Do you wish to promote Instagram posts made by your customers? How can I locate their posts and use them without violating Instagram’s TOS?
This post will teach you how to inspire users to produce UGC, where to look for UGC, and what you can do with it legally.
What’s the Point of Instagram User-Generated Content?
Let’s define user-generated content (UGC) before we go into how to use it on Instagram. User-generated content (UGC) refers to any materials produced by users that feature your brand, product, or service. Instagram allows users to be “tagged,” “mentioned,” or “sent” another user’s post. The material is typically generated by your audience, whether current or potential customers.
Why therefore should you make advantage of user-generated content? For starters, it’s ready-made material that saves you time. When other people do the hard work, you get to put it on your editorial schedule. Second, user-generated content (UGC) demonstrates your brand from the perspective of your customers, rather than yours, which can be more credible and authentic to your target market.
In what ways may user-generated content (UGC) help you build your brand? A winning piece of content is one that reflects the voice, aesthetic, and colour scheme of your brand. Useful content is content that emphasises the advantages of your product or the qualities of your brand.
These brands and goods rely heavily on visual appeal, yet the concepts still hold true even if you’re selling information.
After learning the benefits of using user-generated content (UGC) in your Instagram marketing, you can implement the following strategies to encourage your audience to produce UGC and safely upload it to your profile.
Inspire your Instagram followers to post user-generated content
You can solicit user-generated content by rewarding Instagram users who feature your business with likes, comments, and shares for using your branded hashtag and/or @mentioning you in posts about the company.
The Instagram bio for footwear firm Allbirds prominently features the company’s branding hashtag, #weareallbirds.
Include the hashtag and/or your username on receipts or packaging as a friendly reminder to your consumers to share their purchases on Instagram and tag you in the post.
Make use of signage or even selfie stations if you have a physical presence for your brand to encourage customers to take photos and tag you. You can also use UGC as a criterion for participation into contests and prizes.
Pick the Best User-Generated Content for Instagram
You may be wondering how to find user-generated content (UGC) on Instagram if people begin posting it there. If you’re going to utilise a branded hashtag, you should monitor it frequently to see what others are posting about your company.
When consumers produce content mentioning your company via the @ symbol, you will be alerted instantly. You may also use a social listening service to track mentions of your company or relevant hashtags to discover user-generated content.
Be picky about the user-generated content you decide to publish. Select appropriate content that serves your brand and effectively communicates your intended message; adjust hues and filters as necessary to achieve the desired effect. Avoid using a tone, style, and voice that are inconsistent with your brand.
Get approval to post user-generated content on Instagram
Once you’ve settled on a piece of user-generated content, you’ll want to make sure you have explicit permission to repost it. If you don’t, you could be held liable for any profits that can be traced back to your post.
You can DM someone or leave a comment on their post to request permission to share something from their feed. Tell them you enjoyed their post so much that you want to share it on Instagram.
It’s not entirely clear whether or not you need someone’s permission to share a story, but as long as you don’t change the story in any way, it’s probably safe to do so. But I still recommend it.
If you want to repost something on Instagram but aren’t sure if it’s okay to do so, you can always send a direct message to the original poster and ask. People are generally okay with you sharing their stuff if they are tagging you in it.
Post User-Generated Content to Instagram’s News Feed and Stories
Let’s go on to discussing different methods for publishing user-generated content to Instagram’s stories and feed.
Several free apps exist for reposting to the feed. Using these applications, you may copy an Instagram post—including the image and caption—and publish it to your own account. They’ll also stamp it with a watermark that includes the username of the original user.
The use of screen captures to distribute user-generated content is on the rise since they are simpler than other reposting methods. As long as you ask permission first and keep the original user’s tag in place, this is totally OK.
Conclusion
Visual platforms like Instagram make content development even more challenging and time-consuming. The answer lies in user-generated content. Sharing information from your customers and prospects can be a great way to engage with your audience, highlight customer success stories, and spread useful content.