Content Is King, and That Includes User Content
Does your target audience perceive your brand and the content about your brand as being authentic? That can depend, at least in part, on the content you’re putting in front of them. For most brands, digital marketing efforts will determine the quality of that content.
There is another aspect to this and it has less to do with the content you produce and more to do with the content your target audience creates about your brand. Regardless of whether you’re creating the content or if its user-generated, a majority of consumers believe that authenticity is the most important thing about the content they absorb about brands.
Think about how you do your research before you book a trip. You scour the Internet for information about where to stay, where to eat and where to shop. How much of what you glean is through user-generated reviews? If you’re like most consumers, you put a lot of stock in their first-hand account of their experience. Shouldn’t you be creating more content that appeals to the consumer’s way of thinking in regard to authenticity and usefulness?
The Disconnect
According to a Stackla survey of nearly 1,600 consumers and 150 marketers, consumers are 2.4 times more likely to say that user-generated content is the most authentic, but marketers are 2.1 times more likely to say that the content they create is the most authentic.
If we’re truly wrapped up in a customer-centric world, we have to put stock in what the consumers are saying. That doesn’t mean the content your brand creates has no weight — it does, but there also needs to be a great level of respect for what the consumer actually wants to see.
Taking a New Approach
To close that disconnect, reprioritizing the approach to building content has to be considered. Take a step back and see what the users are generating and try to replicate that.
You also have to stop thinking like a salesperson. Think more about the needs of the consumer and less about touting your latest product or service.
Your message to consumers should be that you hear what they’re saying and understand they have specific wants and needs. Show them you’re working on catering to those wants and needs. Let your content reflect that.
For assistance in creating a more rounded digital marketing strategy, contact us at SJC Marketing. We are digital marketing professionals who know the value of connecting with the target audience on their terms.