There are no cross-differences if you know how to create UGC content
Or how Whiteleads unraveled the ‘UGC phenomenon’ through a three-second sneaker video
For the first time, we’re sharing the most up-to-date trends for highly effective UGC content.
Who are we? We’re a Whiteleads team of experienced digital specialists who are passionate about mobile.
Discoveries often begin with illumination. However, behind each moment of revelation lies a process of idea generation, endless hypothesis testing, idea selection, prototype creation, production, testing once more, adjustments, and then back to the beginning. But let’s take it step by step.
Skipping the Backstory: TikTok, Fashion, and UGC
It all began in 2019 with TikTok and the world of fashion. During those years, TikTok was just starting to be recognized as an advertising platform, with advertising campaigns initially limited to select agencies serving their brand clients. Brands often resorted to ‘polished Instagram-style videos,’ motion clips, and even banners, but none of these approaches delivered the desired results. Consequently, many brands, after unsuccessful attempts, returned to platforms like Facebook (Meta).
Our Head of Media Buying Whiteleads decided to create a TikTok account, positioning it as a blogger, and succeeded in amassing a million followers! With every like, comment, and appearance on the ‘For You’ page, the realization that the platform had potential for brands grew stronger.
The first native creative work was a video for an online store specializing in women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. In this video, our protagonist approached a woman on the street, recorded her on his phone, and asked how much her ‘outfit’ cost. The clothing was affordable, and ‘coincidentally,’ nearly all of it had been purchased from the online store.
This video outperformed all others! The Cost Per Install (CPI) metrics plummeted while sales surged. We achieved a level of direct user engagement that is essential in performance advertising, creating a ‘direct connection with the user’ that instilled trust in the brand. This is how the UGC approach was born for our Whiteleads team.
UGC approach. WHY?
User-Generated Video Content (UGC Video Content) refers to videos created and shared by everyday users rather than professional videographers or content creators. This type of content has gained immense popularity with the proliferation of social media platforms and video-sharing websites. UGC Video Content often captures real-life experiences, personal stories, product reviews, and creative expressions. One of the primary advantages of UGC Video Content is its authenticity. Viewers tend to trust and engage more with videos created by fellow consumers, as they perceive them as genuine and relatable.
Social proof serves as the endorsement prospective buyers seek and current customers provide for a product or service. In essence, it represents another person’s vote of confidence. Trust lies in people, not in marketers, and consumers turn to User-Generated Content (UGC) as they would to recommendations from their friends, family, or professional connections.
Consequently, UGC fosters consumer trust. It stands as an incredibly effective method for a brand to sway its audience and transform them into customers. When your target audience witnesses individuals who are just like them using or endorsing a product, it becomes more relatable and significantly influences their decision to make a purchase. According to a Stackla survey, “On average, 60% of consumers claim that content shared by a friend or family member plays a role in shaping their purchasing choices.”
Most Important UGC Data You Need to Know
Let’s explore some key facts that will provide a substantiating foundation for this article and set the wheels of contemplation in motion about the viability of the UGC approach.
Important Facts For Retail
42% of shoppers say they would buy a product with no professional photos (and only user-generated photos)
41% of brands and retailers provide shop floor staff with social content from fans/influencers to share with shoppers
One in five said they shop on social media, mostly from Facebook shops (41%), via influencers’ Instagram stories (37%), and via ads on Instagram (36%)
The average ROBO (research online, buy offline) multiplier for brands in the Bazaarvoice Network is 3.91x — this means that for every $1 of revenue influenced online, user-generated content influences $3.91 in-store
- Social Media Influence on Purchasing: A significant 74% of consumers rely on social media to make informed purchasing decisions, highlighting the growing importance of social platforms in the consumer journey.
- Lack of UGC Strategy: Surprisingly, only 16% of brands have a strategy in place for dealing with user-generated content, indicating a potential gap in optimizing this valuable resource.
- Positive Impact of UGC on Engagement: Brand engagements can increase by as much as 28% when consumers are exposed to a mix of professional marketing content and user-generated content, underlining the power of UGC in enhancing consumer engagement.
- Consumer Desire for Content Guidance: More than half (50%) of consumers express a desire for brands to guide them on the type of content to create and share, suggesting an opportunity for brands to actively involve consumers in content creation.
- Memorability of UGC for Millennials: Millennials find UGC to be 35% more memorable than content from mainstream sources, emphasizing the effectiveness of UGC in capturing this important demographic’s attention.
