Introduction
User-generated video is a powerful tool for your business. It can be used in a number of ways, from boosting brand awareness to improving your SEO and increasing conversions—all while saving you money. But what exactly is user-generated video? How can you get it? And why should you care about it anyway?
What is user-generated content?
User-generated content (UGC) is a type of media that is created by users, rather than professional media producers. It can be in the form of text, images, audio or video and is usually posted on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
The term “user” refers to regular people who create UGC–it doesn’t refer exclusively to those with an official account on a platform like YouTube or Twitter. In fact, many times these users aren’t even aware they’re creating UGC at all! In other words: anyone who uploads something onto these platforms can potentially be considered an “author” by the platform’s terms of service agreement because they’ve produced content for public consumption.
What is a user-generated video?
A user-generated video is any video that was not created by the business or brand, but instead by a customer or user. This can be a video made with a smartphone, or something more elaborate like an animated cartoon. It’s important to note that even if the customer didn’t create it using their smartphone, it still counts as user generated content because they were involved in its creation and sharing.
User-Generated Content (UGC) is often used interchangeably with crowdsourced content, though UGC generally refers specifically to videos and photos taken by customers themselves rather than employees or contractors who are paid for their work on behalf of companies like yours
How can I get user-generated videos?
There are several ways to get user-generated videos. You can ask customers to make them, use a video contest, or be creative in your approach. However you go about it, remember that you need to pay people for their time and effort!
- Ask customers: If your business has an audience on social media or a blog, consider asking those audiences for user-generated content (UGC). This is probably the easiest way to get UGC because it doesn’t cost anything other than some time spent interacting with customers on social media channels or responding via email/phone calls/etc., but it also won’t provide as many videos as other approaches because there will always be people who don’t want their faces out there online or simply aren’t interested in making videos themselves yet still have ideas about how things could improve at the company where they work or shop regularly–and these can often be better sources of inspiration than what’s already been created by professionals working within specific industries like yours!
Why is video UGC more important?
- Video is the most engaging form of content.
- Video is the best way to show your product or service in action.
- Video is the best way to show off your brand personality and culture, which can be especially important for B2B companies that sell complex products or services that are difficult for customers to understand without seeing them in action (such as software).
- You can use video to share stories about how your business came into being, what makes it special, who works there and why they do what they do–all things that make up a company’s “story” and help people connect with it on an emotional level (which leads us back around again).
Finding the right tools
The first step to using UGC is finding it. There are several ways you can do this:
- Search the web. Use Google or another search engine to find videos related to your topic, or look through YouTube channels that deal with similar subjects.
- Use an app that helps users find UGC on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter (see below).
Once you’ve found some UGC, there are also several ways you can edit it:
- Use editing software like Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere Pro CC if you’re familiar with these programs already–or try open-source alternatives such as Shotcut or Kdenlive if they better suit your needs.
User-generated video can be a powerful tool for your business
User-generated video can be a powerful tool for your business. It’s a great way to get feedback from customers, build trust with them and grow your business.
User-Generated Videos (UGVs) are videos made by consumers about products or services they have used or purchased. UGVs are usually produced by consumers themselves using mobile phones or digital cameras and uploaded onto websites like YouTube or Facebook where other users can view them.
Conclusion
UGC videos are a key element brands need to consider as part of an engaging experience. As companies incorporate thousands if not millions of user-generated digital media into their web and mobile experiences, they need to consider a few things.
This includes a seamless and automated workflow, that includes an efficient upload and moderation process, dynamic transformations, and a secure way to deliver across your channels for optimal performance at scale. Fortunately Cloudinary has you covered.
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