How Can Businesses Repurpose User-Generated Content Effectively?
Unlocking the true potential of user-generated content (UGC) isn’t just about sharing; it’s about sharing smartly and ethically. Insights from a seasoned MD and a forward-thinking founder and CEO provide the keys to mastering this delicate balance.
Kicking off with the straightforward strategy of using branded hashtags and culminating in the collaborative approach of sharing UGC in Stories, this rich collection includes eighteen expert-driven insights. Get ready to transform how UGC boosts engagement and resonance in your business.
How Can Businesses Repurpose User-Generated Content Effectively?
A great way to repurpose user-generated content is through branded hashtags. Encourage users to post with a specific hashtag, signaling that their content may be shared. This gives them control while allowing you to curate authentic posts. Once you’ve selected content, credit the original creators. This not only respects their privacy but also fosters a sense of community. We’ve seen increased engagement when customers feel acknowledged, and it adds credibility to your brand when authentic voices shine through.
As a marketer for a privacy-focused search engine, I have always had to walk a difficult line when it comes to reusing things that people have said about us online. Through using a graphics editor (GIMP is free; Photoshop may be something you already have access to), the smudge/blur function, and sharing comments as an image, you can effectively hide details from a piece of user-generated commentary. There may be people who still don’t believe that this is genuine, but most will not, and protecting the privacy of your customers is considerably more important than convincing a few non-customers.
Always ask for permission and credit the original creators. It’s important to show respect for the person’s privacy and recognize their contribution, which builds trust and keeps things genuine.
When a customer shares a post featuring your product, simply reach out and ask if you can share it on your own channels. This not only strengthens the relationship with your audience but ensures you’re using their content ethically.
It’s also crucial to keep the original post as authentic as possible. Avoid heavy editing or adding too much branding, as it can make the content feel less real. Staying true to the original tone and style helps the post maintain its genuine, relatable vibe.
By asking permission and keeping the content authentic, businesses can successfully repurpose user-generated content in a way that respects both the creator and the audience.
One effective strategy businesses can employ to repurpose user-generated content on social media while respecting privacy and maintaining authenticity is through contextual storytelling.
By using user-generated content to tell a broader story that aligns with your brand’s values, you can create a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience. This approach allows you to highlight genuine user experiences while weaving them into a larger, cohesive story that underscores your brand’s mission and values.
Contextual storytelling involves placing individual contributions within a larger narrative framework. For example, if your brand focuses on sustainability, you can repurpose user-generated content that showcases eco-friendly practices or products in action. By doing so, you not only maintain the authenticity of the original content but also amplify its impact by connecting it to a meaningful cause or message that your brand supports.
This strategy respects user privacy by focusing on the story rather than the individual. Instead of spotlighting personal details, you emphasize the shared values and experiences that unite your community.
This approach not only enhances the authenticity of your brand’s message but also fosters a sense of collective identity and purpose among your audience. By thoughtfully integrating user-generated content into a broader narrative, you can create engaging, authentic, and privacy-conscious content that strengthens your brand’s connection with its audience.
Leverage interactive formats such as polls. Integrating UGC into interactive formats such as stories, video reactions, or polls creates a more dynamic and engaging experience while respecting privacy. For example, you can make a story series highlighting a happy customer’s content and ask your audience for reactions or opinions in a simple poll. This approach respects the integrity of the original content and encourages further engagement from your audience, boosting your social proof.
You can also convert UGC into a highlight reel or testimonial video to amplify its impact while keeping focus on the creator’s voice and experience. The primary objective is to maintain the originality and authenticity of the content while enhancing engagement potential through highly interactive and shareable formats.
Not all user-generated content will be suitable for repurposing; therefore, I think that the first thing that companies and brands should pay attention to is selecting posts that resonate with the brand’s identity. This way, it will be easier to maintain authenticity and stay true to the social’s aesthetics and vision. This will also encourage users to share their experiences with specific themes in mind.
