Let your customers spread the word
85 percent of customers find user-generated content (UGC) more beneficial than that developed by the brand itself yet only 65% of businesses believe in its impact. Even though it is less expensive and has the potential to become viral, only 38% of brands are using UGC in their marketing strategies and it is likely that fewer B2B marketers have it in their repertoire.
Successful B2B marketers use digital media in general to offer a variety of content so their audience can discover how offerings are relevant and to answer their basic questions. UGC is specific multimedia content such as blog reviews, tweets, posts, videos, or images that have been created by users on an online platform and consumers trust it more than all other forms of media.
B2B marketers can use UGC the same way as B2Cs because no matter the realm, real world examples from your current customers can assist with onboarding and guidance, teaching new customers how to handle online processes that might otherwise be confusing.
Once prospects have become customers, providing access to additional UGC visuals provide a human connection to your brand. They also have the potential to earn a wider sense of trust as it displays real-world examples of your products or services in action.
Word-of-mouth marketing has always been the most effective marketing method. Tim Handorf, CEO of G2 Crowd says “B2B buyers are increasingly looking for real-time insights from peers.” IBM, Hootsuite, and Buffer are using B2B UGC successfully so why not tap into the one unique resource your business already has – its customers – to help earn you new ones?
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