According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust user-generated content more than traditional ads.
That’s why UGC (User-Generated Content) contests are one of the most powerful ways to build trust, drive engagement, and amplify your brand. Instead of pushing ads, you’re inviting your audience to co-create content, turning them into genuine advocates.
This step-by-step guide will walk you through exactly how to execute a UGC contest that works- from planning to promotion and more.
What is a UGC Contest?
As we learned from the above paragraph, a UGC contest can be any online campaign designed to invite user participation that engages participants and viewers while promoting one or more product, brand or services. Let’s see some examples.
- Coca-Cola ran a ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, where the company replaced its brand name on exclusive bottles with popular first names which made people buy it for their loved ones.
- ‘#ShotOniPhone’ was Apple’s campaign where users shared photos taken with their iPhones.
By encouraging your customers to share their own content, be it photographs, videos, reviews, testimonials, you open the door to genuine stories that speak far more compellingly than conventional marketing communications.
Benefits of a UGC Contest:
- Increased Brand Awareness:
UGC contests can amplify your message far beyond your own followers and gain you an unprecedented amount of audience. When your participants share their entries, your brand receives exposure to new networks. This helps your social media visibility and reach.
- Builds trust and Social Proof:
First hand customer reactions are more engaging and often believable compared to branded commercials, which people may dismiss easily. It immediately increases your brand’s relatability and credibility to potential customers.
- Encourages community engagement:
Having a UGC campaign creates a sense of belonging among people who consume the content directly. Community-driven content generates conversations, thus uniting customers and inspiring loyalty around your brand.
- Cost-Effective Content Generation:
Rather than producing all content via a production company, UGC contests allow your fans to do it for you. This is both cost and time efficient and creates new, original content for everyone to participate in.
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- Boosts SEO and Organic Reach:
Users across the board will include various keywords and hashtags, so your brand becomes visible to more searches and your online visibility increases.
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How to Create a UGC Contest: Step-by-Step?
1. Define Your Goals
Before launching your UGC contest, have a clear goal. Are you looking to increase brand recognition and generate more sales? Or are you looking forward to engaging more with your audience and creating an active fanbase.
Having clear goals from the beginning will allow you to customize each part of your campaign to maximize its effect.
2. Choose the Right Platform
Figure out exactly where your target market is most active and engaged. If on Instagram, focus on using vibrant images and reel content. X (formerly Twitter) can inspire brief discussions and interactive games in comments and through quote retweets.
Prefer Facebook for community groups, YouTube for videos, or your own website for a central hub. Choosing the appropriate platform will ensure that your contest gets to the right people and integrates naturally with their online behavior.
3. Select the Contest Format
You must choose a contest format that is most suitable for your objectives as well as your audience’s interest. You can choose from options such as photo challenges, where users post innovative pictures featuring your brand; video contests, presenting product use; reviews and testimonials or hashtag campaigns with your brand name, asking participants to tag posts for the opportunity to win prizes; all these options work well.
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4. Set Rules & Entry Guidelines
Clearly explain the rules and entry procedure to prevent misunderstandings and unwanted participation. Define clearly about who can enter, how entries can be submitted, what kind of content is permissible etc. Clear guidelines foster trust and make the experience smoother for all parties.
5. Create a Branded Hashtag
You must create a distinct, memorable hashtag that identifies your contest that should be easy for participants to recall and use. A branded hashtag not only makes it easy for you to keep entries organised under one tag but also helps to expand the reach of your campaign as participants share their content with their own networks, who can all identify the contest with the hashtag.
6. Promote Your Contest
You may promote your contest through various channels to reach even further. Use the influence of people who can bring your campaign to new followers. Reach your current subscribers via email newsletters.
Targeted social media advertisements can drive more participants as well. The more you broadcast, the bigger the reach and influence your contest can have.
7. Engage & Reshare Submissions
You can remain actively engaged during the contest timeframe by talking to participants and reposting their work. Give their efforts back by liking, commenting on, and sharing standout content on your own pages. This not only keeps the buzz going but also inspires others to participate and submit their own work.
8. Select Winners Fairly
Select your contest winners through a fair and transparent method for all participants. You could go for public voting to engage your community, get a panel together for expert judgement, or use a random selection method for neutrality. Publicly announce the winners and mention their contributions to sustain a healthy contest environment.
9. Analyze the Results
After your contest concludes, take time to review the outcomes and measure your success. Track key metrics such as the number of entries received, overall engagement levels, reach, and any noticeable impact on conversions or sales.
Analyzing these results will provide valuable insights for improving future campaigns and maximizing the benefits of your user-generated content efforts.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid While Running a UGC Contest
- Vague rules or eligibility criteria
You won’t get entries and buzz for your contest if you don’t provide clear, simple-to-follow rules, i.e., who can enter, how to enter, and exactly what you’re looking for.
Otherwise you may end up confusing all possible participants and discourage them from entering. Ensure that your directions are simple and easy for all interested parties to follow.
- No plan to repurpose UGC
User generated content is a treasure trove of creative and engaging content. If you won’t have a plan to properly distribute the content, you’ll be letting valuable marketing potential go to waste.
Think ahead about how you’ll showcase and repurpose the standout submissions. Make use of all your social media platforms, official website and email campaigns.
- Ignoring legal permissions and rights
It’s important to respect the content rights of your participants. Make sure you have clear permission to use, adapt, or publish any content that they provide.
Be open about what rights you need and how you will be using their content in your guidelines. This keeps you out of trouble with the law and establishes trust with your community.
- Poor promotion and low visibility
Even the most successful UGC contest will fail if people have no idea it is happening. Don’t count on a single channel; use a combination of social media, email newsletters, influencer collaborations, and paid advertising to get the word out. The more visibility you can generate, the better your chances of drawing excited participants.
- Not acknowledging participants
Acknowledging and appreciating all participants is essential to fostering loyalty and promoting future participation. Small gestures such as highlighting outstanding entries, giving shoutout, or providing incentives go a long way in making participants feel appreciated and motivated to participate in your next contest.
Final Thoughts
We have learned how hosting a UGC contest can be the most fun and rewarding means of driving brand engagement and establishing long-term trust among audiences that cultivates a dynamic community around your product or services.
This proven strategy not only creates creative and shareable content with less money, time and effort, but also expands your brand reach when participants share their content with their audience.
Therefore you should carefully plan out your UGC contest and perhaps take assistance from a professional digital marketing agency in India like AP Web World for UGC marketing tips and more. These strategies will help with customer engagement, encourage loyalty, and convert happy participants into brand loyalists. Create your own UGC contest now and make your customers creators!
