social media strategy? PGN Agency is Metro-Detroit’s neighborhood branding and marketing agency with a large portfolio of social media strategy. Let’s get a conversation going! Contact us online or slide into our DM’s on Instagram.
This billion-dollar industry is only on the rise – are you along for the ride?