User-Generated Content: When Audiences Share in the Excitement!
Arpil 8, 2024 | SOcial Media, CREATIVE STRATEGY, Marketing & Communications
Photo by Marc Tran
In today’s digital age, what do many people usually do when they experience an exciting concert, event, or experience?
They share it on social media of course! We all know that social media is a big part of people’s lives, but did you know that it has also been a driving force in concert attendance, especially in the last few years? The Oracle’s article “Social media trends drive surge in concert attendance” highlights the strong connection between the sharing of concert experiences on social media and people’s desire to attend them. This is a trend that has been observed especially with young people. A notable example of this is Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, which went viral in the summer of 2023 and saw an unprecedented demand for tickets. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even got in on the action, tweeting to Taylor Swift, politely asking her to bring her tour to Canada – which she later did in 2024. Sharing experiences with your social media followers serves as a compelling illustration of modern-day word-of-mouth.
So, what is word-of-mouth anyway?
Chances are you’ve heard of it before. Word-of-mouth (WOM) has been a time-proven way for organizations to garner new customers and audiences and for good reason! Think about it – ever since we've had choices in what we buy, watch, or experience, WOM has been our trusty sidekick. After all, who’s most likely to convince you to check out that new ice cream shop around the corner – a trusted friend or family member giving you the inside scoop, or a flashy ad popping up on your screen?
word-of-mouth + Social Media = ?
So, what do you get when you combine social media and word-of-mouth? Well, if you’ve clicked on this blog, you’ll know that we’ll be discussing the wonderful world of user-generated content! In today's digital age, user-generated content (UGC) has emerged as a powerful method to allow consumers to both directly and indirectly broadcast their WOM. UGC has the power to shape the creative landscape and drive the visitor economy. From social media platforms to online forums and review sites, UGC encompasses a wide array of content created by users rather than brands or ad agencies. Its importance cannot be overstated, as it not only fosters creativity, connectivity, and culture but also plays a pivotal role in influencing consumer behaviour. In this blog, we’ll be exploring how UGC can be used to amplify new experiences, engage with creatives, and build rapport with audiences and partners.
Photo by Neil Zeller
What is an example of UGC?
Let’s take a look at one of Calgary’s rising festivals, Chinook Blast. Chinook Blast is Calgary’s relatively new winter festival celebration that brings together partners from the arts, non-profit, neighbourhood, tourism, and sports communities to create a culturally rich and inclusive experience aimed at locals and visitors alike. Each February, downtown Calgary lights up with eye-catching art installations, live music, roving performers, interactive activities and more. With such a dynamic festival that aims to appeal to a wide array of people, how does a festival like Chinook Blast generate buzz?
As you might imagine, Chinook Blast was advertised in traditional outbound ways through billboards, posters, and radio. While those methods are important in getting the word out for a new and unique experience, it can be difficult to measure the effectiveness of the campaigns. Other methods of promoting Chinook Blast that worked in tandem with outbound tactics were more inbound tactics such as influencer marketing, email marketing, and social media. It is with these methods that Chinook Blast encouraged UGC, notably, through Chinook Blast’s main hashtag – #chinookblast.
Although a simple marketing practice in theory, for a new experience, providing and encouraging a way for audiences to share in the excitement contributes greatly to increasing exposure organically. To date, nearly 6,000 Instagram posts have been tagged with #chinookblast since the festival took off in 2021. And that doesn’t include the countless Instagram stories that people have shared, an arguably more popular way for people to share experiences on the platform.
So, why is it important?
The million-dollar question. We’ve mentioned why UGC is important in terms of exposure, but there’s so much more to it! From fostering creativity to establishing a strong customer base, UGC can truly differentiate brands and experiences. Here’s a snapshot of how UGC can be beneficial.
Fostering Creativity
One of the most significant impacts of user-generated content is its ability to foster creativity among your audience. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have democratized content creation, allowing anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection to share their stories and experiences with their circles. This democratization has led to a flourishing of diverse voices, perspectives, and artistic expressions that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Going back to Chinook Blast, the festival featured markets and performances from dozens of cultures. Take for instance two of the night markets at Calgary’s City Hall Atrium, the Four Winds Indigenous Showcase and Market, and the Asian Heritage Foundation’s Night Market. These markets showcased an incredible display of both Indigenous art and performance from across Canada and a diverse array of cultures from Canada’s many Asian diaspora groups respectively. These unique markets were captured by performers, vendors, and visitors, and shared extensively through social media, increasing reach and exposure not just for the two markets, but for the festival as a whole. Chinook Blast’s social media would in turn engage with the content by way of liking, sharing, and commenting.
