SmartFocus Blog Anyone can influence change with User-Generated Content (UGC)

Today, User-Generated Content (UGC) is proving to be highly influential to users. Social media is currently saturated with brand-related posts; videos, photos and engagements of all kinds.This authentic content is the kind of marketing which engages young consumers with brands, as they're more likely to trust and be influenced by content from their peers and users they follow than content churned out by the brand itself.This is nothing new. Consumers have always been influenced by reviews before deciding on a purchase, but now these reviews come in the form of UGC. This builds an in-depth understanding of who is connecting with the brand and posting about it, frequently and in real-time. Followers of certain influencers on Instagram see UGC which drives them to a brand and the products they've viewed, and vice versa, when they've purchased a product they can then post about it and link to the brand in question, for full life-cycle marketing.Bacardi's successful #MojitoMoment campaign saw mass UGC being shared instantly across digital locations around the globe. Just one example of how a brand has used UGC to enhance customer engagement and increase sales - and you could be the next. Give your customers more confidence to buy your products with the best review they could get - it's all out there at your disposal.Sharing a moment with Bacardi and JCDecaux, 2018 Australia, www.jcdecaux.com.auThe digital world is now bigger, more competitive and more influential than ever before. From Instagram to YouTube and all social networks in between, follower counts are rapidly rising day-by-day and users are increasingly turning to these channels as a form of review and comparison of brands.The power of social media is changing the face of retail before our very eyes and the way consumers shop is far from what it used to be. This is especially true for the younger generations, whose connection to the online world causes a particular brand subculture to be much more appealing and effective than traditional marketing techniques: UGC.