Digital Content Marketing and User Generated Content Marketing
User generated content is
the new buzzword for any new business model on the Internet, so you are
probably asking yourself what it is. It was originally initiated by the many
online forums and then refined by Wikipedia. User generated content then
expanded on a massive scale with the availability of the Web 2.0 tool. These
new web tools allowed users to more easily communicate online and create their
own content. So basically, user generated content is things like blogs, videos,
music, photos, reviews, articles, etc.
Often user generated
content is backed by a community. This community is composed of a core group of
users who are very involved in this way of life. A great many of these people will
both use the web communities to add content and also to read, watch or see
other peoples content.
User generated content is
both popular and useful for a number of reasons. The cost of creating new
content is close to free, if you do not count the time it takes up. The sites
are very “new user” friendly and involved. The frequency of content additions
and updates are far higher than any other form of web communication. The wealth
of the content in its diversity is far greater. User loyalty is often higher
too, because many people create stronger bonds with web communities that they
have added to.
The principals of a
successful user generated community site are:
The user generated content dominates the site.
Profiles and accounts should be free.
Uploading should be free.
Pay per use should come into effect with the
use of website tools and services
The content should be user controlled but
monitored for misuse.
The site should be adapted to its target area.
The user audience should grow daily otherwise users
will be lost to social media.
Many say that the desire
to highlight the user generated content is performed with the aim of reducing
costs, by taking content creation, at the expense of users. Nevertheless, this
orientation towards user generated content is also a new power given to
consumers. Now everyone can be part of all brands / services / products that
they like, and if they don’t like a company’s service, then they can badmouth
them with a soap box that reaches millions. A person may single handily start a
negative campaign against a company that wronged them, that will then carry on
automatically through it bouncing between the users in the community.
