In today’s digital landscape, capturing customers’ attention is more challenging than ever. If you want more of your target customers to choose you over the competition, you must highlight your e-commerce site.
This is the time to enhance your strategy. Your marketing initiatives should compellingly demonstrate to potential customers why your brand is the premier choice.
The great news is that you can engage and inspire customers effectively through visual user-generated content, or visual UGC! An IAB report shows that user-generated content (UGC) is trusted 50% more than other media types. This makes customer reviews, star ratings, and social proof precious for eCommerce marketers looking to build trust and drive conversions
To fully harness the potential of visual marketing, your brands need to dive into the realm of Visual User-Generated Content ( VUGC ). Let’s read this article to learn how leveraging VUGC can significantly impact your marketing strategy, boost brand credibility, and increase customer engagement.
What is VUGC?
Visual User-Generated Content (VUGC) refers to any form of visual content—such as images, videos, and graphics—created and shared by customers or users of a brand. This content often showcases the product or service in real-life settings and is typically shared on social media platforms.
Understanding the difference between UGC & VUGC
UGC, or user-generated content, refers to user-generated content, including reviews, star ratings, testimonials, text posts in community forums, and other similar contributions.
Although UGC and Video User-Generated Content (VUGC) are similar, the distinction is made to highlight their unique benefits and uses. For example, when shopping for shoes, UGC such as star ratings displayed on Google’s search page provides a quick overview of top-rated products and trusted brands, helping you narrow down your choices faster.
In contrast, VUGC, like a video review from a satisfied customer, might not be as effective on Google Shopping’s results page but can be invaluable on a product page, boosting buyer confidence during the decision-making process.
That same video review could significantly impact a product page, helping shoppers choose the right size or encouraging them to try a different color. Additionally, video reviews provide an extra confidence boost, which is particularly helpful for online shoppers and can reduce the likelihood of returns.
The Proven Benefit of Visual UGC for your eCommerce store
Visual User-Generated Content (VUGC) offers powerful advantages for eCommerce stores by enhancing authenticity, boosting conversions, and fostering customer engagement. Here are five detailed advantages of using Visual User-Generated Content (VUGC) for your eCommerce store:
1. Increases Trust and Credibility
Visual UGC builds trust with potential customers by showcasing real, unfiltered images or videos of your products in use. Unlike professional product photos, which may appear too polished or staged, VUGC represents authentic, genuine experiences. Customers trust other consumers more than brands themselves, and seeing products used by real people helps reduce doubts about quality and fit. Statistics show that 79% of people say user-generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions.
2. Improves Conversion Rates
When potential buyers see real-life photos and videos of your products, they can better visualize how those items will work in their own lives. This visual confirmation—especially when it’s coupled with positive reviews or ratings—can significantly improve conversion rates. Monsoon’s Accessorize brand reported a 65% increase in online customer conversion rates after introducing new social technology that displays user-generated content (UGC) from social channels in a website gallery.
3. Enhances Customer Engagement
By encouraging users to share photos or videos of themselves using your products, you create a community around your brand. Customers are more likely to interact with content that feels personal and authentic. Featuring this content on your website or social media pages gives customers a sense of involvement and recognition, which can drive more engagement, foster loyalty, and encourage repeat purchases.
4. Boosts SEO and Social Media Reach
Search engines favor fresh, relevant content, and VUGC contributes to that by regularly adding new, customer-generated content to your website. This can improve your store’s search rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find you. Additionally, VUGC that’s shared on social media platforms can create valuable backlinks and drive traffic back to your site. The more people share their experiences with your products online, the wider your reach becomes, expanding your brand’s visibility across different platforms.
5. Cost-Effective Content Creation
Generating high-quality content for an eCommerce store can be expensive and time-consuming, but visual UGC offers an affordable alternative. Instead of investing heavily in professional photoshoots or video production, you can curate and showcase customer photos and videos. This allows you to maintain a consistent flow of engaging content without incurring significant costs, all while making your customers feel like active participants in your brand’s story. Brands like GoPro have successfully built communities that produce free, high-quality UGC, saving costs and creating a steady stream of authentic, relatable content.
By leveraging these advantages, visual UGC can enhance your store’s credibility, improve sales, foster customer loyalty, increase social media engagement, and lower content creation costs, ultimately contributing to a more successful eCommerce strategy.
How can you incorporate visual UGC into your social media?
1. Use Branded Hashtags
Branded hashtags allow potential customers to explore all content related to your brand or product in one place. It also makes it easy for you to track and curate UGC. Additionally, having a branded hashtag fosters a sense of community among your followers and customers, making them feel more connected to your brand. It also highlights the organic conversations happening around your products, providing social proof. Customers can see how many people are engaging with your brand, which increases their trust and interest in your products.
