Introduction
Nobody likes an insincere person— someone who acts like they care about you. In the same vein, people don’t like insincere companies either. Which is why it’s important to be mindful of the messages that we as the B2B space put out. To be among the best in the industry, we should give out a message that builds trust, authenticity, and rapport between us and our audience.
In the old days of B2B, more posts meant more engagement online. However, in the present day, that is not the case. Today, algorithms on social media like LinkedIn reward high-quality posts that address the pain points of your audience.
This is where user-generated content (UGC) comes into play. Almost every industry has benefited from it, and B2B is not an exception. It’s a powerful channel to build trust and drive success through the authentic testimonies of others.
In this article, we’ll go through five ways you can harness UGC.
What is UGC?
User-generated content, as the name suggests, is testimonial and opinion content produced by users of a product or service. Word-of-mouth marketing has always been a strong tool to push forward either the good or bad opinion of a company.
People like to talk about their experiences with a product or service, especially when it has benefited them greatly. And they won’t hesitate to recommend it to their circles if it can help them too.
While high-production-value content from a company is great, the testimonials from inside the company (employees) and outside (audience) is extremely valuable. It will resonate with your target audience more, building trust.
According to Nielsen Global’s trust report, 92% of people trust a recommendation from someone they know.
Forms of UGC
User-generated content can come in many forms, viz.:
- Blog posts – Blog posts are long form reviews that go in depth and detail about a product or service. Often, the writer of the blog post enumerates on their experience, and what they liked or disliked. For example: book reviews.
- Videos – Creators can also make in-depth reviews through video. If a physical product is being reviewed, viewers can see the product and how it works. How-to’s and unboxings often let the viewer see reactions of the creator and enumerate the benefits.
- Social media posts – They function like mini blog posts, where users can post their opinions of the product and service they like. They can also function to redirect people to websites to browse the company products, if it’s a paid promotion.
- Forum comments – Sites like Reddit and Quora are places people often go to get advice and opinions on various topics. Products and services are no different.
5 Ways to Harness UGC
1. Feature Client Testimonials
Use short, authentic quotes from satisfied clients to build trust and credibility. Place these in your content — either as a sidebar, pull quote, or even as the central focus. To add legitimacy, include a photo, name, and job title.
2. Showcase Case Studies and Success Stories
Create mini-case studies that highlight how your solution helped a client achieve specific results. Include a problem-solution-outcome format and link to a full version.
3. Highlight Social Media Mentions and Tags
Turn positive LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram mentions into visual highlights in your emails. A screenshot of a post where a client praises your service goes a long way. You can add a short caption like “What our clients are saying” for a little more spice.
4. Incorporate User Reviews and Ratings
Embed snippets from review platforms like G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot into your content or as part of a testimonial block.
5. Invite Users to Contribute and Engage
Encourage recipients to share how they use your product or service. Ask a question like “What’s your favorite feature?” or “How has our list helped your campaigns?” — then feature the best responses in future emails. You can also offer an incentive like a shoutout or a free resource in return for submissions.
In Short
UGC is great if you want to pose your brand as a trustworthy partner to your audience’s needs. Not only do you get to show to your audience that other people are engaging positively with your brand, but you also get to show off new features of your products as well. As a result of this exchange, your brand will grow and reach exponential heights.
Do you have a product and content, but nobody to share it with?
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