Furthermore, I believe it’s reasonable to obtain the original creator’s permission before repurposing any UGC and using their work on your social media accounts. This not only ensures legal compliance but also respects the creator’s rights and promotes goodwill. Many users value being contacted directly and informed about how their content will be used. In my opinion, such transparency fosters trust between the brand and its audience.
Tip 7
Request Permission for Comments
Shelley Grieshop, Marketing Associate/Writer at Totally Promotional, Totally Promotional
We periodically use quotes from customers in emails and social media posts. The comments about how our customers used their customized promotional products and the benefits they reaped are often inspiring to others seeking branding ideas. However, we first make contact with customers who leave feedback to request permission to use their names and comments for authenticity. We believe it’s crucial to respect each client’s privacy to maintain trust.
One strategy that businesses can use to repurpose user-generated content (UGC) while respecting privacy and maintaining authenticity is that, instead of passively collecting UGC and sharing it, businesses should actively involve the content creators by asking for their consent and encouraging them to share their story in their own words.
This adds a layer of authenticity because the creators feel valued and heard, making the content more relatable. When requesting permission, businesses can offer to co-create the narrative, letting the users guide how their content is presented. For example, instead of just resharing a user’s Instagram post about a product, businesses can reach out to the user, ask for their feedback or story, and then collaborate on how that post is repurposed—whether it’s part of a larger campaign, a feature on the brand’s website, or a testimonial in promotional materials.
Also, let users know exactly how their content will be used and why their input is meaningful to the brand’s mission. This ensures privacy is respected, as users have full control over what’s shared and how. Plus, it maintains authenticity because the content remains true to the user’s voice and experience, rather than being edited or reinterpreted by the brand.
Turning user-generated content (UGC) into case studies is a fantastic way to breathe new life into authentic customer stories while respecting privacy. Businesses can take detailed reviews, social media posts, or user testimonials and transform them into compelling narratives that showcase the product in action. It’s crucial to highlight the customer’s experience, focusing on the practical benefits and real-world applications of your product. This not only builds credibility but also demonstrates genuine value to potential customers.
To maintain authenticity and trust, always get consent before using any customer content. If a customer prefers anonymity, respect their wishes by omitting or altering personal details. This can be as simple as using pseudonyms or generalizing location details while preserving the core of their story. This ensures that the case study remains relatable and impactful without compromising privacy.
When crafting these case studies, structure them clearly: start with the problem the customer faced, detail how they used your product, and, finally, highlight the results they achieved. Visual aids like graphs, before-and-after photos, or quotes can enhance the narrative. This not only keeps the reader engaged but also provides a clear framework for understanding the effectiveness of your product.
I believe one effective strategy for repurposing user-generated content (UGC) on social media, while respecting privacy and maintaining authenticity, is to create a dedicated UGC hub.
This can be a separate section on your website or a specific social media channel.
By creating a UGC hub, you can curate and showcase the best user-generated content related to your brand.
This not only gives users a platform to share their experiences, but also provides your brand with valuable, authentic content that can be used for marketing purposes.
Also, to enhance privacy, you can let users submit their own content after accepting your privacy policy during the process.
Businesses can turn user-generated content (UGC) into a powerful marketing tool by adding relevant context. A customer’s photo, for instance, can transcend a simple image when paired with a narrative that highlights how your product seamlessly integrates into their daily life. This approach not only respects the original content’s authenticity but also enhances its impact. For example, sharing a customer’s snapshot of your product in action while explaining how it makes their routine easier or more enjoyable creates a relatable story that potential customers can connect with.
When sharing UGC, maintaining authenticity is key. A true customer story adds credibility to your brand’s voice. Tagging the customer and giving them recognition fosters trust and encourages more followers to share their experiences. It’s essential to get their consent before reposting, ensuring their privacy is upheld while showing appreciation for their contribution. This candid interaction builds a loyal community around your brand and genuinely demonstrates how your product adds value to real lives.
