What are UGC creators and why they're a growing trend for brands
+tips for adjusting your digital strategy and the cultural moments | news that caught our attention this week
quick summary ⚡️
Learn about the growing business of UGC creators making content for brands, advertising their products and services
2014 Tumblr is making a comeback, the rise and fall of Something Navy and more in the cultural moments and news that caught our attention this week
What to do when your digital strategy isn’t working
The New Yorker cartoon hitting us hard
beyond influencers: a guide to UGC content for brands
Kait Richmond is a writer, producer and contributor to the M.T. Deco Blog
Internet trends come and go, but one thing we know isn’t going anywhere? The need for content.
This is especially true for brands. Regardless of size or budget, brands need content to sell their products and services to the world. That used to be a smaller job before social media took over and “authenticity” became a buzzword. Today’s customers want more than standard marketing language that’s been sanitized by a legal team.
Enter influencers. We all know influencer marketing is the hot strategy - so hot that “Influencer Marketing Manager” made the list of LinkedIn’s 25 fastest-growing roles in the U.S.
But influencers have become their own behemoth, often costing a lot of money for less content. Influencer partnerships can be meaningful and effective [especially for reaching new audiences], but when brands need more content on a regular basis, working with UGC Creators might be better for the bottom line.
The term “UGC” has been around for a while. It stands for user-generated content and gained popularity in the earlier days of social media when brands would recycle customer posts as their own. Using UGC was a free, turn-key way to share customer stories and reviews. These days, though, as the need for content has dramatically increased, UGC has become its own business.
Today, brands are paying creators with much smaller followings (or no following at all) to create content for all kinds of products and services, from reviews highlighting a specific beauty product to travel vlogs for an Airbnb that needs bookings. The opportunities are endless, and what is extra special about creating UGC content is that it’s become an incredible side hustle for many 9-5’ers who want to find another stream of income.
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To get a better understanding of what it means to be a UGC Creator, here are a few we love to follow for tips, inspiration, and even business advice:
Ang Wells - With more than 140,000 followers on TikTok, Ang has built a significant community for UGC creators, sharing invaluable tools and also hosting a course for up-and-comers, whose stories are sometimes shared on her page. A quick look at her portfolio shows she’s been at this for awhile; Ang says she is currently making over six figures as a creator (she shares her story here).
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Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browserJade Beason - Like most creators, Jade is across all social media but her primary channel is YouTube, where she has 166,000 subscribers and offers a master class in all things digital and social. Of the many “how-to” guides out there, Jade’s video to become a paid UGC creator in 30 days or less is one of the more popular options, thanks to her clear explanation and step-by-step process.
Samantha Dixon - Sam is a must-follow on Instagram, where she shares a lot of her daily life as a creator and has so many helpful tools saved to her highlights. Like Ang and Jade, Sam is transparent about her business and passionate about helping people learn. (She also has an amazing TikTok, and has pinned videos about the questions we all have: rates!)
@thesamanthajdPaid Media UGC Video I created for my client in the Food & Beverage niche🙌🏽 I recently saw that the “Rumor has it…” hooks have been high-performers, so of course I had to test this out with my own client and it was a HUGE success!✅ One of their favorite assets they said🤭 Brands looking for a creator who is constantly on top of trends and brainstorming how they can work for Your brand, Let’s Chat📲 Email: hello@sociallysamantha.com Portfolio: SociallySamantha.com #ugcexample #ugcvideo #ugcdeals #u#ugcu#ugccreatoru#ugccommunityu#ugctipsu#ugctips2023u#ugccoachu#ugccoach2023u#ugcportfoliou#ugcexampleh#howtostartugcw#whatisugcu#ugcjourneyu#usergeneratedcontentu#usergeneratedcontentcreatoru#ugcinspirationc#contentcreatorc#contentcreatortipsc#creatortipsc#contentcreationt#tiktokgrowtht#tiktokstrategys#socialmediagrowthmakemoneyonline2023 Ugc ad example Ugc video example Ugc exampleTiktok failed to load.
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Thanks to these creators and many others, there are endless resources available to anyone wanting to explore UGC, either for themselves or their brand. We’d also suggest checking out the r/UGCcreators subreddit to learn more and get a sense of what people are getting hired to do. If you’re working for a brand and looking to connect with a creator, you can find them easily by searching “UGC Creator” on your preferred platform, or checking out websites like Fiverr to find talent (bonus: check out Arbel Kimmick for tips on UGC + Fiverr).
more on the MTD blog
💎cultural gems💎
The cultural moments and news that caught our attention this week:
Investors poured millions into her fashion brand. Then it all fell apart (WSJ). “Once considered a model for social-media stars looking to capitalize on their followings, Something Navy has, in three short years, become a cautionary tale for influencer brands.”
Facebook made a major change after years of PR disasters, and news sites are paying the price (CNBC). Following Meta’s decision to “depreciate” the Facebook News tab in European countries, Mother Jones has seen a 99% decrease in Facebook referrals since its peak.
From Addison Rae to King Kylie, 2014 Tumblr is back in a big way (NBC News). “Addison Rae is posting pictures from an iPhone 4. Vintage-inspired photos of Lana Del Rey are dominating our timelines. Kylie Jenner has pastel pink hair.”
What's the best way to market a sustainable product or offering? Make it better, not just greener (Anna Robertson on LinkedIn). Congrats to our friends at The Cool Down on the launch of their new B2B newsletter.
tips
We get it, digital strategy is hard 🫠
So, what do you do if your strategy isn’t working? Here are step-by-step instructions on how to adjust what you’re doing…
Understand it takes time. When you create a digital strategy, commit to at least 6 months of consistently posting content before you do an audit to look back at what works and what falls short. When you plan the next 6 months, adjust the content accordingly, commit again and repeat the audit after the next 6 months.
Flexibility should be a part of the strategy. Digital platforms are ever-changing which is why we recommend building your strategy around your owned platforms and using social platforms to cultivate community. But even then, you still need to be ready to change your process if you’re not getting the site traffic, engagement and/or hitting your bottom line.
Do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. All of this is the scientific method. You try something, put it out there, see how it performs and the audience literally tells you what they want. When it comes to content, don’t waste your time. Do more of what is working and less of what is not.
Be obsessive about the audience. Look at the analytics to see what the audience responds to, ask them in posts, comments, questionnaires, etc. Find out what they want more of and treat them as a community, even if it’s not fully formed yet. If you adjust to what the audience wants and you’re truly bringing them value, you cannot go wrong.
Consistency is crucial. Don’t post erratically. Audiences love knowing what to expect, like a regular Monday morning motivation post, a Friday video or monthly newsletter [so do sponsors]. If you execute on an idea, commit to seeing it all the way through before tossing your plan.
more tips on the MTD blog
inspo
Is this New Yorker cartoon resonating with anyone else?
