6-Fold Strategy for Leveraging UGC To Scale Marketing Campaigns

User-generated content (UGC) continues to compete with influencer content as the demand for authentic stories and real experiences from real customers grows.With consumers finding UGC UGC 9.8 times more convincing it’s no surprise that UGC improves conversion rates by as much as 64%.

As marketers seek innovative ways to resonate with their target audience, UGC emerges as a versatile solution. Tailored to different social media platforms and demographics, UGC makes brands more approachable, relatable, and ultimately more sellable. This guide will walk you through five actionable strategies to optimize UGC and integrate it into your marketing campaigns with the help of JoinBrands, a platform designed to simplify content creation partnerships.

Why is UGC Effective for Scaling?

Buyers are becoming increasingly skeptical of traditional advertising. Instead of slick ads, they now look for genuine social proof—feedback from fellow consumers. But what makes UGC a game-changer for scaling your campaigns?

Authenticity

Today’s audiences crave authentic content, with 56% of consumers—of consumers citing a lack of authenticity as a primary reason brands fail to engage them. UGC, created by real customers, delivers genuine experiences that build trust and foster a sense of community.

UGC can help you overcome these twin challenges because audiences consider original content by fellow non-celebrity consumers more trustworthy. Audiences prefer this form of social proof because they’re “first-hand accounts” or real-life experiences. UGC creators give their opinions about a product or service, including observed strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

Diverse content

Differentiation or producing unique content is a strategy that 40% of brands employ to stand out from the competition and avoid “vanilla” or mainstream marketing. UGC creators excel at producing a variety of formats tailored to different social media channels, such as:

• Product reviews/unboxings
• How-to/Tutorials
• Q&As, particularly AMAs (ask me anything)
• Testimonials/success stories
• Image or videos featuring customers interacting with a brand’s product or service in a real-world setting
• Social media posts challenges (recipe challenge, workout challenge, makeover challenge, dance/lip-sync challenge)
• Comparisons (product vs. product)
• Fact vs. myth

UGC creators can also offer a fresh perspective because of their unique backgrounds, deepening understanding of various cultures and advocacies, leading to dialogue and an inclusive environment.

Cost-effectiveness

By partnering with UGC creators, brands can reduce reliance on expensive traditional marketing efforts, like hiring professional photographers or producing big-budget ads. UGC offers high ROI while keeping budgets lean.

6 Scaling Strategies with UGC Creators

Here’s how you can implement UGC effectively, along with the role JoinBrands plays in simplifying the process:

1. Align Creators with Your Brand Values

Craft a detailed campaign brief that defines your brand’s tone, messaging, and objectives. Clear communication ensures UGC creators deliver high-quality content aligned with your vision.

How JoinBrands helps:
Their platform simplifies the process with pre-made campaign options. You can select the content type (e.g., product review) and use their detailed briefing tools to convey your expectations clearly.

2. Tailor UGC for Specific Platforms

Different platforms attract different audiences. To maximize engagement, choose UGC creators familiar with your marketing channels and your potential customers’ preferences.

How JoinBrands makes it easy: JoinBrands has ready-made options for creating a new campaign. You can select your desired “Content Type” and “Content Format” upfront and go into more detail through the “Content Brief” section. You can use the blank field to describe your brand values and campaign description more thoroughly in 2k characters or 350 words.

2. Tailor UGC for platform-specific audiences.

The best approach is to select UGC creators active on the platforms frequented by your target audience. Moreover, you can conduct surveys, collect feedback, and check social media analytics to establish the demographics and preferences of your viewers on official brand platforms.

How JoinBrands makes it easy: JoinBrands lets you find and choose creators from the platforms you use, including TikTok, Instagram, Amazon (shoppable videos), and YouTube. Moreover, the company’s blog offers guidance on aligning content to consumer behavior trends.

3. Use influencer marketing solutions, like JoinBrands, to streamline your collaboration and creative process.

Platforms like JoinBrands let you customize creator search settings and manage the campaign development process from one dashboard. In the Creator Parameters section, you can specify your desired qualifications, including gender, age, ethnicity, and other special requirements (niche, platform, and other elements to be featured in the content.)

