Your Complete Guide to Using User-Generated Content on TikTok

TikTok is an incredibly powerful platform, thanks to its user-generated content (UGC). Smart brands harness the power of that UGC in their own marketing. Though you may still want to be able to create some of your own branded content, it’s important to note that UGC is a crucial part of any TikTok strategy.

What Does User-Generated Content on TikTok Mean?

As the name implies, UGC is content created by users. In this case, it refers to the fact that people outside of your brand on TikTok create content. This could mean participating in a challenge, recording a Duet, or using Stitch. Other examples include posting a review of your product or participating in a hashtag challenge you started.

Why UGC on TikTok Is So Important

No matter the platform you use, user-generated content has some crucial benefits. To start, it dramatically reduces the amount of content you have to create, saving your brand time and money. Additionally, it serves as social proof, proving that there are people who trust your brand and products.

UGC becomes even more crucial on TikTok because of the nature of the platform. Most people who use TikTok prefer authentic content, and UGC is deemed by most people to be authentic content.

Research also shows that UGC on TikTok has a significant impact. Real Eyes found that user-generated videos on TikTok score 22% higher than brand videos. UGC videos held attention for the longest time. They also had a larger emotional impact, encoding emotion better than brand videos.

Overall, it appears that UGC creates a sense of trust and a feeling of a tight-knit community.

Tips for Using UGC on TikTok

Having established the importance of UGC, we can now look at some of the most important tips and best practices for harnessing the power of user-generated content on TikTok.

• 1. Choose Types of UGC to Focus On

  There are several different types of UGC on TikTok, so make sure you choose the type of UGC based on your goals.

  Challenges: This strategy challenges your audience to complete a task involving your product. For instance, a makeup company could issue a challenge to create a unique makeup look using a specific beauty product. A workout gear shop could issue a challenge to use their equipment creatively in a workout routine.

  Reviews: In this UGC, the content creator is asked to try your product and deliver an authentic review.

  Instructional Videos: These videos include instructions or how-to tips. They help your brand build trust, as they feature your products and how they work.

  Contests: This strategy involves asking users for UGC in exchange for entries in a contest. The rewards you give could be an experience, product, gift card, discount, or something similar.

• 2. Tell Your Audience What Content You Want

  Any marketing campaign should have a specific goal. Gathering UGC is no different. For the best results, tell your audience exactly what kind of content you are seeking. This prevents any confusion and ensures that users create content that will be valuable for you.

• 3. Work with Influencers

  

  Most UGC can be useful on TikTok, but you will notice the best results when you work with influencers. TikTok influencers already have a reach, so more people will see the content they create. Influencers are trusted by their followers, so people are more likely to give more weight to their reviews and interactions.

• 4. Choose Content From People Who Match Your Audience

  Whether you work with an influencer or look for content created by other members of your audience, be sure to focus on those who match your audience and brand. UGC works best if the people watching the content can relate to those who create the content they consume.

• 5. Take Advantage of the Duet and Stitch Features

  When you use content created by others on TikTok, take advantage of features like Stitch and Duet. It’s especially popular to create a video and issue a challenge that involves the Stitch or Duet features. Your initial video serves as the prompt for the challenge. These features encourage engagement and are quite entertaining.

• 6. Use a Unique Hashtag

  

  Come up with a unique hashtag for your brand that TikTok users can include putting all of your content together. This way, you can easily find all the content your followers create for you. At the same time, anyone interested in your brand can easily search for the hashtag and see all related content.

  For this to work, make sure that you come up with a unique hashtag. Otherwise, other content will be mixed with yours. With a unique hashtag, your content will be more accessible and easier to search.

• 7. Share the User-Generated Content on Your Page

  Remember that one of the goals of UGC is to reduce the amount of content you create. So, take the UGC and use it to post consistently on your TikTok page. Share authentic reviews or any other UGC that are relevant to your brand. You can also use this as an opportunity to Stitch or Duet with content created by users.

  Including the UGC on your page also lets you take advantage of the authenticity and feeling of community involved with this type of content.

• 8. Use UGC on Paid Ads as Well

  If you use paid advertising on TikTok, repurpose some of your UGC in those ads. You’ll get the same benefits you would with content on your feed. Just remember to get permission from the creators.

• 9. Use the UGC on Other Platforms

  

  You don’t have to limit your use of UGC from TikTok to this platform alone. Share some of the best videos on your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or website.

• 10. Track Your Efforts

  Don’t forget to track your use of UGC. This will help you analyze the type of content that works best, letting you focus your effort on that type in the future.

Start Using UGC on TikTok

Now, you’re ready to start gathering and using UGC on content. You just need to decide on the type of content that’s relevant to your brand and encourage your audience to create it.