Amazon remains one of the best e-commerce platforms with over 9 million sellers worldwide.
However, standing out in this sea of competitors is no easy feat.
That’s why we want to introduce you to a marketing strategy that can turn things around for your Amazon business: user-generated content (UGC).
It’s fresh and engaging, and Amazon users love it!
Now, let us give you all the insights on what UGC for Amazon is and how and why to use it to make your brand shine.
Let’s begin!
What Is User-Generated Content (UGC)?
User-generated content (UGC) is any type of content created by a consumer instead of a brand.
By this, we mean blog posts, social media posts, video content, photos, and customer reviews and testimonials.
Through UGC content, consumers offer feedback on products or services they’ve tried or experienced and share it online with friends and followers.
For instance, a consumer can create a tutorial or an unboxing video featuring your Amazon products.
In this video, they can describe their entire Amazon purchasing experience, including product pricing, delivery, and details.
Some consumers do this for free, simply because they fell in love with a product and want others to try it.
However, some consumers (aka content creators) do this professionally by partnering with brands in exchange for monetary compensation or other perks.
As an Amazon business, you’re interested in the latter.
But before we explain why, we want to clarify something.
UGC vs. Amazon Video Ads: What’s the Difference?
Amazon video ads are a form of digital marketing where brands create video content to promote their Amazon products.
Therefore, the main difference is that UGC content is created by consumers, while Amazon ads are created by brands.
While both these digital marketing strategies ultimately aim to boost sales, they work differently.
Amazon video ads use eye-catching, high-quality product videos to create exposure for Amazon products and attract potential customers.
On the other hand, UGC videos aim to build consumer trust through genuine customer referrals.
Of course, you can and should use both marketing strategies to help your e-commerce brand thrive.
But for now, let’s examine some of the particular benefits of UGC content for e-commerce brands.
What Are the Benefits of Amazon UGC for Your Brand + Listings?
To understand why user-generated content is so important, check out some of the magnificent benefits supported by UGC statistics.
It builds consumer trust
One of the main challenges brands face nowadays is the lack of consumer trust.
In fact, according to a 2023 Matter Communications survey, 69% of consumers trust recommendations from friends, family, and influencers more than brand content.
However, since UGC is created by consumers, it is seen as more trustworthy than Amazon ads.
It increases authenticity
Consumers crave authenticity, and that’s exactly what Amazon UGC offers them.
A 2019 Stackla report found that 90% of consumers decide which brands they like based on the level of authenticity.
Moreover, the same study shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to perceive UGC as authentic compared to brand-generated content.
It boosts reach + engagement
Professional content creators already have an engaged audience that follows them.
Thus, the moment they create Amazon UGC promoting your product listings, they expose your brand to new consumers.
This works even better if you partner with influencer content creators because influencers reach at least 83% of social media users ages 18-60, according to Izea.
It enhances conversion rates + sales
UGC is a very powerful tool because it can shape purchasing decisions.
According to the Medill Spiegel Research Center (SRC), 95% of consumers check product reviews, and 86% consider them an essential part of their purchasing decisions.
You can further increase conversion rates and sales for your Amazon business by working with influencer UGC creators.
The 2024 Izea survey found that 51% of consumers have made a purchase after seeing a product used by an influencer.
Next, we’ll show you how to use UGC for Amazon to generate these outstanding benefits.
What Are The Best Practices for Amazon UGC Creation?
Take a look at some of the best practices for creating audience-capturing UGC for your Amazon business.
1. Collaborate with influencer content creators
As we already mentioned, influencers can expose your Amazon listings to a large and engaged consumer pool.
Likewise, they can create more authentic content that resonates with the audience.
2. Provide clear instructions
If you decide to collaborate with a professional Amazon UGC creator, you need to give them some guidelines.
Communicate what you expect of them and what you want to achieve through your Amazon UGC campaign.
To make things easier, you can use a creator marketing platform like Insense.
We offer a comprehensive Creative Brief that you just fill out with information about the campaign format, creator requirements, type of content, and your Amazon product details.
