How to turn your customers into your best creatives (without it looking like an ad)

Today’s consumers have extremely sharp radar for detecting traditional advertising.

As soon as they see a video with perfect lighting, a stilted script, and a giant logo in the corner, their brains automatically scroll past it.

People no longer want brands to sell to them; they want someone they identify with to recommend what to buy.

This is where UGC (User-Generated Content) comes in.

But we’re not talking about just any review; we’re talking about transforming your customer’s experience into a piece of content that is so organic and real that it’s irresistible.

In this blog, we’ll explain why it works, how to encourage your community to create for you, and how to curate that content so your feed looks professional yet human.

Keep reading!

Why can user-generated content boost your brand?

The short answer is: trust.

Consumers trust organic content from other users.

Therefore, if someone else uses it and likes it, “it must be good.”

In addition, seeing the product in a familiar setting, used by an ordinary person, removes purchase barriers.

How can you get them to create content for you? (without forcing it)

It’s not about asking them to tag you.

It’s about designing an experience they want to share. Here are some ideas:

• The “Instagrammable” effect of unboxing: if the packaging is incredible, the customer will take out their phone before even seeing the product.
• Real ambassador programs: don’t look for big influencers, look for those repeat customers and offer them exclusive benefits in exchange for honest content.
• Challenges with purpose: Create challenges that are not perceived as a task, but as a way to belong to a community with the same values.

Tips for curating content without making it look like a paid advertisement

The secret to success is controlled imperfection.

For content to work in your strategy:

• Guide, don’t script: instead of telling them what to say, send them a thank-you note with two or three open-ended questions: “What surprised you most when you opened it?” or “When do you use it during the day?” Their natural responses will be better than any marketing phrase.
• The real environment is the best set: don’t ask them to find a white wall. Instead, encourage them to show it in their everyday life (in their kitchen, their office, or their car). Those everyday mannerisms and clutter are what stop the scrolling.
• The 80/20 rule in the feed: as a brand, your job is to balance. 80% of the content should be this “raw” and native material (quick reels and unedited testimonials), while the remaining 20% should be polished branded content.

How UGC and influence feed off each other

Don’t see influencers and your customers as separate channels; think of them as a team.

Here’s how paid content helps organic content (and vice versa):

• Micro-influencers as “icebreakers”: often, customers don’t record themselves because they don’t know how. When you use micro-influencers, who create content with a real aesthetic (window light and no exaggerated filters), your customers feel inspired and lose their fear.
• Digital word-of-mouth: UGC is physical evidence that word-of-mouth works. By sharing a customer’s video, you are rewarding their loyalty, which motivates others to share their own experiences to become part of the brand’s “tribe.”
• Influencers to “curate” the message: while the customer gives us pure, unfiltered emotion, the influencer can use the same organic tone, focusing on the technical details the customer overlooks and complementing the information without losing its naturalness.

Modern marketing is no longer about who shouts the loudest, but who gets others to speak for them.

Turning your customers into your creatives is the most honest and profitable way to scale a business in the age of distraction.

Do you feel like your brand is stuck in what worked two or three years ago?

At The Marketplace, we specialize in designing content strategies that connect, convert, and, above all, feel real.

If you want us to help you create a community that works for your brand, contact us!