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Both UGC and TikTok are at the forefront of the digital marketing world. As powerful tools, brands can strategise by using them simultaneously. In this blog post, we will discuss how User Generated Content on TikTok can be used as a tool for brand success, including examples and expert tips on how to make the most of your TikTok UGC strategy.
There is a goldmine of User Generated Content (UGC) on TikTok. TikTok’s User Generated Content showcases products from a particular brand, with the content being generated by users rather than the brand itself. Therefore, TikTok UGC refers to any videos on the platform directly created by users, including challenges, reviews, tutorials, and various other trends.
TikTok is a platform that facilitates widespread UGC. With features such as the duet and stitch, brands are empowered to initiate challenges and trends, prompting users to create their own unique content. This in turn contributes to a wider landscape of UGC, which brands can leverage for their own benefits.
The hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt now has 77.8 billion views.
This incredible statistic not only highlights TikTok’s direct impact as a marketing platform but also underscores the great opportunity that UGC presents for smaller brands. UGC embodies the authenticity and creativity of TikTok’s diverse user base, fostering a sense of community among users globally. Therefore, UGC on TikTok acts as a powerful form of word-of-mouth marketing, diverting away from traditional marketing techniques and providing a fresh and exciting user-driven campaign.
According to TikTok, in 2022, 39% of TikTok users said they discovered a product or brand on TikTok they didn’t know about before, and 47% of TikTok users said they bought something they saw on TikTok.
Therefore, even with a small marketing budget, smaller brands can garner significant attention and potential sales by leveraging TikTok’s UGC trends. In fact, TikTok is a platform that allows smaller brands to collect content at no cost, as they can collect more original content from smaller creators, meaning they are on a similar playing field to bigger competitors. What’s more, this content is even more authentic since it comes from real customers who buy the product, love it, and then capture this value for the brands.
These micro or nano influencers, who have fewer followers, tend to have a more specific audience and interest, meaning more authentic content, as they have sought out and bought the product themselves. Thus, collecting this UGC would be a no-risk situation, generating a positive ROI for brands and allowing these smaller creators to grow.
The development of trust via social proof is one important component. TikTok thrives on the authenticity and relatability of content created by users, which in turn fosters a sense of trust among the audience.
Since consumers trust other consumers, UGC is the most authentic type of content, and TikTok is a platform that can display this effectively.
An example of powerful social proof is product reviews and demonstrations: Users can share their genuine experiences with a product by demonstrating its usage. For instance, in this piece of TikTok UGC featured below this user shows before-and-after results using a skincare product from the brand COSRX. This, accompanied by positive commentary, serves as convincing social proof of the product’s effectiveness. She also pairs the video with a great collection of more specific hashtags to widen the reach of the content.
Through TikTok, brands can also ensure that consumers are consistently engaged, as they keep up to date with current trends, therefore capturing the eye of the consumer through this ability to constantly adapt.
By keeping current, brands can ensure that all their marketing campaigns are fresh and inspiring, therefore facilitating more UGC produced by TikTok users.
The format of these TikTok videos allows greater engagement, as the content tends to consist of hyper-engaging short videos in portrait mode. As well as this, the format will ensure that the content is social and shareable while optimising the viewing experience.
Brands can also build a stronger community by tapping into User Generated Content on TikTok, in turn fostering engagement and building brand loyalty.
This is demonstrated by the #BookTok trend’s success, which has now garnered over 198 billion views. In addition to influencing book sales, users’ inventive and entertaining book recommendations and reviews have strengthened the sense of community among platform users who are avid readers. Thus, these book-selling brands can increase exposure and obtain greater reach through TikTok with greater viral potential.
#BookTok is a particularly good hashtag to use alongside a more specific hashtag for your brand, for example, the title of the book or the name of the author. Utilising these in conjunction would broaden the reach of your content.
Leveraging TikTok trends is essential in order to stay relevant and increase visibility. The most important thing to remember is to work strategically. Brands should employ these techniques in a strategic manner by seeking out trends that align with a specific brand message. This can be really inspiring and effective for both brand growth and brand perception. They can do this by:
As well as creating giveaways and challenges, your brand can encourage more User Generated Content on TikTok by creating:
Gymshark initiated its ‘Change your life’ campaign, encouraging users to set a fitness goal and upload it on January 1st. Then, after 66 days, participants were prompted to share their progress or transformation photos.
Participants were required to tag the brand using @GymShark and #gymshark66. Winners of the challenge received a year’s worth of Gymshark products.
