Nurturing Nuance: Why the future of UGC isn’t just imagery
In the last nine years, Instagram has had a hand in shaping society in pivotal ways. Some good (intersectional memes, providing a platform for marginalised voices and artists) and some not-so-good (the ‘like economy’ and encouragement of narcissism).
On a more relevant note, Instagram was also the main driver in the decentralisation of marketing. The traditional one-way communication model was further cast aside as consumers began to use the app to not only talk back, but also recreate a brand’s messaging by integrating it into their own personal brands. As brands and marketers adapted to this new world, content became king, and user-generated content (UGC), the ace.
In the early Instagram age, UGC more often than not referred to imagery. But as Instagram (and its users) have evolved, captions and discussions have become increasingly important in shaping online identity and encouraging genuine connections. This sees the app succeed where a lot of social networks fall short, in nurturing nuanced conversations.
How did we get here?
In a wifi-blanked world, it has become the new normal for emerging cultural (and consumer) trends to coincide with Instagram app updates. Through this, we can track how the app has made way for more thoughtful conversations between brands and their audiences. First came Instagram’s famous change in algorithm — throwing off the chronological order — meaning brands had to work harder for posts to be seen, encouraging longer, more personalised captions in a bid to increase engagement.
Next was direct messaging, which allowed for more personalised communication between individuals and brands, and a direct channel between brands and influencers. Then stories, which quickly became a place to share not only the messy, less aesthetically pleasing visuals, but to explore ideas and opinions through longer form text-based content.
On top of this, Instagram’s question and poll features lets brands have a casual conversation with their audience which can be authentically integrated into their overall messaging, as well as used as observational research. With each app update, Instagram moved further and further away from its inception as a simple image-sharing app, evolving instead into a cultural mecca grounded in connections and conversations.
What does it mean?
The current direction taken by Instagram and Facebook suggests that the encouragement of thoughtful conversation will continue to be a high priority: Instagram is famously trialling getting rid of likes, and Facebook’s ‘upvote and downvote testing’ suggest they’re seeking to favour thoughtful content over the extremes. If you’re a marketer or brand and still focusing on purely image-centric UGC, it’s time to branch out.
Ask your followers questions, invest in longer-form content and encourage discussion within your community. We’re not suggesting jumping on larger discussions to purely commodify a cause (hello, badly executed pride week Twitter campaigns). Instead, seek to contribute culturally to your audience in a way that adds value to their lives (or at the very least, their feeds). A future-focused marketer embraces this new landscape with an adaptive mindset and invested interest in how social media is shaping discourse.
Interested in expanding on your brand’s conversation? Get in touch, we’re here to help — hello@thenittygritty.com.au.
