7 Unique Ways to Leverage User-Generated Content for Community Engagement in Your Campaigns
Discover how seven marketing experts have creatively harnessed the power of user-generated content to boost community involvement. From authentic storytelling with real couples to showcasing athleisure wear styled by customers, these marketing content strategists and directors share their successful strategies.
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Authentic Storytelling with Real Couples
In leveraging real couples’ interviews for destination weddings, Destify aimed to foster community engagement through authentic storytelling. By showcasing genuine experiences and emotions, their stories resonate deeply with the audience, encouraging them to participate and share their own stories.
Through user-generated content (UGC), the campaign created a platform for couples to connect, share insights, and offer inspiration to others considering destination weddings. Interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions based on real couples’ experiences further enhanced engagement, inviting active participation from the audience and fostering a sense of community involvement.
Additionally, the campaign curated and showcased UGC from real couples, adding a personal touch to the storytelling and celebrating the diversity of wedding experiences. Overall, by effectively leveraging real couples’ interviews and UGC, we’ve created a portal where upcoming couples can see resorts and real-world experiences.
Garrett Nutgrass, Marketing Content Strategist, Destify
Photo Contest with Customer Spotlight
As someone leading marketing efforts, I’ve introduced a special way to make our customers feel more involved through their content. We organized a fun photo contest on social media where we asked them to share pictures of themselves using our product, using a special hashtag.
What made this different was how we showcased the winning photos. Instead of just sharing them on social media, we also featured them in our email newsletters and on our website. This gave our customers a bigger spotlight and showed off their creativity to more people.
By doing this, we not only got our community more engaged but also made them feel appreciated and connected to our brand. It’s all about creating that sense of belonging and recognition, which in turn boosts loyalty and support for our brand.
Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing, CrownTV
Handwritten UGC for Nonprofit Engagement
In my unique blend of roles as a graphic designer, web designer, and fractional marketer, I worked with my team to innovatively leverage user-generated content (UGC) to foster a deeper sense of community and engagement.
One standout campaign for a nonprofit I work with showcased personal development and mentorship. We launched a ‘My StreetWise Story’ initiative, inviting our community to submit handwritten stories about life-changing mentorship experiences. I designed a dedicated Instagram handle to showcase these authentic, handwritten notes, capturing the raw emotion and personal touch of each story. This approach not only added a tangible, personal element to digital storytelling but also encouraged our audience to connect on a more intimate level.
To further engage our community, we included a call to action (CTA) inviting others to submit their handwritten mentorship stories or share their experiences using a specific hashtag. This campaign not only increased our social media presence and website traffic but also created a heartfelt, shared space for storytelling, emphasizing the impact of mentorship through the unique authenticity of handwritten notes.
Kristen Fitzgerald, Owner, Lead Designer and Strategist, Kristen Fitzgerald Design, LLC
As a hair-systems marketing director, I’ve uniquely leveraged user-generated content in a campaign to enhance community engagement by launching a “Style Your Story” contest on social media. We encouraged customers to share photos and videos of themselves wearing our hair systems, along with captions describing how our products have positively impacted their lives.
By actively involving our community in the campaign, we not only showcased the versatility and quality of our products but also highlighted the real-life stories and experiences of our customers. We further incentivized participation by offering prizes for the most creative and compelling entries.
This approach not only generated authentic content but also fostered a sense of belonging and connection within our community. The campaign sparked meaningful conversations, boosted brand loyalty, and ultimately contributed to a more engaged and empowered customer base.
Adam Garfield, Marketing Director, Hairbro
Hashtag Campaign for Dream Home Sharing
I have always believed in the power of user-generated content when it comes to engaging with potential clients and building a strong community. In fact, I have successfully used this strategy in one of my recent campaigns, which resulted in significant growth in both community engagement and leads.
One of the key elements of my campaign was leveraging social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. These platforms are a goldmine for user-generated content, as people are constantly sharing their experiences, opinions, and recommendations. As a real estate agent, I knew that these platforms could be an excellent tool to showcase my listings and engage with potential clients.
To kick off the campaign, I created a hashtag—#MyDreamHome—which encouraged people to share their dream home pictures on Instagram. This not only generated buzz around my campaign but also allowed me to easily track and curate the content being shared. I also offered a prize for the best dream home picture, which further incentivized people to participate.
The response was overwhelming. People from all over the city started sharing their dream homes, along with their thoughts and preferences on what makes a perfect home. This not only provided valuable insights into what features people are looking for in a home but also sparked conversations and discussions among community members.
Keith Sant, Founder & CEO, Kind House Buyers
Luxury Flight Experiences Photo Contest
In a campaign aimed at promoting our bespoke private-jet experiences, we leveraged user-generated content by initiating a photo contest where clients shared their unique in-flight experiences on social media, using a specific hashtag. We encouraged them to post pictures that captured the essence of luxury, comfort, and personalization that JetLevel Aviation offers.
The best entries were featured on our official channels and rewarded with exclusive discounts on future flights. This approach not only provided authentic content that resonated with our audience but also fostered a sense of community among our clients. They became active participants in our brand’s story, significantly enhancing engagement and creating a ripple effect of organic promotion.
Fahd Khan, Director of Marketing & Technology, JetLevel Aviation
Athleisure Wear Styled by Customers
For our ‘Wear It Your Way’ campaign, we encouraged customers to share photos of themselves wearing dasFlow apparel in their unique style on social media, using a specific hashtag. We featured selected user-generated content on our website and social media platforms, offering participants a chance to win a year’s supply of athleisure wear.
This initiative significantly enhanced community engagement, as it made our customers feel valued and seen. The campaign not only increased our social media interaction by 40% but also fostered a stronger, more connected dasFlow community.
Nicolas Krauss, Founder and CEO, dasFlow Custom Sublimation Apparel
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