Branding and content marketing are becoming more collaborative with user-generated content.
Companies are now putting a higher emphasis on user-generated content because every customer can be a potential brand ambassador. Blogger Ryan Kh shares a few examples of brands that have successfully leveraged user-generated content.
Burberry
Burberry is still growing even after 160 years in the fashion industry. CEO Angela Ahrendts launched a website called Art of the Trench, which allows customers to share photos of themselves wearing Burberry products and even interact with other users. The mini social network boosted eCommerce sales by 50 percent in the first year.
Warby Parker
Eyewear company Warby Parker encouraged customers to share photos of themselves using the hashtag #WarbyHomeTryOn to promote their delivery try-on service. It was a huge success, raising awareness for both the brand and the convenient service offering. The creative campaign landed Warby Parker the title of Fast Company’s most innovative company of 2015.
Square
Square developed a payment processing platform that allows businesses to accept payments from any location. Because the product relies heavily on user experience, the company encouraged customers to share video testimonials documenting their experience. Many customers participated, including popular YouTube publishers. The videos promoted the brand and gave viewers useful information that’s more genuine than a sponsored ad.