How to Use User-Generated Content in Your Instagram Influencer Marketing

User-generated content (UGC) can be the most effective way to promote your brand and convince your audience to try your products. You can use it for your influencer marketing campaigns on Instagram.

Instagram is the most suitable platform for influencer marketing, wherein celebrities and people with a large follower base spread awareness about your product.

Influencer marketing

In an era dominated by social network, influencer marketing is thefastestgrowing method of customer acquisition. About 67% of marketers are planning to increase their expenditure on influencer marketing and 89% of marketers mention that influencer marketing is comparable to or better than other marketing channels.

The reason why its adoption rate is so high is that, it gives marketers $6.50 for every dollar spent on an average, which is better than the outcomes of other marketing approaches including PPC and organic search marketing.

The industry is forecasted to cross the $13.8 billion mark by the end of 2021. Influencer marketing gives is an attractive option not only for brands but also for influencers.

The average influencer makes around $31 per hour. On the other hand, a beauty specialist can earn as much as $3000 per month. No wonder why a large number of people on the World Wide Web want to know how to become an Instagram influencer.

Over 17% of companies spend half of their marketing budget on influencers and 69% of marketers will spend most money on Instagram. This is six times more than YouTube, the second most preferred channel for influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing on Instagram with user-generated content –

In its simplest definition, user-generated content is the content created by your users or customers about your brand via different channels like social media and emails. And a user can generate a wide range of content for your brand, such as –

  • Feedbacks & reviews
  • How-to blogs or videos related to your product
  • Image or selfie with your product
  • Suggestions on improvement
  • Q&A
  • Posts on your brand hashtags
  • Survey statements

Since Instagram is among the most active social networks, it makes perfect sense to connect with your customers and audience on this platform and identify potential influencers to work with.

Ask questions or create surveys –

You can ask questions related to your brand or request your followers to participate in surveys about their experience with your product. Things they would say in the survey could be used for fine-tuning future campaigns as well as the quality of products and communications.

And as a reward, you can offer your users some discount on their next purchase after completing the survey.

Hashtags –

You could also encourage your customers to share their experience using your brand’s unique hashtags on Instagram. This will make things easier for you as well as your audience.

You will be able to find user-generated posts by searching the hashtags on Instagram or by using your social listening tool.

Identify micro-influencers –

You should maintain a database of your followers – to be specific, the most active followers or the ones with large follower base. It is in fact one of the best practices of customer relationship management that you keep a list of your loyal customers and potential audience.

Segment your database on the basis of different factors such as prospect, satisfied or dissatisfied, active, interested, age, location, number of followers, and so on. Engage with them most often.

And when you are launching a new product or offer, you can sign them up for your influencer marketing program. Or maybe, you can partner with them for long-term, as and if needed for your brand.

The best part is, working with such micro-influencers doesn’t cost much. Sometimes, even a 30% discount or a coffee voucher will work too! And results? Micro-influencers have more engaged followers, and they give you better results than celebrity influencers do.

Reshare –

You should screenshot and reshare the content posted by your users or micro-influencers – without editing it. Show your other followers what your micro-influencers or loyal customers are talking about you.

This influences the audience more than an ad campaign involving a celebrity does.

Engage –

For example: if a user sends a negative comment on your post or story or sends an inbox message complaining about product quality, you don’t not have to avoid them. Instead, you should try to find out what is irking them and fix the issue.

And then, your critics or unhappy customers will turn into your loyal customers and eventually, brand advocates. In other words, they will advocate that you care for your customers and are ready to resolve their issues or heighten their lifestyle with your solutions.

Bottom line –

You can create your updates, reels, and stories using user-generated content. To make it work even better, you can consider promoting such posts and stories via paid Instagram Ads.

Instagram influencer marketing is like a mind-game for marketers. You convince your customers that your product adds value to their life by sharing an example of an already engaged, convinced, and highly-satisfied customer. And you do this without actually acting like you are promoting your brand. That is how you influence your audience with your influencer marketing strategy!

kathayat

Birbahadur Singh Kathayat is an entrepreneur and online marketing consultant. He is founder of the online marketing company LBSWebsoft. He has 15 years of work experience in digital marketing and helping small business. He advises several startups and established companies in India and other countries. You can follow him online at Google+ or @bskathayat.

Leave a Reply