Glossier encourages customers to use #Glossier and #GlossierPink to share photos of themselves using their products.
2. Interact with Your Customers
Engagement is key to motivating customers to post about your brand. By liking, commenting, and reposting their content, you show appreciation for their participation. This interaction not only boosts the visibility of their posts but also builds stronger customer relationships. When customers feel acknowledged and valued, they are more likely to continue sharing their experiences, generating even more UGC for your brand.
3. Highlight VUGC Using Instagram Features
Instagram’s Highlights feature is an excellent tool for showcasing user-generated visual content. You can create dedicated Highlight reels where potential customers can easily find all customer reviews and visuals in one place. This method simplifies the browsing experience, helping prospects quickly see real-life product experiences. By strategically categorizing these highlights (e.g., by product, theme, or customer story), you can create a dynamic, compelling gallery that speaks directly to the interests of your audience.
Starbucks actively interacts with customers who post about their coffee experiences, often reposting stories or leaving comments on user photos.
4. Repurpose UGC Across Platforms
In addition to using Instagram Highlights, it’s important to repost and repurpose VUGC on other social media platforms and even your website. You can integrate customer photos or videos into product pages, landing pages, and marketing emails to boost social proof. However, always ensure you ask for permission before reposting user-generated content to maintain trust and transparency with your audience.
GoPro has built an entire community around UGC by encouraging customers to share their adventures using #GoPro
5. Create UGC Campaigns or Contests
Launching campaigns or contests that encourage customers to create and share content is another great way to leverage VUGC. Incentivize customers to post with a branded hashtag for a chance to be featured or win a prize. This can significantly increase the volume of UGC while building excitement around your brand. The shared content can then be used in future marketing efforts, keeping the momentum going and enhancing customer loyalty.
Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign invited customers to find bottles with their names on them and share photos using a branded hashtag
Leverage Trustify Reviews App to optimize visual user-generated content
Trustify Reviews App is an excellent tool for optimizing UGC, as it allows you to collect, display, and utilize customer-generated photos, videos, and testimonials effectively. By strategically integrating UGC into your website, marketing campaigns, and product pages, you can enhance customer confidence and encourage more purchases.
In this guide, we’ll explore several ideas and strategies to maximize the impact of visual user-generated content using Trustify Reviews App. These methods include:
- Showcasing Customer Photos and Videos: Learn how to display authentic visuals from satisfied customers that highlight your product in real-life use.
- Creating Testimonial Carousels: Use Trustify to create dynamic testimonial galleries showcasing both written and visual content.
- Utilizing Social Proof in Product Pages: Understand how to incorporate visual UGC directly into product pages to boost conversion rates.
- Incorporating VUGC into Email Campaigns: Discover the best practices for including photos and videos in your post-purchase and abandoned cart emails.
- Running VUGC-Driven Contests or Campaigns: Explore ways to engage customers by encouraging them to share their photos and videos for a chance to win prizes or discounts.
Through these strategies, Trustify Reviews App helps you transform your customer-generated visuals into powerful marketing assets that will drive customer loyalty, increase conversions, and enhance your brand’s reputation.
Questions & Answers about VUGC
1. What types of VUGC should you prioritize?
It depends on your product and audience, but generally, photos and short videos showing the product in action or highlighting key features are highly effective. For example, if you sell clothing, photos of customers wearing the items in different settings can be powerful. For products requiring demonstration (e.g., skincare or gadgets), short video reviews can be more impactful.
2. What are the best ways to encourage customers to submit VUGC?
Encouraging VUGC submissions can be done through multiple methods:
- Offering incentives like discounts or loyalty points for submitting photos or videos.
- Hosting contests or giveaways that reward users who share their visuals.
- Including a call-to-action in post-purchase emails, asking customers to share photos or videos.
- Making it easy for customers to upload visuals directly through your app or website.
3. Are there any legal considerations when using VUGC?
Yes, it’s essential to get explicit permission from customers to use their content. With the Trustify Reviews App, you can request this permission in your follow-up requests or terms of submission. Always respect copyright and privacy, and be transparent about how you intend to use their content.
WRAP UP
Visual user-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for building trust and engagement in e-commerce. By showcasing authentic images or videos from real customers, brands can create a relatable and credible experience for potential buyers. This content is social proof, often boosting conversion rates and fostering community.
Through this article, your eCommerce applies visual UGC effectively significantly enhances brand loyalty, and encourages new customers to make a purchase.