Moreover, you can choose from three creator levels representing varying degrees of experience and expertise.

JoinBrands also enables you to work with UGC creators for a project series through recurring campaigns. As long as you clarify your objectives, publication frequency, and campaign duration, this campaign type can provide a steady stream of fresh and appealing content that reflects your brand vision.

4. Optimize UGC through A/B testing for enhanced audience targeting.

Use the insights from the performance of past campaigns to fine-tune future ones. “Test” or compare one variable—format, style, or creator—at a time to determine which aspect of a campaign is more effective.

How JoinBrands makes it easy: The platform stores all your past campaigns, providing data for you to determine which aspects of a current or future campaign to improve on. You can click the Campaigns tab, scroll down to the campaign you wish to review, and tap “See details” to view that campaign’s performance.

5. Build a creator community.

More brands are forming and nurturing creator communities as more and more of these creatives prefer long-term partnerships. You can grow your brand’s inbound creator pipeline through referral rewards, creating a landing page with an application form for creator partners, and loyalty programs.

How JoinBrands makes it easy: You can invite creators to register for JoinBrands’ affiliate program to earn a 20% commission from service fees earned from their referrals.

Source: https://help.joinbrands.com/en/articles/7910946-creators-affiliatte-program

6. Track campaign results to learn from and repeat high-performing content.

After launching your campaign, monitor metrics such as new customers, value of expenses saved, and return on spend to determine which content types to repeat and improve.

How JoinBrands makes it easy: User dashboards have a cost breakdown tab, which summarizes your costs per campaign from creator to platform fees. For in-depth reports on conversions and campaign performance comparisons, click the chat button on JoinBrands’ Help Center to request custom analytics.

Source: https://help.joinbrands.com/en/articles/6513181-campaign-cost-breakdown

How JoinBrands Simplifies Scaling with UGC Creators

JoinBrands helps you get the most authentic images and videos for diverse categories and industries to post on various platforms as a result of the following:

Extensive and vetted creator network

Over 4,700 brands turn to JoinBrands for its 100,000+ creator network. You don’t have to look farther than the home page to discover their niches:

• Apparel and accessories
• Arts and crafts
• Baby, kids, and maternity
• Beauty and personal care
• Food and beverage
• Home decor
• Pets and animals
• Sports and fitness

Creators undergo certification before they become eligible to create any of these content types for brands on the Marketplace.

They submit sample content, and JoinBrands evaluates whether it meets its quality standards before certifying them as eligible to accept jobs posted on the Marketplace.

Streamlined campaign management to nurture long-term partnerships

JoinBrands follows a simple process: after you create a campaign, wait for creators to “select” you. To avoid confusion or miscommunication, the JoinBrands team reviews the campaign details you entered before it goes live on Marketplace.

Once applications arrive, send your products to your creators and then wait for them to upload their content. You can then select which among the submitted content you’ll “purchase” and then download it from JoinBrands. The platform’screators have completed over 62,000 jobs based on company statistics published in January 2024.

Meanwhile, JoinBrands enables quick communication between creators and brands on the platform through its built-in chat feature. This online solution can also serve as your project management tool when you sign up for a Brand or Agency plan, which allows three to 10 team collaborators.

Cost-effective solutions

There’s a creator-level and subscription plan for every budget. Jobs start at $15 ($60 for videos), while plans start from $99/month.

Here’s a summary of JoinBrands’ features in comparison with other platforms:

References: https://creator.co/brands/, https://brands-creatorco.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/25431300483860-Automatic-Messages-to-Creators, https://www.creatoriq.com/influencer-marketing-solution, https://www.creatoriq.com/influencer-marketing-solution/creator-onboarding-and-recruitment, https://www.upfluence.com/manage-influencers, https://www.upfluence.com/product-seeding, https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-payments, https://grin.co/solutions/customer-advocacy-marketing-platform-solution/, https://help.grin.co/docs/sending-messages, https://help.joinbrands.com/en/articles/6303585-brand-how-do-creators-get-my-product

Experience the Same UGC Success as Our Other JoinBrands Users

To stay true to the essence of UGC, we are sharing reviews from JoinBrands’ brand partners and the lessons we can take away from their experience with the platform.

