We’re constantly scouring the internet for content to share with our community.
Because it’s a great way to get conversations started about what’s new in social and digital media and how it might affect our companies or clients.
Last week, we came across this article from PR Daily.
It focused on user-generated content and how we, as organizations, can take things our audience creates and both share and reimagine them.
Which is exactly what we’re doing right now … with this #SpinSucksQuestion.
It’s safe to say, we are BIG fans of user-generated content.
We depend on our wonderful community for your input and ideas every single week!
Don’t Stop Me Now
The example in PR Daily actually made us smile because it was just so much fun! (I know that sounds lame, but I’m telling you, it’s the kind of content I dream about.)
YouTube and Mustache agency worked together to celebrate the band Queen and the legacy it left behind.
Users were invited to create their own music videos to either “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Don’t Stop Me Now” and the company spliced the videos together and made one giant collaborative music video for each song.
We think you’ll love watching it.
And that’s why this week for the #SpinSucksQuestion, we’re talking all about user-generated content. We asked:
Have you ever used your audience to generate content? If so, how did you use it?
Audience Stories for the Win
Yes, during my time working at two different theme parks, as well as at a destination, we often relied on our fans and followers (and advocates) to help us tell our story through user-generated content. Whether it was a specific campaign around an event to get people excited and generate buzz, or a reputation campaign designed to build advocacy around an issue, it always focused on giving key audiences something they could get behind, support and put their name on.
Some were done in park and others were executed primarily on social, but all required digital tools to:
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ensure we were capturing the right content to share and re-purpose to other audiences
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engage with the advocates and fans sharing the content so we could foster the relationship and
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bring a larger community together to keep sharing the content and messaging throughout the campaign.
While in my current position we don’t use any UGC, I’m hoping to put together a social campaign to get our bank customers to share their stories of how loans from our small community bank helped them find their dream homes or start their business.
In my previous position though at an amusement park, we used UGC frequently from customers who tagged us in their images on social media, specifically Instagram, to show how much fun families had inside the parks, since there was something for everyone to enjoy.
Contests and Questions
We’ve certainly done direct incentives (contests, etc.) to solicit content, but amplification seems the better path—sharing customer’s native content makes the customer feel amazing and builds community.
I use surveys to generate content. For example, last year I asked people for their favorite Halloween candies. It’s a great way to generate interest in your content and keep the audience involved.
We use our audience to create content daily! Our biggest means to doing so is through using a company/product called Crowdriff that feeds into our socials, blog content, and much more. Quicker than me describing it all here’s an article laying out how we use Crowdriff in multiple ways.
Why User-Generated Content is So Important
A million years ago when I first started interacting with Gini Dietrich, I worked for one of her clients.
When I began to delve more into the world of Spin Sucks, I was impressed by all of the content.
I remember my eyes lighting up when I had the opportunity to contribute.
It’s a little thing, I know, but it felt like a big deal to me.
I keep that in mind every week when we put together the #SpinSucksQuestion.
We hope seeing your comments in a post brings a smile to your face.
Ultimately, we want to connect with you, spark conversations, answer questions, and make you feel special—because you are our community!
Speaking of which, if you aren’t a member of the free Spin Sucks Community on Slack, just fill out this form to join.
And then, take part in some of our fun, freewheeling, and fabulous discussions.
Do you encourage customers to create user-generated content? Tell us what you’ve done!
The comments belong to you.