The outcome was impressive: the campaign amassed more than 1.9 million likes, received 12,576 comments and accrued 45.5 million views for the #gymshark66 hashtag challenge. This level of engagement was made possible not only through collaboration with top TikTok fitness influencers such as Nella Grabowski and Swole Ricketts, but also smaller fitness creators, (3rd picture), who were impressed with what the challenge stood for – taking small steps to change your life.
This challenge was one of many that helped #gymshark acquire 11.9 Billion views and 5.1 million followers on TikTok.
It is crucial to stay innovative when making use of UGC on TikTok. Creativity will set you apart from competitors and engage viewers. Here are some examples of the best UGC formats that can be gathered from TikTok, and will hook your audience!
This format, which functions as a tutorial, allows creators to showcase how your brand’s product operates. These videos serve a crucial purpose by addressing exactly how the product solves the consumer’s wants or needs and how effectively it does this. This is one of the most sought-after types of video by consumers, already evidenced by User Generated Content on YouTube where ‘How to’ videos are the most popular content category on the platform.
Before and afters serve as compelling visual testimonials that can display the transformative impact of a product. Presenting a video showcasing the evolution from ‘before’ to ‘after’ not only captures the attention of potential customers but also accelerates the decision-making process by demonstrating the positive changes achieved through your product.
Us vs Them videos, otherwise known as comparison videos, involve a friendly competition between your brand and its counterparts, a sort of brand face-off! This approach is not confrontational but rather fosters engagement with your audience, emphasising the distinguishing features that set your product apart from the competition. These comparison videos also play a vital role in helping viewers make informed decisions based on their specific needs and budgets.
This form of UGC is a straightforward approach that encourages creators to share their appreciation for a product. The concept involves prompting the creator to articulate reasons why they love the product. To make it gripping and punchy, 3-5 reasons why is recommended. This UGC strategy is effective for encouraging users to share their personal experiences with your product. By inviting the audience to express their thoughts, you gain valuable insights into the perception and impact of your product.
A reaction video is where individuals can respond to content, normally through the use of the duet feature on TikTok. This format portrays the creator’s emotional response to experiencing a product or viewing specific content. Viewers are captivated by these reaction videos as they get to witness an authentic reaction and emotion.
Word-of-mouth marketing can outperform more traditional forms of advertising. Nielsen’s report found that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from others, even people they don’t know, over branded content.
Influencers often act as relatable figures, which can make UGC feel more genuine and less promotional. Their endorsement can add credibility to the content and make it more authentic in the eyes of their followers.
Organic Content (Free UGC) Generated by users without direct brand involvement. It’s authentic and driven by genuine experiences or interests. This can be really valuable for all brands particularly the smaller, start-up brands, that require more content for their marketing strategy – at no cost – whilst also possibly generating a significant positive ROI.
Influencer Partnerships (Paid UGC) also known as IGC (influencer generated content), involves collaborating with influencers who create content endorsing a brand or product. While paid, it leverages the influencer’s authenticity and reach.
Although things might vary by industry and the target consumer demographic, there is no denying the relevancy of TikTok as an aspect of forming a robust marketing strategy for the vast majority of brands and eCommerce retailers. Here are some tips on how brands make the most of the TikTok platform.
You can also utilise the “promote” feature effortlessly on TikTok. Easily select your goal:
Then, select your target audience, budget, and promotion duration – all within a few taps on TikTok!
An exceptional aspect of UGC lies in its adaptability for various purposes. For instance, you have the option to integrate TikTok videos seamlessly into your website or incorporate them into social media advertisements. Therefore, you can repurpose this UGC from TikTok on other platforms.
Recognising the impact of User Generated Content, Flowbox has developed a comprehensive UGC platform. This platform allows you to effortlessly gather social media feeds, stories, photos, or reviews and smoothly embed them onto any website automatically.
The incorporation of User Generated Content from social media not only enhances the overall user experience but also extends the average time users spend on a page. Additionally, as User Generated Content significantly influences purchasing decisions, featuring TikTok videos on your website can also contribute to a boost in sales originating from your site.
Not working with a UGC platform yet? Book a demo to learn for yourself why brands all over the world trust Flowbox.
Remember to stay authentic. When creating content for TikTok, avoid the scripted approach used in TV commercials. TikTok users seek genuine connections, not just sales pitches from brands. To boost impact, aim for natural messaging. Showcase your product in real-life situations or collaborate with influencers to feature it organically.
Remember what makes campaigns effective. The ability to tap into TikTok culture, encourage participation through fun and relatable challenges, and capitalise on trends to generate substantial amounts of User Generated Content.
Remember that TikTok is an incredible tool for transformational brand success! Expand your audience, grow a community and highlight the quality of your product through collecting User Generated Content on TikTok.
