User Generated Content: how to include your community in Live Shopping

What is User Generated Content (UGC)?

Definition and importance of UGC

User Generated Content (UGC) refers to any form of content spontaneously created by consumers or users of a brand. This authentic form of communication can take a variety of forms, including videos, photos, reviews and comments on social networks. UGC reflects the true voice of the consumer and increases engagement with a brand. In an era when trust and emotions are paramount in e-commerce, UGC serves as social proof, showing that the products or services on offer generate genuine interest and are endorsed by the community.

Brands are increasingly relying on this type of content for their marketing strategy, as it is perceived as more authentic and reliable than traditional advertising messages. Alongside Live Shopping, UGC offers a refreshingly human perspective, often seen as more credible in the eyes of potential consumers. What's more, it stimulates interaction between customers and the brand, fostering a more personalized and engaging relationship.

UGC benefits for brands and companies

UGC offers several strategic advantages for brands in their e-commerce strategy. Firstly, it contributes to the creation of a dynamic, participative brand image: it creates a community around your offering. By involving users in content creation, companies capitalize on their community's engagement to boost their visibility and reputation. Secondly, UGC is an economic lever, since it enables promotional content to be generated at lower cost, since users are the producers of this material. Thirdly, user-generated content promotes customer acquisition and retention, thanks to a marketing approach that values the consumer's experience and opinion.

What's more, UGC can significantly improve a brand's search engine optimization (SEO), as well as helping to increase the visibility of posts on the brand's social networks. Fresh, regularly updated content, combined with user interaction, is a valuable asset for improving online positioning. Last but not least, UGC collects valuable data on consumer preferences and behaviors, giving companies the opportunity to adjust their strategies in a more targeted and effective way.

Examples of UGC applications

Many brands are taking advantage of UGC to boost their marketing campaigns. Among the possibilities:

• Communicate on your current campaigns: Live Shopping, promotions, product launches... Any positive opportunity is a good one! One example is campaigns to encourage customers to share product photos. These initiatives turn every user into a brand ambassador, extending the reach of the advertising message through consumers' personal networks. Platforms like Instagram have become veritable showcases where UGC blends harmoniously with official brand content, creating an interactive and engaging gallery for visitors.
• Sharing the opinions of your users and customers: another convincing example is the promotion of customer reviews on e-commerce sites. These testimonials play a crucial role in the decision-making process of potential buyers. Brands that actively encourage their customers to publish reviews or respond to surveys demonstrate transparency and openness to dialogue, qualities that are highly valued in today's digital world.

Integrating User Generated Content into Live Shopping

The Live Shopping concept

Live Shopping is an emerging method of combining the online shopping experience with live broadcasting. These are real-time events where presenters show and discuss products, answer viewers' questions and encourage instant purchase via direct links to the e-commerce site. This innovative concept takes advantage of immediacy and interactivity to create an immersive, user-friendly shopping experience. Live Shopping represents an opportunity for brands in their omnichannel sales strategy to strengthen the relationship with their audience and increase conversions thanks to a live demonstration of the benefits of their products or services.

This format is particularly effective for highlighting user experiences and integrating UGC. By inviting customers to share their personal opinions and demonstrations during Live Shopping, brands can create rich, diverse content that resonates with the community. This adds a layer of authenticity and trust, key elements in encouraging purchase.

UGC can then be used in different ways with Live Shopping:

• before Live Shopping: to promote the live broadcast, in the form of teasers or sharing sessions.
• During Live Shopping: user videos included in the credits or transitional jingles, questions in comments taken up as FAQs, complementary demonstrations associated with those performed live. All these uses of UGC will help you create compelling content and a fast-paced Live that's sure to grab your audience's attention.
• After Live Shopping: integrate UGC with replay to create content that can be distributed on your e-commerce site or social networks, or even in-store.

Strategies for encouraging UGC in Live Shopping sessions

To encourage UGC during Live Shopping sessions, brands can adopt several strategies. One approach is to encourage users to share their own experiences with products in real time, by inviting them to comment, ask questions, or even participate in the broadcast. Brands can also organize contests and giveaways during Live Shopping, encouraging participants to produce and share event-related content to win prizes.

Another tactic is to present testimonials or real-life use cases during the live session, which can be achieved by integrating video clips or photos sent in by users. Alternatively, brands can collaborate with influencers or loyal customers as co-presenters, adding a personal and credible dimension to the Live Shopping session.

Don't forget to mobilize UGC before and after Live Shopping to be as authentic as possible.

Measuring the impact of UGC in Live Shopping

Measuring the impact of UGC in Live Shopping is crucial to evaluating the success of this strategy. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as conversion rate, number of views, engagement (likes, comments, shares), and click-through rate can provide valuable information on the effectiveness of User Generated Content. By analyzing this data, brands can adjust their approach to maximize the impact of Live Shopping sessions.

It's also important to monitor the feedback and feelings expressed by users following Live Shopping. Positive feedback and testimonials of satisfaction are indicators of a successful experience, while criticism can reveal areas for improvement. Rigorous, ongoing analysis enables companies to fine-tune their Live Shopping strategy and optimize the use of UGC for maximum impact.

Building an engaged community through UGC and Live Shopping

Tips to encourage users to create content

To build an engaged community through UGC and Live Shopping, it's essential to encourage users to create content. Brands can, for example, set up challenge or hashtag campaigns that encourage users to share their experience with the product in creative ways. In addition, offering recognition and rewards to the best contributors can motivate more participants to join the initiative.

It is also beneficial to create spaces dedicated to sharing experiences on social networking platforms or brand websites. In addition, brands can simplify the process of content submission by users by providing easy-to-use tools and giving clear guidelines on the type of content sought. Clarity and simplicity are key factors in encouraging participation.

You can also take advantage of key periods in your sector and in e-commerce in general. By creating moments dedicated to the themes of these e-commerce events, you can strengthen the links with your users.

Using UGC to build trust and community involvement

The use of UGC is an effective method of building trust and community engagement. By highlighting authentic user-generated content, brands demonstrate that they value the opinions and contributions of their community. This creates a sense of belonging and trust, encouraging members to become more engaged and brand advocates. What's more, UGC can serve as a foundation for building a collaborative brand story, where every user contributes to shaping the company's image and values. This participative approach strengthens the ties between consumers and the brand, generating lasting loyalty and a tight-knit community around the products or services on offer.

6 reasons to use UGC in your marketing strategy

• Authenticity: UGC brings a personal, authentic touch that humanizes the brand.
• Engagement: Stimulates consumer interaction and engagement with the brand.
• Search engine optimization and visibility: UGC helps improve SEO with fresh, relevant content.
• Social proof: It serves as social proof, positively influencing purchasing decisions.
• Cost-effectiveness: UGC is a cost-effective way of generating content.
• Valuable data: It offers relevant insights into target audience preferences.

UGC and Live Shopping are powerful marketing tools which, when used together, can transform the way brands interact with their target audiences. Caast's Live Shopping solution, enhanced by Caast Shorts and Replay, is a perfect example of how these two elements can work together to maximize consumer impact and engagement. By adopting this strategy, brands can not only enrich the customer experience, but also build a loyal and engaged community around their products or services.