Three Testimonials

Shelby Ferrari chose JoinBrands for her self-care subscription box business ElementsBrand. In a Trust Pilot review, she said over 100 creators connected with her 24 hours after posting her campaign. She received five “amazing videos” from five influencers she shortlisted. The video featured “unique angles,” showcasing the potential of her brand “in ways I had not even thought about.”

In another Trust Pilot review, marketing consultant Lauren Beale praised “JoinBrands’ infrastructure,” saying the platform coached her through each stage of her eCommerce campaign. Besides the guided workflow, JoinBrands’ customer service team promptly assisted her with her queries. Beale also found creators quickly “without getting bogged down in all the sourcing and coordination of doing it ourselves.”

Meanwhile, Multiply Today founder Dumitru Morari called JoinBrands “the best UGC platform” in a Product Hunt review. Aside from commending the ease and speed of getting creator input, he was also satisfied with how he could learn more about creators using the platform. JoinBrands’ creator profiles include a self-description, their past work, and reviews they received.

You can read our feature about 20 businesses that have won big through TikTok for more success stories.

Takeaways

The reviews above point us to these critical principles when leveraging creators as success partners:

1. Make it easy for creators to reach you and understand your precise needs.
2. Review their profiles to select based on their expertise level and feedback from past clients.
3. Establish your requirements, but give them plenty of room to practice creativity.

10 Frequently Asked Questions About UGC Campaigns

1. What is user-generated content (UGC)?

User-generated content (UGC) refers to authentic content—such as reviews, images, videos, or social media posts—created by real customers instead of professional marketers. UGC showcases genuine experiences, making it a powerful tool for brands to connect with their target audience.

2. Why is UGC important for brands?

UGC builds trust by providing social proof, offers relatable content, and drives higher conversion rates. It resonates with potential customers because it reflects real customer experiences, making brands more approachable and credible.

3. How does UGC differ from influencer content?

While influencer marketing often delivers polished and aspirational content, UGC is more organic and authentic. It reflects genuine interactions with products or services, appealing to a broader audience seeking real experiences.

4. How can brands use UGC?

Brands can integrate UGC into various marketing channels, such as:

• Social media content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok
• Email marketing campaigns
• Website banners and landing pages
• Paid advertising for relatable and engaging campaigns

5. How do I find UGC creators?

Platforms like JoinBrands make it easy to connect with a network of vetted UGC creators. These content creators specialize in producing high-quality UGC tailored to your brand’s target audience and marketing strategy.

6. What platforms are best for UGC?

Popular social media platforms for UGC include Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. These channels prioritize visual and relatable content, allowing brands to engage effectively with their audience and build a sense of community.

7. How much does UGC cost?

UGC is a cost-effective alternative to traditional marketing. Content creation can start at just $15 on JoinBrands, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes to scale their marketing efforts.

8. Can UGC improve engagement rates?

Absolutely! UGC fosters authentic engagement by showcasing genuine customer experiences. Audiences are more likely to interact with relatable content, which leads to improved social media engagement and stronger connections with potential buyers.

9. What industries can benefit from UGC?

UGC is versatile and works across various industries, including fashion, food, fitness, tech, and more. It helps brands establish trust, showcase real customer experiences, and influence purchasing decisions.

10. What role does JoinBrands play in UGC marketing?

JoinBrands simplifies UGC campaign management by connecting brands with certified UGC creators. From campaign creation to tracking engagement rates, JoinBrands streamlines the process, helping businesses scale their marketing campaigns with authentic connections and high-quality content.

Let JoinBrands Help You Find Your UGC Creator Match.

Explore how JoinBrands can connect you to its community of creators, who can point fellow consumers to your brand through UGC. Book a demo today to start scaling your campaigns and see immediate results with JoinBrands’ expert tools.