Getting user generated content is an important part of your promotion strategy. Allowing users to generate content for and about your website makes them feel like they are contributing to your business; this helps generate customer interest in doing business with you. In addition, user generated content helps new customers find you on the Internet when they are looking for businesses like yours.
Definition of User Generated Content
Simply put, user generated content is any type of content that is written by people who visit a website rather than by the people who own the website. For example, if you have a blog, comments that readers of your blog make are user generated content. Some websites, such as Wikipedia, are completely composed of user generated content.
Advantages of User Generated Content
User generated content provides business owners with several advantages. First, customers like to feel important. If they write content that you post on your blog or refer to on your social media page, the customers who wrote that content feel special. These customers also feel like they have contributed something of value to your business, and they are likely to be loyal to your business as a result.
Allowing user generated content on your website or blog also provides customers with the ability to interact with you. Customer interaction is one of the most important aspects of your social media marketing campaign. The more you interact with customers rather than just giving them information, the more they feel like you are a trusted friend rather than a business owner. Customers who have interacted with you are much more likely to do business with you.
Finally, user generated content on other sites is a free form of advertising, as long as that content is positive. Google your business’ name at least once a week to see what content is out there. Be sure to correct any misinformation as soon as you find it so that readers don’t avoid your business because of negative user generated content. If you interact appropriately with customers, you are less likely to incur negative content of this nature.
How to Encourage User Generated Content
The easiest way to get users to contribute to your site is to integrate a blog within your site. Blog about topics of interest to your customers and allow comments on the blog. For example, an auto repair business might blog about ways to avoid common car problems in hot weather. When you open up the blog for comments, readers can ask you questions and share their own tips. That gives you the ability to interact with your customers on your site and set yourself up as an expert that can fulfill their needs.
It’s not difficult to get users to contribute content to your site. You want to do this as soon as possible so you can improve your search engine results and attract customers to your site. Open a blog today and start writing so that you can get the user generated content you need. If you need help getting started, feel free to contact Marden-Kane in the near future.