If you are a marketer in 2024, you have probably been hearing and talking about user-generated content for quite some time. It may be taking over your creative calendar this year, and that trend is not likely to stop. However, are there times where user generated content does not reign supreme? With the current value of UGC, does brand-produced content still have a place in well-guided marketing strategies?
In this article we dive into what user-generated content is, how it differs from brand produced content, what the benefits of each are, and what a well-rounded advertising content strategy looks like.
What is produced vs. user-generated content?
Produced Content
Produced content is content that is created by a brand’s creative team. It is often strategically aligned with the brand’s branding guidelines and is a well-calculated, consistent representation of that brand’s aesthetic, mission and values. The development and creation of these assets are completely brand-driven and often do not stray from the brand’s strict brand guidelines. Examples of brand-produced ads include scripted television ads where an actor is portraying a scene to sell you a product, or social media ads that feature professional images that were shot at a styled shoot.
User-generated Content
On the other hand, user-generated content, or UGC, is as its name suggests, is created by the users or consumers of a brand’s product. UGC is often less rigid in terms of following branding guidelines and is typically perceived as more organic and authentic by prospective consumers. Where brand produced content is brand-driven, UGC is community-driven. Examples of UGC content are ads where a user has produced the video themselves unboxing and explaining products, styling products in their own homes or lives, or sharing reviews for a product.
What are the benefits of using brand-produced content in advertising?
For marketers that are not new to the industry, brand-produced ad content has been the bread and butter of their creative teams for decades, and there is a reason that this type of content still holds a dear place in many marketer’s hearts and strategies. Some top benefits of using brand-produced content include:
- Messaging is tailored to the brand’s objectives – Ad creation can be more strategically aligned with the objective of a larger campaign or initiative when the brand is at the helm of its creation. This allows for alignment in messaging and efforts throughout the funnel which often translates into better recall and engagement in a campaign.
- Greater control over branding – when content is produced directly by a brand it is inherently going to be more consistent with the overall branding of the business which allows for greater cross-channel identity building.
- More control over storytelling – brand-driven content allows marketing teams to build their brand story and communicate the direct message they want to convey. This clear messaging often allows the brand’s desired story to stand out from the rest of the noise that consumers are experiencing online.
What are the benefits of using user-generated content in advertising?
With the growth of social media and the access to information that it provides consumers, it is no surprise that user-generated content provides marketing value that cannot be replicated with brand-produced content. There is a reason that so many marketing teams are investing heavily in mutually beneficial agreements with content creators for user-generated content. Some of the benefits that brands are reaping include:
- Provides insights into user experience – encouraging and supporting the development of user-generated content gives brands a unique channel through which they can gain insights into how customers are using and liking their products. The view into the customer experience is incredibly valuable not only for marketers but also product developers and managers.
- Fostering an authentic voice – User-generated content is a natural source of “social proof” featuring consumers that already use and love a brand’s products. Nothing says authentic like watching a real-life user interact with and review a product that a consumer is considering buying.
- Cost effective – Generally content that is created by a user of your product is going to be much cheaper to attain as it does not require the attention and resources of a creative and production team.
- Builds community-driven trust – featuring user-generated content in advertising helps increase trust by having real users involved in the creation of the content and this often increases brand loyalty organically with your user community.
In 2024, do the best advertising strategies include both user-generated content and produced content?
The short answer is yes!
Brands should be advocating for themselves as authentically as possible with Produced Content. They should be using that content to speak to their value propositions and the elements of their offerings that set them apart from others.
Brands should be using UGC for engagement. This type of content “stops the scroll” due to the way it seamlessly appears as another social media post in your users’ feeds. It is also incredibly impactful for providing social proof which builds trust in a brand in a way that brand-produced content cannot.
In general, diversity of content is a best practice. Brands benefit most when they meet their audience where and how they most like to consume content. Different users are going to interact with various types of content differently. Some users might prefer a product ad, some might prefer an influencer’s video, and some might rather see an educational image speaking to a specific use-case for the brand’s product. The more comprehensive your creative coverage, the better you will be able to drive awareness, engagement and conversions with as many segments of your audience as possible.
Not sure where to start when it comes to developing an effective creative strategy for advertising?
Let our experts at ROI Revolution do the heavy lifting for you. With decades of experience in digital marketing, our team knows what your brand needs to take your advertising success to the next level. Schedule a call with our team today.
