Here’s The Link, Love
Additionally, user created content is anything created by users of the brand or the audience that can be used to voice for the brand. Many brands will use the accounts of their consumers to share positive opinions of the good or service. This gives the brand a “real” voice and allows other members of the audience to see others’ experience with the organization. This promotes authenticity, creates trust, and drives purchase decisions within a brand.
Influencers have begun to create full careers off of creating user-created content for brands. These media users create a large following by posting content for a targeted audience. Brands will utilize this content by sharing these authentic recounts of their goods or services to entice others to get involved as well. Influencers often create a strong relationship of trust with their audience and showcase their knowledge and expertise on a topic. Many of the influencers I follow are involved with the topics I enjoy such as lifestyle, organization, beauty, fashion, and home goods. The topics the influencers specialize in are then translated to brands such as Target, Aerie, West Elm, TJ Maxx, Maybelline, and more.
Many businesses are starting to use influencers and their user-generated content to uplift their brand. Vici is a clothing brand, established in 2012, targeted toward working women to make trendy fashion easy and affordable. The brand refers to stakeholders as “dolls” and the “Vici dolls” are showcased on their social media to advertise their user-created content. This content gives women the chance to see the clothing on more than just the model along with an opinion on the make of the clothing. I have seen Emily Herren (@champagneandchanel), Amber Lancaster (@amberlancaster), and Hollie Woodward (@holliewdwrd) showcased within Vici’s social media. These girls have up to 1.2 million followers and working with a brand like Vici, the two can bring these audiences together to create more business for both of them. The influencers do wear the clothing and document themselves out and about running errands or going on date nights. They go over their opinion of the clothing before and after and give honest criticism. This is effective because it shares the brand and clothing with the influencer’s followers, broadening their audience, and also sharing more than just the model photo of the clothing.
Another brand I often see use influencers’ content to market their products is Audible. This brand provides audio storytelling on a convenient app wherever one may go. Audible uses influencers in the same way Vici does by partnering with YouTubers, Instagramers, and more to use their user-generated content to share the experiences of a popular stakeholder. Again, this partnership joins audiences together and brings authenticity to the brand as the influencer reveals their opinion of the product while encouraging others to consider consuming the product themselves. Audible has partnered with highly paid YouTubers such as PeeDiePie, Roman Atwood, and other single influencers. In addition to these influencers, they have also partnered with YouTube channels that cater to certain audiences such as The Game Theorists, Householder Hacker, and more. Partnering with these influencers, again, share an audience between the stakeholder and the brand. The brand benefits from the personal account of the use of audible. This is extremely beneficial for audible because when it comes to Vici, everyone will purchase an article of clothing and it will be the same for all who purchased it. However, when it comes to audible, there are many choices of literature to listen to, making the influencer account even more personal.
The use of influencers is beneficial for brands so they may gain a broader audience, share personal content, push sales, and instill authenticity. An additional benefit includes a break from creating content and the chance to reflect on the product and learn about stakeholders’ opinions. Remember, if you have ever loved a product, or a brand that stood out to you, tell them! Social media has made creating relationships with consumers and producers a lot more accessible these days.