In the end, by encouraging and sharing UGC, Chinook Blast’s night markets were showcased as an incredibly unique, collaborative, accessible, and exciting experience that visitors could attend and take part in.
Influencing Consumer Behavior
As Uncle Ben famously said to a young Peter Parker “With great power comes great responsibility.” Such is the power of UGC. Unfortunately, positive UGC is not some superpower we can spew from our wrists like Spiderman. In fact, UGC in general is a bit of a double-edged sword especially when it comes to influencing consumer behaviour.
Let’s start with the positives. We’ve mentioned that WOM, from a trusted source, is an effective way of convincing someone to try a new product or experience. Studies have shown that consumers are more likely to trust recommendations and reviews from their peers than ads. UGC, in turn, provides authentic, real-life perspectives that can resonate with audiences. Encouraging this through the use of hashtags, stories, engaging with audience posts, etc., can promote a positive feedback loop where more potential audiences want to get in on the action.
It's important to note, however, that not all UGC is positive. An audience or consumer who is dissatisfied with an event or product can just as easily create content expressing their disappointment. In this case, it is still important to engage with the negative. While organizations may have different strategies in how they approach negative feedback, acknowledging the negative (when appropriate) and offering a solution can go a long way in preventing a negative feedback loop where multiple individuals engage with the same negative content. When the response is handled appropriately, there is opportunity for negative UGC to turn into a positive for a brand or experience provider.
Engagement, Engagement, Engagement
The proverbial gold at the end of every social media manager’s rainbow. UGC is not just any form of engagement, anyone can like a social post but to get someone to go so far as to create a social post and share it on their personal page or their stories takes a special level of prowess. We mentioned the effectiveness of a branded hashtag like #chinookblast. To give another example, Taylor Swift’s 2023 Eras tour, commonly shared on Instagram as #erastour has nearly 800k posts under its belt.
While it may be easier for a concert series or a festival to garner UGC, it’s important to note any UGC no matter how small (including comments, quotes, and reshares) should never be taken for granted. Organizations should continuously seek methods to foster engagement and leverage it whenever possible!
Encouraging UGC
What a great segue! For brands and experience providers looking to thrive in today's digital landscape, embracing the power of UGC is essential. By actively engaging with audiences, encouraging them to share their experiences, and leveraging UGC across marketing channels, organizations can tap into the authentic voices of their audience and build meaningful connections that drive growth and success.
Here are just a few ideas to encourage UGC – these examples are what Chinook Blast has used in the past:
Utilize interactive tools on IG like polls and surveys – this can help increase awareness, gauge interest for an upcoming event, or tease a large announcement.
Run contests, challenges, or giveaways where users comment or share a post.
Conduct interactive challenges like a VR scavenger hunt.
Create shareable content i.e. eye-catching reels (this content could also serve as an inspiration for audiences to create their own).
It's important to note that engagement is a two-way street! Organizations should always be looking for ways to build rapport with their partners. Doing so is just another way of fostering UCG. When looking at Chinook Blast, dozens of artists were featured at the RISE UP Calgary Community Outdoor Stage at Olympic Plaza, the heart of the festival. Chinook Blast took great care in ensuring that every artist and organization featured was tagged on Instagram stories. This would have a knock-on effect where audiences would see the story and know who was playing, tagging the performers themselves or taking it a step further and checking out their profiles.
Photo by Neil Zeller
Beyond Clicks
Bringing everything together, user-generated content has become a driving force in allowing audiences to take part in the excitement of an event or experience. Its ability to foster creativity, influence consumer behaviour, and drive engagement makes it an indispensable tool for organizations and creators. By looking for new ways to encourage UGC, organizations can unlock new opportunities for growth, creativity, and connection in the digital age.
So, what are some ways that your organization can encourage UGC?
Want to chat further about all things Creative Economy, Creative Strategy, Event Management, and Marketing and Communications? Drop us a line!