- Higher Performance of UGC-Based Ads: UGC-based ads outperform traditional ads with a 4x higher click-through rate and a 50% reduction in cost-per-click, making them a cost-effective advertising strategy.
- Impact on Conversions: UGC leads to a 29% increase in web conversions compared to campaigns or websites without it, showcasing its ability to drive conversions and sales.
- UGC in Online Purchase Paths: Including UGC in online purchase paths can increase conversions by 10%, indicating its role in guiding consumers towards making purchase decisions.
Okay, the Whiteleads team understands that this works, but what’s next? Let’s delve into the important semantic elements of UGC that influence consumer perception.
In the ever-evolving landscape of user-generated content (UGC) production, brands aiming to conquer the global market must pay close attention to the nuances of intercultural communication. While content creation primarily revolves around visuals and text, the importance of understanding intercultural communication extends beyond language barriers. Three critical aspects — eye contact, kinesics, and touch culture — play pivotal roles in shaping effective communication and building authentic connections in diverse markets.
UGC Elements of Intercultural Communication Explanation You Need To Know
1. The Power of Eye Contact: In the development of UGC content, it’s imperative to recognize the role of eye contact, a non-verbal element with varying cultural interpretations. For instance, in the United States, which boasts a multicultural society influenced by Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, maintaining direct eye contact during conversations signifies respect, attention, sincerity, and confidence. However, a prolonged, unbroken gaze can be perceived as uncomfortable or invasive. In American culture, a few seconds of direct eye contact followed by brief shifts in gaze are considered the norm. A failure to engage in such eye contact can convey disinterest and insecurity.
On the other hand, in Japan and China, the cultural norm dictates that during conversations, individuals should maintain a lowered gaze, focusing on the other person’s face around chin-level. In these national communities, direct eye contact is often avoided as it can be perceived as confrontational or disrespectful. Instead, this practice is seen as a sign of respect and humility.
2. Understanding Kinesics: Kinesics, which encompasses body language and gestures, plays a crucial role in UGC production. For instance, touching is a common mode of communication in many cultures, particularly in Western societies, where handshakes are prevalent in business settings. However, Asian cultures tend to adopt a more conservative approach towards physical contact, with bowing serving as a customary greeting that replaces the handshake.
A striking example of these differences is seen in the gesture of patting someone on the head. In the United States, it’s an affectionate gesture, often used with children. In contrast, in several Asian cultures, patting someone’s head is viewed as disrespectful, regardless of age. Understanding such differences is essential for creating content that resonates positively across cultures.
3. Navigating Touch Culture: The aspect of touch culture extends to areas beyond greetings. In the United States, for instance, it’s customary to greet friends with a friendly kiss on the cheek in some regions. However, in many parts of Europe, this practice is not only common but also expected as a sign of warmth and friendship.
In Asia, physical contact is generally more conservative, with public displays of affection often being considered inappropriate. Understanding these distinctions is essential for brands aiming to create UGC that respects and aligns with local customs.
Brands that recognize and navigate these nuances will be better equipped to engage authentically with diverse audiences and create content that resonates positively on a global scale.
As we’ve seen, the impact of UGC extends beyond borders, transcending cultural nuances in its quest to connect with diverse audiences. Understanding the subtleties of intercultural communication can elevate UGC to a global scale.
A Unique Approach to UGC Creation for Brands
Crafting the perfect UGC is a challenge and science, driven by continuous testing and optimization. It’s a dynamic process that continually evolves to engage viewers and drive results in the fast-paced world of performance marketing. Whiteleads team is ready to introduce our exclusive EPTI (Exploration, Production, Testing, Interpretation) model designed for brands leveraging UGC
EPTI model for brands using UGC (by Whiteleads team)
Exploration. We’re analyzing the brand’s strengths and weaknesses and conducting competitor research. It’s also crucial to craft the user experience to uncover innovative solutions.
Production. In addition to creativity, It’s key to remember all the different end uses for your footage. That means (among other things) framing aspect ratios so footage can work for Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and any other social media formats. Moreover, video post-production involves everything required to make your video look and sound polished after the shoot. That includes: Editing, Color correction, Visual FX, Sound design, and mixing Post-production is usually a mixture of problem-solving and creativity, like adding motion graphics and music. Post-production can allow you to repurpose production content to work in several ways, effectively giving you an entire campaign.
The Power of Testing. A key takeaway from this approach is the emphasis on testing. The success of performance marketing video ads hinges on experimentation, from voice gender to UTP to ad model. Rigorous testing is the driving force behind optimization, ensuring that the ad speaks directly to the target audience.
