7 Ideas for Repurposing User-Generated Content

User-generated content is valuable because it’s trusted and viewed most positively than other marketing messages. When customers make text or video reviews, they show you product in use, write about your business, or create other content, they’re sharing your products or services with other potential customers. So how can you use this content to its greatest effect? Try these 7 ideas for repurposing user-generated content.

7 Ideas for Repurposing User-Generated Content

Why Repurpose User-Generated Content?

When users create content about your brand, why can’t you just share the content that they’ve made? Do you have to reformat or repurpose this content? You certainly don’t have to, but repurposing user-generated content allows you to accomplish several important things:

Extend the content’s reach and visibility through repetition
Highlight different aspects of your business
Reach more customers on different platforms
Show users that you appreciate their participation
Integrate user-generated content into more parts of your marketing strategy

Remember that most messages must be repeated about seven times for it to have a measurable impact on a customer. While you could repeat the same message and the same content seven times, it’s more effective (and less annoying) to add some variation.

How Do I Repurpose User-Generated Content?

Keep in mind that the way that you repurpose user-generated content will depend on the type of content you receive and the goals that you have. For example, if you receive many positive text-based reviews, it will make more sense to repurpose these into additional text-based content, while video content might not make much sense.

When repurposing user-generated content, keep the following in mind:

The permissions you’ve received. Don’t repurpose your content in a way that your customer doesn’t agree to. It can help to do some planning beforehand, so you know what to include in your permission statement.
Your audience. If your audience tends to engage more with short, attention-grabbing content rather than long, informative content, don’t repurpose your content into something long and in-depth.
Your platform. If your preferred platform is primarily text-based, for example, consider creating additional text-based content.

1. Commercial

There are more ways than ever to create a commercial for your brand, and this presents an easy opportunity to repurpose user-generated content. This works particularly well for video testimonials and other video content, but it could also work using audio for a radio or podcast commercial. Think carefully about how you edit and reformat your user’s content, and you can create a truly striking commercial.

2. Social Video

Social media videos are usually between 30 seconds and three minutes long, depending on the platform. Video content also tends to get more likes, shares, and comments, too. This makes social media a great platform to redistribute your user-generated video content. Again, edit your videos carefully to get the right balance of information and length.

3. Social Posts

While the previous two suggestions work best for video content, general posts can include video, pictures or text. Use excerpts from your text reviews and post to Facebook or LinkedIn. Use your customers’ pictures with your product and post to Instagram, Snapchat or Pinterest. Consider how you can reformat your users’ content for your preferred platform, and don’t forget to tag the original poster to show your appreciation.

4. Brochure

Modern brochures can include traditional paper brochures or digital downloads. You can work repurposed user-generated content into either type. Use text and pictures in your paper brochures to show your existing customers’ confidence. You can use this same content in your digital brochure, or include video content as well.

5. Sales Pages

Customer reviews and testimonials on sales pages have been shown to increase sales. On average, testimonials on sales pages increase conversions by 34%, but this can be as high as 380% for big-ticket items. If you haven’t included your customers’ content on your sales pages, now is the time to do it.

6. Emails Drips

The goal of an email drip is to increase interactions between you and your customer, and ultimately drive conversions. If you’re not sure what to include in your email drips, consider adding the positive words or mentions your previous customers have provided. Include excerpts from text reviews or testimonials, pictures of your customers using your product, snippets or links to videos.

7. Traditional Advertisements

Magazine ads, billboards and other types of traditional advertisements rely on eye-catching graphics and impactful text to grab customers’ attention and showcase their products or services. Since customers believe other customers more than marketers, this is another great way to repurpose user-generated content. Use a customers’ picture, preferably as they’re using your product or service, alongside a brief review or testimonial to create an impactful magazine ad, newspaper ad, billboard, poster or another traditional advertisement.

There are many ways to repurpose user-generated content. Make an inventory of the UGC you have, make a list of your marketing goals you have, and see how you can align your content to fit your goals.