Add User-generated Content to Your Instagram Marketing Plan

You want to build trust with your target market, and user-generated content can help you accomplish that. User-generated content typically has high engagement rates and can help you increase your reach and sales. However, if you’re new to this marketing strategy, you probably don’t know where to begin. Go over some tips to help you add user-generated content to your Instagram marketing plan. 
 

How to Find User-generated Content

First, you need to find user-generated content to post. You have various options for this. Let’s look at the most popular so you can begin collecting user-generated content to share. 
 

Engage in Social Listening

The most successful brands have a social media listening strategy in place. The brands scour Instagram to find brand mentions. When you do this, you’ll discover what people are saying about your brand. You will also find some excellent user-generated content to repurpose. 

For example, assume that you sell sunglasses. After setting up a social listening campaign, you discover that people are posting photos of themselves wearing your sunglasses. They love the sunglasses and are excited to show the world. That type of content could help you boost your sales.

If you’re just starting out, you can use Instagram’s search feature to find brand mentions. However, as you grow, you’ll likely want to invest in a tool that can find the mentions for you. Tools also organize the mentions, so you can easily find user-generated content to share. 
 

Ask People to Share User-generated Content 

Create a branded hashtag and add it to your bio. Then, ask people to post content using the hashtag. Allbirds does a fantastic job of this. The company has the hashtag #weareallbirds on its bio. If you type that hashtag into Instagram, tons of posts will come up. People love showing off their shoes and tagging the company, so Allbirds has lots of user-generated content to use. 

Think about how you can use this strategy to your advantage. Then, begin collecting user-generated content from your followers. 
 

Run a Contest

You can get lots of user-generated content by running an Instagram contest. Simply have people post photos to enter the contest. You have lots of options for this, but consider taking a page out of Trivago’s playbook. The hotel search platform had people post images of their favorite hotels for a chance to win $500. They also had to include the hashtag #trivagofaves. Instagram filled up with user-generated content, helping Trivago expand its reach. 
 

Share Reviews and Testimonials

You likely collect reviews and testimonials on your website or review sites. Repurpose the reviews and testimonials as user-generated content on your Instagram page. Also, if you provide in-person services, you can ask for video reviews. When people see lots of positive reviews, they will instantly trust your company. Then, it will be much easier to make sales. 
 

Partner With an Influencer

You can also get user-generated content by teaming up with an influencer. Once you enter an agreement, the influencer will post content for your company. Because the influencer has a built-in audience, you can expand your reach in an instant. This is a good strategy to use if you want fast results from your user-generated content campaign. 
 

Best Practices for Posting User-generated Content

Now that you know how to gather user-generated content, it’s time to look at the best practices. These best practices will help you benefit from user-generated content while staying connected to your audience.  
 

Don’t Post Without Permission

Never post user-generated content without permission from the original user. You could end up with legal issues if you do this. Plus, posting without permission can break trust and hurt your reputation. You can ask by commenting on the photo. Simply ask the person if you can use the image on your account or other marketing material. You’ll discover that most people are more than happy to let brands post the images.
 

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

You should always credit the source of the content. The credit should include the source of the content and where the content was originally posted. You should also thank the person for the mention when you share the content. 
 

Keep Your Page’s Overall Look in Mind

Don’t forget to stick with the page’s overall look when posting user-generated content. Use the same colors, font, and filters that you usually use for your posts when you share user-generated content. Otherwise, the content might stick out like a sore thumb and prevent you from getting the most out of your posts. 
 

Categorize Your Content

You should have a posting strategy when it comes to user-generated content. Organize it into categories and then post it. For instance, your reviews and testimonials will go into one category, while people showing off your product can go into another category. The categories you choose will depend on your brand and the content you receive. Analyze it all, and then choose the right themes for your business. 
 

Analyze the Results

Keep an eye on your Instagram analytics as you begin posting user-generated content. You should notice that your engagement levels go up. However, if they don’t, you might need to jumpstart the process by purchasing Instagram likes. You can buy likes for your user-generated content, so it will reach more people. Then, as more people see the content, you will receive organic likes. Continue to monitor your analytics to see how buying Instagram likes can help you fast-track your success with user-generated content. 
 

Start Collecting User-generated Content Today

Use these tips to start adding user-generated content to your account. Remember to follow the best practices, including tracking analytics, to see your results. It shouldn’t take long for you to start to see real results from the campaign. When that happens, other followers will likely begin submitting their content to your page as well. It’s not unusual for user-generated content to create a snowball effect. Then, you can reach more people and even have more success.