A way to add context is creating a narrative that ties the UGC to bigger brand themes or campaigns. For example, if your brand promotes sustainability, highlight how your eco-friendly product fits into a customer’s green lifestyle. Edit captions to weave personal stories into your broader message, connecting individual experiences to the brand’s ethos. This method transforms shared content into engaging stories that reinforce your brand’s identity, driving engagement and fostering a deeper connection with your audience.
A unique strategy to repurpose user-generated content, while maintaining privacy and authenticity, is to create “Problem-to-Solution Stories.” Here’s how it works:
- Identify a user’s real concern: Look for a comment, review, or social media post where a customer has mentioned a specific issue they faced with your product or service. For example, let’s say a hotel guest mentioned having trouble with the Wi-Fi during their stay.
- Get consent: Reach out to the user and ask for permission to highlight their issue (without necessarily revealing personal details) in your content.
- Create a narrative: Develop a short video, blog, or social media post that takes this problem and shows how you’ve addressed it. For instance, create a reel showing the exact steps your team took to resolve the Wi-Fi issue and how you’ve improved the network since then.
- Present the solution: Along with sharing the problem, highlight the new feature, service upgrade, or change your business made as a result of this feedback.
- Involve the user: Give the user a shout-out (if they agree) by mentioning how their feedback directly helped improve your service. This shows you’re listening to customers and encourages more people to engage with your brand.
This approach shows you’re not just engaging with UGC passively but using real customer feedback to drive tangible improvements. It fosters trust, demonstrates care, and promotes authenticity.
To effectively repurpose user-generated content on social media while respecting privacy and maintaining authenticity, we employ a “Curate, Consent, and Contextualize” strategy.
We actively monitor our social channels for high-quality, relevant content from students or alumni that genuinely captures campus life or academic experiences. Once identified, we always seek explicit permission from the creator through a professional, direct message explaining our intent.
A recent example illustrates this approach well. Last month, a junior environmental-science major posted stunning photos from a field research trip to a local wetland. After obtaining her permission, we shared the images on the college’s Instagram, adding context about our hands-on research opportunities and commitment to environmental studies. The post received triple our average engagement, with many prospective students commenting to ask about the program.
This strategy respects individual privacy and intellectual property rights while showcasing authentic, relatable experiences. It fosters community engagement around our brand and provides a diverse stream of genuine content. By carefully curating, obtaining consent, and contextualizing user-generated content, we leverage authentic experiences while maintaining professional standards and respecting our audience.
- Identify Valuable UGC – Businesses need to be on the lookout for the UGC that best meets their marketing needs. To do this, you need to correctly identify this content, especially if your user base is quite large:
- Build a branded hashtag. This allows you to search social media networks for mentions of your brand and include the content in your funnel for the next step.
- Build and closely monitor your community, power users, and top fans. Quality content will likely come from your most faithful followers, so make sure you have the means to correctly identify and follow them.
- Compliance – There is no way to skip this step as there are legal requirements to follow, brand image to consider, and the trust you want to build with your community.
- Create a user-generated content terms of use legal document that users can accept. Make sure this is done by legal professionals and includes intellectual property and privacy requirements. This needs to be easy for the user to understand and accept.
- Effectively contact the content creator. Using the funnel companies compiled for the identified content, they need to start contacting individual content creators to obtain their consent.
- Request explicit consent. The consent needs to be given in a way that is secure, recorded, and auditable later on.
- Respect the privacy rights of other individuals appearing in the content and secure consent from them also. Often, content may not contain only references to or the image of the content creator, but also that of other persons. Businesses need to make sure that all relevant parties are contacted and give consent.
- Publish – We got compliance out of the way, so it is time to (re)publish.
- Give credit to the original creator. Even if the consent is obtained, it is a good idea to credit the creator. This will ensure that trust is maintained.
- Maintain authenticity. Businesses should avoid over-editing or modifying the UGC in ways that distort its original message or tone.
