How to Make the Most Of User-Generated Content

While creating your own content is absolutely necessary to finding success online as a blogger or e-commerce entrepreneur, user-generated content is often just as valuable, if not more so.

User-generated content includes reviews of your content or products, as well as any articles that may feature you, your business, or your product. User-generated content is valuable and it gives other potential customers an objective view of your content or product.

When a customer of yours posts about you on social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, it falls under the category of user-generated content. There are a number of ways this content can be used to connect better with your customers, as well as market yourself to your existing audience.

Take a moment to search around social media, and see what your customers may be saying about you and your business:

• Be sure to display any positive or complimentary tweets or email received from customers on Twitter. It’s important to retweet any positive post mentioning your brand, and give the posting account owner thanks. By posting complimentary tweets on your own Twitter, your followers will see short reviews done but other customers, which can help build trust for your brand.
• The same can be said about positive Facebook posts. Whenever you receive a positive or complimentary mention on Facebook, it’s important to share that post online on your Facebook page. In addition, you can comment on a complimentary post, thanking the poster and asking what could be done better in the future. Other customers will see your personal connection with your audience, and as a result have a better opinion of you and your company in general.
• Instagram is another social media platform that also plays host to a wide variety of user-generated content. Come up with your own hashtag on Instagram and share it with your followers. Encourage them to use the hashtag whenever mentioning your business or product in order to generate attention on the platform.
• While many companies overlook Pinterest as a profitable social media platform, it can be extremely useful for any business who is willing to use it properly. When customers share your products on Pinterest, share those pins to your followers. When your followers see other happy customers using your products, they will feel more encouraged to work with your company.

Sharing social media compliments and positive reviews is just one of the many ways user-generated content can be useful in creating a buzz on the web. Another great way of showcasing positive customer created content is by featuring it as a widget on your website.

Invest in a widget which allows customers to create their own testimonials of the brand, that are then featured on one or more of the landing pages of your website. Positive feedback is one of the key selling points for nearly any product on the web, making it absolutely vital that it be featured on your website for new customers to read.

In addition, any user-generated content you wish to display on your website must be played strategically. User-generated content should be found in the most highly trafficked areas of your web page, which often include:

• The home page
• The Side Bar
• Your landing pages
• A dedicated testimonial or review page

When user-generated content is easy to see, it will attract new customers immediately when they visit your page. It’s important that new customers be able to see any user-generated content you have featured on your website, this will play a key role in whether they will stay or leave.

Finally, you may want to consider investing in professionally created user-generated content to feature on your social media or web page. There are a number of services on the web that can assist with creating user-generated content that can be used on a number of platforms in order to build the credibility of your brand.

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