Need help creating content? Ask your customers
One of the challenges of content marketing is the need to create new, fresh content on a regular basis. If you have a small marketing team, or if you are doing your business marketing yourself, it can be daunting to create new content as often as you should.
Outsourcing your content marketing and social media can help tremendously. However, even if you work with an outsourced marketing firm, your customers can still be one of the best sources for new content. Why? They know your business and your product, and their opinion and recommendation carries more weight with their friends than any ad ever could.
So, how do you begin collecting user-generated content? Below are just a few ideas to get you started:
- Testimonials. Written or video testimonials are one of the easiest places to start. Ask your biggest fans (you know who they are, right?) to write a short blurb or record a short video about why they love your product or company and/or what problem you helped them solve.
- Photos. It is easy for people to snap a quick photo on their smartphone and upload it to social media sites like Instagram or Snapchat. Ask users to snap a photo of your product in their everyday lives for entry into a contest. Take a look at these successful campaigns for ideas.
- Hashtags. Create campaign-specific hashtags, and find ways to make your customer the focus. Insights counsels: “User-generated content isn’t just about you. It’s about them: your customers. It’s about how they use your products and relate to your brand. …create (and promote) a personal, actionable hashtag that brings the focus back to your fans.”
- Community. For certain industries and products, an online community can be a great place for your customers to share tips and information. It can also be a way to identify your superfans and the topics they care about.
- Reviews. Don’t shy away from online reviews. They show up in search, and they give your fans a chance to rave about you. They also give you a chance to respond to customers with negative experiences, which helps create goodwill both for those customers and potential future customers.
- Outsource. A digital marketing firm can take on the burden of new content creation for you, freeing up your time to focus on your core business. A skilled marketing team can also help develop creative campaigns and promote your content strategically on social media and other platforms.
To learn more about how content marketing fits into an overall integrated marketing strategy, contact Campfire Digital for a free consultation today.