- Monitor posts constantly and reply promptly to any request by the original content creator or people appearing in it to remove the content.
One highly effective strategy for repurposing user-generated content (UGC) on social media, while respecting privacy and maintaining authenticity, is to adopt a collaborative approach with your customers from the very start. At Growth Spurt, we encourage businesses to engage their audience in the content-creation process by first obtaining explicit permission through a user-friendly consent form that clearly outlines how their content will be used. This ensures that your customers feel respected and valued.
Once permission is secured, the next step is to repurpose the UGC in a way that stays true to its original voice and intent. Rather than heavily editing or over-polishing the content, which can strip it of its authenticity, we recommend enhancing the natural elements—such as genuine reactions, personal stories, and relatable scenarios. This can be done by subtly improving the video quality, adding light branding elements, or creating multiple formats that fit different social media platforms without altering the core message.
Finally, it’s crucial to credit and celebrate the original creators. Acknowledge their contributions by tagging them in posts or even featuring them in a “customer spotlight” series. This not only amplifies their voice but also builds a stronger, more authentic connection between your brand and your audience.
In essence, the key to successfully repurposing UGC lies in treating it as a partnership. By collaborating with your customers, enhancing their content without compromising its authenticity, and giving credit where it’s due, businesses can create powerful, authentic social media campaigns that resonate with audiences while respecting the privacy and integrity of their content creators.
At our e-commerce shop specializing in HVAC and home air filters, we’ve repurposed social media UGC by creating before-and-after photo features. When customers upload photos demonstrating their air filter prior to and post-installation of our filters, we sort them into stories that tell why our filters work.
We never use customers’ photos without asking them for permission in advance, and we will never share their pictures without disclosing the purpose for which we plan to use them in our marketing. We even provide anonymity to their photos if they want, stripping them of any details or identifiable backgrounds. Not only does this approach maintain our customers’ privacy, but it also transforms their real-world experiences into authentic testimonials that demonstrate the practical value of our products. This has been a huge help to build customer trust and loyalty, as consumers see actual results from actual users, which makes our filters more relatable and credible.
Stories allow brands to share user content in a more casual and immediate context, making it feel less formal and more organic. This format invites spontaneity, enabling businesses to celebrate their community’s creativity while keeping the original voice and essence intact. By featuring UGC in Stories, brands can express appreciation for their customers’ contributions.
I also find that Stories provide a unique opportunity to respect user privacy while maintaining authenticity. Since Stories disappear after 24 hours, your followers may feel more comfortable sharing content they create, knowing it won’t linger permanently on a brand’s profile. This temporary showcase can also prompt immediate engagement from followers, encouraging people to participate in real-time discussions.
Brands can effectively weave customer narratives into their storytelling without compromising authenticity or privacy. This approach cultivates a genuine community atmosphere and amplifies the brand’s narrative, showcasing the human side of the business and reinforcing trust with the audience.
An effective strategy businesses can employ to repurpose user-generated content on social media while respecting privacy and maintaining authenticity is to implement a clear and transparent consent process. This approach not only safeguards user privacy but also enhances the authenticity of the content being shared.
Before repurposing any UGC, you should obtain explicit permission from the content creator. This can be done through direct messages or by using branded hashtags that imply consent when users tag their content. For instance, a brand could create a campaign-specific hashtag and clearly communicate that using this hashtag gives them permission to share the content. This process ensures that users are aware of how their content will be used, fostering trust and maintaining authenticity.
When sharing UGC, it’s important to credit the original creator prominently. This not only respects the creator’s contribution but also maintains the content’s authenticity. By tagging the user or mentioning them in captions, businesses can enhance engagement and build a community around their brand. This approach not only respects the creator’s rights but also encourages more users to participate, knowing their contributions will be acknowledged.
By focusing on these practices, businesses can effectively leverage UGC while respecting user privacy and maintaining the genuine nature of the content.
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