By Rory Dennis, Amplience
Since the dawn of online shopping, content has always been king. Successful online retailers feature rich content filled with dynamic images, extreme zoom, 360-degree views, and even video. High-quality content is exceptionally important on e-Commerce sites: It’s the only way that online shoppers can become truly familiar with products and be confident enough to buy them. Likewise, rich content is a retailer’s best chance at persuading shoppers to make a purchase, so it should come as no surprise that online content is a main focus for any smart brand.
The face of e-Commerce content has been changing recently, however. There has been a big influx in user-generated content (UGC) from social media appearing on retailers’ sites, and the trend is quickly proving its worth, especially among younger generations. The content created and shared across social channels presents a great opportunity for retailers to tap into conversations and effectively cater to users’ demands and interests. Sourcing and incorporating content from these channels helps create a more authentic and engaging shopping experience that enhances customer loyalty and credibility.
Simply put, people are influenced by other people. Utilizing relevant posts from other social media users helps shoppers understand how others are using/wearing a product, which generates interest in the retailer and boosts sales. In fact, in a recent report on Instagram UGC, L2 found that 55% of shoppers trust customer photos more than brand and professional photos. The power of UGC is clear, and smart retailers know that it will be a key part of the future of e-Commerce.
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Sourcing Options
There are currently two main ways of sourcing UGC. You can ask users to manually upload their content to the site, or you can utilize a social feed that automatically uploads content into a UGC management tool. This requires setting up an owned, branded hashtag, which participants will need to use in order to get their content into your feed.
To begin, users will need to agree that their content can be shared on the site, which can be done across different social channels. On Twitter, for example, retailers can share the hashtag from the corporate handle and ask each user to reply with the hashtag and their consent. Once they’ve opted in, their content can be automatically uploaded going forward. This approach necessitates one easy action from users, versus requiring a manual upload every time a user wants to share content, which could be a participation deterrent.
Content Considerations
Another consideration for companies before jumping into UGC is the type of product they are selling. Product type impacts a company’s approach to UGC because some products become dated more quickly than others. For example, a household brand like McDonald’s or Pepsi doesn’t have to worry about content getting stale — aside from a few seasonal items their products are fairly static, which means UGC has a long shelf life on their sites.
Conversely, companies with faster product turnaround — like fashion brands — must approach UGC differently because the content can become outdated fairly quickly. Each season brings something new, and over the course of a couple of years (or less), fashion trends could change significantly. To ensure that they aren’t perceived as “behind the times,” apparel brands should consider a process that allows them to start sourcing social content prior to product launch. Perhaps this means tapping a pilot group of test shoppers or doing an early launch in a select few markets to help seed the UGC campaign for the broader unveiling.
Placing UGC
A common question around utilizing UGC is location: Where should it be placed on the site? To make the most of the content, brands should incorporate UGC throughout the entire customer experience, from the landing page — where it can be used to lure shoppers in — to the product page and everywhere in between.
The product page is especially important. This is where shoppers compare products and decide whether or not to make a purchase. According to L2’s report, only 9% of brands employ UGC on product pages, which means the content is dramatically under utilized.This “point of inspiration” is where UGC can have a big impact — if a shopper sees someone using or wearing an item in a creative and attractive way, this could influence the decision to purchase. According to the L2 report, 63% of consumers have postponed or decided against a purchase as a result of unhelpful product photos. As such, the product page is a great place for UGC to make a real impact.
There’s no doubt that UGC is changing how ecommerce providers approach content, and the way in which retailers incorporate UGC on their sites is important. It’s a powerful tool, but if it’s used incorrectly it can fall short on its potential. When utilized properly across a site, however, it can help produce an engaging and relevant experience for the buyer and help influence purchase decisions. Smart retailers know that UGC is the wave of the future when it comes to online content. The key is incorporating it in an intelligent way to truly maximize its potential.
Rory Dennis is the CMO of Amplience.
