Remember the story of GoPro? GoPro is the world’s most versatile camera brand. Most camera brands today have been greatly affected by the rise of the smartphone. People no longer need to buy expensive cameras because smartphones already have them. But GoPro stands still as popular among outdoor travelers and sports enthusiasts. And why is this so? It’s because of UGC, the main focus of GoPro on its marketing strategy. GoPro created a platform to help their customers share unique moments they capture as an entry to the “page of fame.” This is a monthly contest among GoPro users. Roughly 6,000 GoPro videos are uploaded on their platform daily. The winning entry receives a prize and is uploaded on GoPro’s social media pages. Today, brands have mimicked GoPro’s stint. With the many trends in using user-generated content, Shoppable UGCs are now the future of social eCommerce.
WHAT ARE SHOPPABLE UGCS?
Shoppable UGCs are the blending of a brand’s product specification and user-generated content. With a product specification, shoppers can make a direct purchase within a social media platform. On the other hand, the user-generated content showcases the credibility of the brand that greatly influences the buying process. Shoppable UGC boosts a brand’s revenue by reducing cart abandonment. A social media agency Hong Kong relates how Diaspora Co. harnesses the power of UGC to becoming a popular spice brand globally. In 2017, Sana Javeri Kadri founded the company with the goal to market organic spices produced by small Indian farmers. Sara started an Instagram Shop for Diaspora with only 300 followers. They then started showcasing cooking demos of customers using their spices. By tying up the business with UGC stories, Diaspora has now gained more than 86,000 followers.
WHY SHOPPABLE UGCS ARE THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL E-COMMERCE?
According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong brands have shifted the spotlight away from them and turned it towards their employees, fans, and loyal customers. Through a video marketing agency Hong Kong, they use this group of people to fuel their social media content and marketing activities. This is because of the following reasons:
Shoppable UGCs Are a Cost-Effective Way to Market
Many brands spend a hefty amount to advertise their products and services. They pay search engines under a PPC scheme. They pay social media platforms to show their ads on news feeds. They also pay creators to curate eye-catching content. Shoppable UGCs don’t need creators nor paid advertising services. A brand can simply ask permission from its customer to use his or her content. They can offer a freebie or a mention in exchange. Brands only need to put a product tag or shopping link before publishing it and voila, they now have a great ad or campaign on a social media page.
Shoppable UGCs Improve the Buying Experience on Social Media
A shoppable content experience allows social media users to buy products and services directly within the platform. It eliminates the traditional buying process that involves lengthy procedures and steps. What makes shoppable UGCs the best is that buyers can complete the payment in one or two clicks. It is online shopping made easy, engaging, fast, and seamless. With 91% of buyers preferring interactive visual content, shoppable UGCs have significantly decreased cart abandonment.
UGCs Are the Most Engaging Content on Social Media
People love UGCs because they are more authentic than branded content. They can better relate to the audiences’ emotions by being within the same shoes. Statistics show that UGC highly influenced the buying experience of 79% of shoppers. As the line between eCommerce and social media content narrowed down, Shoppable UGCs are becoming a trend. Most brands highlight their stories using product tags and shoppable stickers. A majority create featured catalogs to showcase their products and services.
UGCs Provide Social Proof for Customers to Trust a Brand
Consumers today are a lot smarter. They commonly look for social proof before trusting a brand. With shoppable UGCs, brands can show that they make people happy. UGCs also show that a specific product can solve a customer’s pain point or problem. In another instance, shoppable UGCs allow consumers to experience the product via augmented reality. As such 56% of consumers look for shoppable UGCs before making a decision to buy a product or service. Today, the most influential content is not a picture-perfect image or video. Instead, they are realistic clips and images from genuine customers.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Shoppable UGCs are indeed the future of social eCommerce. They tap into the human desire to deeply connect with a brand. They are authentic and relatable. They also provide a great return of investment (ROI) without much cost or advertising budget. With 55% of the world’s population using social media, this is the best time to use Shoppable UGCs as the main strategy in social media marketing.