Today’s brand leaders face an important choice when planning content: focus on polished branded assets, lean into real user stories, or develop a mix of both approaches.
Blending professional brand messaging with genuine customer voices will widen your reach and keep your target audience hooked. Explore the strengths of each approach, compare their impact, and learn how to weave them together for the best results.
What Is User-Generated Content?
User-generated content (UGC) covers anything your audience creates. Here are some examples:
- A new customer leaves a public review on your website
- An influencer films a TikTok video unboxing your product
- A user posts a social media update describing how they feel about your services
Because this content comes straight from people who’ve tried what you offer, it carries a level of authenticity that polished ads can’t match.
When you share positive UGC, you tap into authentic voices, establish credibility, and generate interest without coming across as salesy.
What Is Brand-Generated Content?
Any content developed in?house or by outside professionals is brand?generated content (BGC). BGC can be as straightforward as a blog post describing the most essential features of a new product or a step?by?step tutorial that guides users through signing up for your services.
Why BGC and UGC Work Better Together
You reach more people when you use BGC and UGC together. Your branded pieces lay out who you are. They’re clear, polished, and on?message. Then, UGC from genuine customers backs up those claims, with firsthand experiences that are hard to fake.
Here are a few ideas to help you find the right balance.
Partner With Niche Creators for Authentic Reach
Partner with micro?influencers to blend your polished brand message with real customer voices.
Micro?influencers speak directly to specific groups and have earned a high level of trust from their followers. A partnership with the right micro-influencer allows you to reach a ready?made community that already cares about what you offer. The result is higher engagement rates.
Map Out Your Action Plan
Make a clear content plan to keep both user stories and brand messages on track. The plan should include rotating themes, clear deadlines, and a strategy for reaching consumers through different channels. Each element must tie everything back to your original marketing goals.
In your plan, create submission guidelines to make sure that contributors know exactly what you want. Spell out what formats you accept and which brand elements to include. You want contributors to feel free to share honest stories without straying off?brand.
Track Your Top Engagement Signals
You can’t find an optimal balance on gut instinct alone, and that’s why you need hard data on how your content performs. Which posts earn likes, comments, and shares? Which ones send readers clicking through or signing up?
Notice how long users linger on each page or video. Once you see which content drives the actions you care about, make adjustments. If, for instance, you notice that UGC sparks more conversation but branded posts pull in more sign?ups, revamp your plan to lean into both strengths.
Win Over Your Perfect Audience With Effective Marketing
You need a marketing strategy that puts you in front of your ideal audience. At Net Profit Marketing, we boost your visibility with smart SEO and clear, measurable campaigns. Reach out today.
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