Interpretation. Here, we don’t simply analyze key metrics; we delve into in-depth data analysis and the interpretation of non-obvious insights. We also uncover new content metrics that can influence the launch of future advertising campaigns
As we’ve delved into the Exploration, Production, Testing, and Interpretation (EPTI) model, we’ve equipped brands with a powerful tool for leveraging UGC effectively. In our journey through the UGC phenomenon, we’ve unlocked the potential of ‘brand selfies’ as a powerful driver of engagement, with significant implications for the future of advertising.
Case Study by Whiteleads team
Increasing ROAS
Joom is a popular e-commerce app in Europe, offering quality products at low prices. The goal of the campaign was to attract new users while increasing sales and average revenue per paying user. To do this, Joom partnered with TikTok and Whiteleads, an advertising agency specializing in mobile app promotion.
The Solution. UGC creatives and Value-Based Optimization
Joom’s strategy was to scale its advertising campaign and drive installations by promoting product categories that interest the largest number of users. As a result of testing, the categories “household goods,” “clothing and footwear” and “car goods” demonstrated the greatest potential.
Whiteleads took a UGC approach when creating visuals to add authenticity and help remove the barrier between the brand and the audience. The videos communicated a positive user experience, and fit naturally with other content on the platform. The creatives were also localized into 8 languages for better conversion.
The brand also tested Value-Based Optimization, a bidding option on TikTok Ads Manager that analyzes and optimizes performance indicators such as customer acquisition cost, revenue per customer, customer retention, and loyalty to achieve the best results and maximum value from an advertising campaign. The highest value optimization was used for promotion (optimization without a target return on ad spend rate). The test enabled a comparison between the outcomes of Value-Based Optimization and App Event Optimization with a Purchase event target.
The Results 1 million+ new users and 2.5x ROAS
Throughout the test period of April-May 2022, VBO demonstrated a significantly higher ROAS in all key countries. Additionally, cost per acquisition decreased, and in some cases, the click-through rate increased when compared to AEO.
By utilizing authentic visuals, the right product categories, and Value-Based Optimization, Joom successfully acquired over 1 million users who made over 60,000 purchases in the month of May alone. Today, Whiteleads continues to actively test new TikTok features such as Smart Performance Campaigns and come up with new ideas to attract users to Joom.
UGC phenomenon: The Power of Brand Selfies
In the 2021 study “The power of Brand Selfies,” Jochen Hartmann, Mark Heitmann, Christina Schamp, and Oded Netze analyzed portions of Twitter and Instagram content. The researchers delved into existing literature on the topic and analyzed the Click-Through Rate (CTR) of advertising banners across a total of 185 brands, published on Twitter (214,563) and Instagram (43,585) The study reveals significant variations in self-reference and brand engagement across different types of user-generated content, indicating that not all UGC generates the same level of brand engagement. Consumer selfies receive the most likes, yet brand selfies and packshots generate more buying intentions and purchase-intent comments. Display Ad Click-Through Rate (CTR): The study explores the relationship between image type and display ad CTR (Click-Through Rate):, finding that brand selfies outperform consumer selfies, aligning with the prior UGC dataset results.
Let’s get back to sneakers. Every day, Whiteleads team tests hundreds of brand videos for various brands, and what we unexpectedly discover is intriguing. Here are the details:
Scenario: Video featuring the unboxing of sneakers.
Audience Reach: 27 countries, including EU nations and Israel.
Key Finding: A prominent ‘brand selfie’ frame featuring the sneakers in the first three seconds of the video, has a significant impact, with an impressive 83% increase in Click-Through Rate (CTR). It’s noteworthy that effective marketing techniques, such as Unique Value Proposition (UTP) and precise positioning, complement this effect and generate a higher number of buying intentions. Notably, our EPTI model empowers us to explore a wide range of visual presentations for sneakers or other goods.
UGC isn’t just about content; it’s about trust. It taps into the idea of social proof, where consumers look to others for validation and recommendations.
The power of UGC lies in its ability to foster trust, making it a highly effective method for brands to sway their audience and transform them into loyal customers. Whiteleads team is absolutely convinced that UGC is more than a trend; it’s a dynamic process that continually evolves to engage viewers and drive results in the fast-paced industry of performance marketing.
References
- bazaarvoice.com
- Book: Intercultural Management Concepts, Practice, Critical Reflection Dirk Holtbrügge — University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
