Content marketing is an incredible tool for small businesses because it allows you to increase visibility and performance while telling your story. Publishing blogs and creating graphics, however, require time and effort. But what if you could get your customers to publish content for you? Believe it not, you can accomplish that very thing with user generated content.
What Is User Generated Content for Small Businesses?
Small business user generated content is any form of content (comments, images, videos, etc.) that is created by customers rather than businesses or content creators. User generated content is one of the most powerful types of content marketing because it is real and authentic. Potential customers are more likely to trust content from other customers as opposed to content from businesses.
Types of User Generated Content for Small Businesses
User generated content comes in many shapes and sizes. Here are the types of user generated content that are best for small businesses:
- Online reviews and ratings: Google Business Profile, Yelp, TrustPilot, Amazon, and other local listings websites (by far the most important)
- Social media posts: Customer posts using or reviewing your product or service
- Social media videos: YouTube and TikTok reaction videos
- Online photos: user-submitted images on social media platforms and your small business website
- Forum discussions: Posts and comments on Reddit or niche forums
- Online comments: Comments on blogs and social media posts
What Platforms Are Best for Small Business User Generated Content?
Are you already thinking of user generated content opportunities for your small business? Prioritize the following platforms:
- Google Business Profile is the top choice for small businesses. Customers can write reviews, upload photos and videos, and ask questions. You can also reply to reviews and questions.
- Facebook remains a good option for local user generated content. Customers can publish content about your website on your business page as well as Facebook groups. Facebook makes it easy to share content, so it is great for community building.
- Instagram is best for visual user generated content. Photos tend to have more engagement than written content.
- TikTok is great for video content. Customers can create videos about your small business’s products and services and share them to a local or national audience. TikTok may outperform Facebook and Instagram if you have a young target market.
- YouTube is better for long-form video content such as testimonials and reviews. Customers can also create short YouTube videos that are more engaging.
- Your website offers user generated content opportunities. You can ask customers to write reviews, send photos, and provide other content about your business. Other customers, however, generally trust off-site more than on-site user generated content.
Is User Generated Content Important for Small Businesses?
User generated content is incredibly important and valuable for small businesses. In fact, small businesses benefit more than large businesses from user generated content. Why? Small businesses can rely on user generated content to make up for tighter budgets, less brand recognition, smaller teams.
Advantages of User Generated Content for Small Businesses
User generated content offers many advantages for small businesses:
- Builds trust and credibility with customers: Customers trust other customers more than they trust brands, businesses, and advertisements. According to an EdelmanTrust report, 80% of consumers trust user generated content more than advertising.
- Drives online leads and sales: User generated content increases bottom-line performance like leads and sales. Customers who engage with user generated content convert at a rate 161% more than customers who do not.
- Increases repeat customers: Customers who publish content about your business are more likely to become repeat customers – especially if their content is positive.
- More cost-effective than content marketing: With user generated content, you get quality and ongoing content marketing without high expenses. In some cases, user generated content is free.
- Boosts SEO performance: Customer reviews and other user generated content types provide keyword-rich content that boosts SEO performance. Local SEO performance actually depends more on user generated content than other factors.
- Improves AI visibility: Establishing trust and credibility with user generated content improves AI visibility and performance. AI models like Google Gemini and ChatGPT prioritize small businesses with positive and quality user generated content.
Challenges of User Generated Content for Small Businesses
Although user generated content is powerful for small businesses, there are challenges you must consider.
- User generated content is inconsistent. You may receive many reviews one week but then zero the next. As such, it is difficult to create user generated content plans.
- Content quality can be a problem because there is no guarantee that any customer reviews, photos, and videos are well done.
- User generated content requires moderation for spam and anything that is inappropriate.
- There is potential for brand risk if negative user generated content spreads. A negative TikTok video, for example, may go viral and put your small business in a bad spot.
- There are some legal considerations with user generated content, so make sure you always get permission to publish customer content on your website or social pages.
User Generated Content Tips for Small Businesses
While you cannot plan for user generated content like you can for regular content marketing, there are ways to facilitate. Follow these important tips for small businesses to leverage user generated content.
- Provide templates like upload forms and review requests to make it easy for customers to create content.
- Encourage customers to create content through marketing campaigns and incentives. If you collect email addresses, you can email customers and ask them to write reviews on Google Business.
- Repurpose user generated content (with permission) on your website.
- Monitor and respond to any customer reviews or other feedback on Google Business and your social profiles.
- Track social referral traffic from user generated sources in Google Analytics 4.
CORE Search’s Content Marketing Services
CORE Search offers content marketing services, including website and social media content. We partner with you to identify and take advantage of user generated content opportunities on your website, social media pages, and local listings. Our team will make sure to prioritize the platforms that matter most to your customers.