Enterprises still use email marketing as a way of engaging their customers and getting conversions. But with thousands of emails reaching customer’s inboxes every day, it is difficult for businesses to make their emails stand out and keep the subscriber’s attention. To avoid this problem, you can also integrate UGC into your email marketing campaigns. UGC (User generated content) is any content originating from users, including reviews, social media, images, and videos and can help boost the email performance.
In this blog post, we will be looking into the benefits of UGC in email marketing campaigns and how businesses can make use of UGC in emails to get more engagement, trust, and conversions.
What is User-Generated Content?
User-generated content includes content like text, photos, videos and reviews that are created by a user or customer instead of the brand. Such information can be obtained through social media, online reviews, testimonials and so on. Using UGC not only boosts community engagement but builds credibility and trust with potential buyers.
Uses of UGC for Email Marketing Why You Should Consider It?
1. Builds Trust and Credibility
UGC helps establish credibility among subscribers and create trust. One BrightLocal survey found that 91 percent of people trust online reviews as much as they do word-of-mouth recommendations and 84 percent of people trust suggestions made by strangers. When businesses use UGC in their emails, it helps them gain that trust and credibility with their recipients.
A company, for instance, may add reviews or ratings to emails to display potential clients what others are saying about their products or services. This can establish trust and credibility and increase the chances that subscribers purchase something.
2. Increases Engagement
UGC also provides the ability to get more emails opened. Subscribers read if it is of their interest, and they’re more inclined to open the email. UGC gives a sense of community and social proof to ensure that subscribers engage with the content.
A company might, for instance, use customer-generated photos or videos in their emails to demonstrate how other customers are using their products. It can enable subscribers to picture themselves using the product and encourage their engagement.
3. Drives Conversions
In terms of conversion, UGC (User-Generated Content) can work in your favor as it creates social proof and increases the worthiness of the product or service. Nielsen reports that the vast majority of consumers (92%) depend more on friends’ recommendation than any other form of advertisement. By incorporating UGC into their email campaigns, brands can take advantage of this trust and make their services appealing to prospective clients.
One example would be for a company to include their customers’ reviews or ratings within their emails, along with images and product descriptions. This will give prospective customers an idea of what the product is worth and whether to purchase it.
How to Use UGC for Email Marketing?
1. Gather UGC
To start with, you need to actually gather UGC from your users. Use a catchy hashtag for your followers or host a contest that invites followers to participate on social media. This not only promotes engagement but also generates content that is true to your brand. Make sure to create a single brand message by using content that your target group will love- whether it is a picture, a review, or a testimonial.
2. Highlight Real Customer Experiences
The emphasis on actual customer experiences will help to uplift your audience. Incorporate customer testimonials, reviews or images of your clients into your emails. For instance, if you sell clothes, have some of your customers wear your clothes so you can actually demonstrate how people are using and loving your brand. Don’t forget to ask for user content approval to avoid copyright and privacy issues.
3. Create Dynamic Content
Individualization is the most essential part of email marketing, so dynamic content on the basis of segmented recipients will be very useful. Display various UGC depending on factors like demographics or user profiles. For instance, draw attention to customer experience of products that would be of interest to them. This customization can possibly lead to increased engagement and conversion rates.
4. Engage with UGC Campaigns
A good space encourages customers to share experiences and jokes around your product. Put this to work in your email newsletters by sharing the best submissions from a contest or campaign. Not only would it create a community but it would also bring your customers closer to your brand, giving them greater brand trust.
5. Utilize Visuals
Emails that are packed with images perform better than the emails that are packed with text. Add pictures that customers sent, and you can have your emails transformed into some eye-catching visuals that directly tap into the sentiments of the recipient. This is about quality, and the images you send are highly res, with an appeal and feel to it that adds to the overall appearance and experience of your emails.
6. Incorporate Reviews and Ratings
Reviews are the key to convincing someone to buy something. Provide product ratings and reviews in your emails. This includes real-world feedback from real users. All this creates solid social proof that helps the potential customer make informed decisions and actually convinces them to buy.
7. Create Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Finding UGC on a regular basis means you’ll need to bring users into your call to participate. Use calls-to-actions in your emails for followers, hashtag submissions, or even UGC competitions. Such proactive methods will add dimension to your content repository as well as help connect your customers with your brand narrative.
Measuring Success
When you’ve integrated UGC into your email marketing strategy, keep track of the key performance indicators to measure ROI. Take note of the open rates, click-throughs, conversion rates, and ROI. Do A/B testing and try out different UGC placements and formats to see what works best for your audiences.
Conclusion:
With the help of UGC, companies can incorporate UGC in their email campaigns to boost engagement, trust, and conversion. Using the trust and legitimacy of UGC, businesses can customize emails to fit their subscriber’s needs more easily. Incorporate UGC in emails: ask for permission, select relevant content, be true to yourself, and optimize for mobile. Employing these best practices will allow businesses to integrate UGC into their emails and optimise their emails.