3. Offer rewards or incentives
You can encourage your own customers to create UGC by offering them incentives.
For example, you can organize a contest and reward the customers who created the best UGC video testimonials with free Amazon products.
You can also simply offer discount codes or early access to new products in exchange for UGC.
4. Showcase user-generated content
Show off the UGC you source from influencers and customers on your Amazon listing.
That will provide social proof and build consumer trust.
5. Use branded hashtags
Come up with unique hashtags for your Amazon business.
Then, encourage content creators and customers to use the hashtag when sharing UGC about your Amazon product listing.
6. Showcase diverse perspectives
While it’s important to focus on your target audience, you can reach other potential customers as well.
After all, people of all ages buy from Amazon.
So, try to source Amazon UGC from different consumer demographics to make it more relatable.
7. Maintain good relationships with UGC creators
Once you find the right content creator for your Amazon business, you shouldn’t let them go.
The longer you collaborate with them, the more familiar they will become with your brand and products.
Therefore, it will be easier for them to create more high-quality and authentic UGC content.
Likewise, this consistency can help build trust among consumers.
With our Relationship Management functionality, you can set up long-term campaigns and work with the same creators each time.
On top of that, you can use the Direct Chat to keep in touch with your UGC collaborators and create stronger bonds.
8. Track performance + optimize
You should always track the performance of your Amazon UGC to determine if it’s working.
Some key metrics you should track include engagement and conversion rates.
If you see that your UGC campaign is not generating the desired results, it’s time to adjust and improve.
9. Repurpose UGC across other social media platforms
You should never limit your digital marketing efforts to only one platform.
Instead, use the high-quality UGC you source on various social media platforms to create more exposure for your e-commerce brand.
Now that you know what you have to do, let’s help you find some UGC creators.
How Can Amazon Sellers Find UGC Creators?
Here are some top strategies for finding content creators for your Amazon business:
Use a creator marketplace
Creator marketplace platforms, like Insense, are specifically designed to match brands with professional content creators.
Our Creator Marketplace gives you access to over 20K vetted micro-influencer content creators for various types of marketing campaigns.
Just use the advanced search filters to look for creators in your niche with Amazon storefront accounts.
You can also filter your search by creator and audience demographics, and more.
In just a few minutes, you’ll get a list of the best matches.
Work with an agency
Content creation agencies offer a wide range of content marketing services, including:
- Content strategy planning
- SEO consulting
- Blog writing
- Social media content
- Video production
The only downside is that working with an agency is usually more expensive than working with individual creators.
Therefore, we only recommend it if you need help optimizing your entire digital marketing strategy.
Run a social media contest
There are plenty of content creators on social media platforms.
While you can search for them using keywords like ‘content creator’ or ‘UGC creator,’ this is very time-consuming and not very precise.
Therefore, an easier strategy is to run a social media contest for UGC creators.
Give specific guidelines on what type of content you want participants to create, set a deadline for submissions, and select a prize.
Then, ask your followers to get the word out by sharing the contest details with their friends.
Finally, assess all the sourced UGC and pick one or more winners.
However, we have to warn you that this strategy doesn’t guarantee you’ll receive high-quality UGC from skilled content creators.
Use the Amazon Influencer Program
The Amazon Influencer Program allows influencers to earn a commission from any sale generated on Amazon.
In other words, it’s a form of affiliate marketing.
Influencers just need to create an Amazon storefront where they post their product recommendations.
Unfortunately, while this strategy is great for creators, it’s not so great for Amazon sellers.
The main reason is that Amazon doesn’t feature an influencer search bar or list that brands can use to identify Amazon influencers.
So, you have to manually search for creators on Amazon Live or use hashtags which is a big waste of time.
With all that out of the way, it’s time to wrap this up.
Over to you!
Clearly, using UGC for Amazon is a very lucrative marketing strategy that you shouldn’t miss out on.
However, for this strategy to work, you must source high-quality user-generated content from skilled creators.
Lucky you; that’s our specialty!
Just book a demo with Insense, and we’ll show you how it all works.
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