User-generated content (UGC) is in high demand because it drives action. For example, 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions.
Brands that use UGC in their video marketing strategy see higher conversion rates, better engagement, and stronger trust with their audience. 88.5% of customers find real customer reviews more trustworthy than influencers. As more and more brands see the value of UGC, they are jumping at the opportunity to share authentic content.
But you can’t just expect UGC to come to you. You have to take control and ask for it.
At first, asking for a favour from your customers can seem awkward, but trust us, the results are worth it.
Collect UGC With Email
Email is one of the most successful and underrated channels for customer outreach. It gives you direct access to your customers and comes with tons of analytics you can leverage to see your impact.
Whether you’re looking for product reviews, testimonial videos or personal stories, we’ve got the step-by-step email marketing strategies you need to gather authentic video content.
Who Can You Ask to Create UGC?
Before we get into the details of how to get UGC, let’s dive into the two main audiences you should reach out to.
This demographic has the power to influence others to make a purchase. So, these are the people you want to ask to create UGC.
5 Strategies You Can Use to Collect UGC With Email
1. Create a Strong Subject Line
You can write the most compelling, engaging and moving email in the world, but if nobody opens it, your email is useless. So, the first strategy you need to collect UGC with email is creating a strong subject line.
Use attention-grabbing language, strong punctuation and fun emojis to capture interest. Try using a question as your subject line or offer an incentive for opening the email. Stay away from generic subject lines that don’t have value.
Here are some email subject line examples to encourage opens:
Example 1: [Customer name], did you enjoy [product]?
Example 2: [Customer name], tell us how we did and get a $10 gift card!
Example 3: We want to hear from you! Give us your rating today ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Use Personalization
Get the attention of your audience by making a personal connection with them. One of the easiest ways to use personalization in email marketing is to include your contact’s name in the subject line and your email greeting.
But let’s face it, that personalization only goes so far as to make a real connection. So, go a step further and use your email data to gather insights you can use. For example, if a contact recently made a purchase online, send a follow-up email asking for their product feedback within the next few days.
This proven strategy will help you build connections to make your customers want to create video content for you.
3. Be Clear in Your Ask
There’s nothing worse than an email that’s unclear.
If you want your customers to record a video about their experience with your brand, tell them that. Be direct, specific and descriptive about what you’re looking for. You can even include suggestions of what you want them to do or have prompts they can follow when recording a video.
Be concise in your email and get to the point. This strategy will help build trust from your customers and have them take action.
4. Get Creative
Entice your customers to create UGC by getting clever and looking outside the box.
Think social media campaigns, video contests and coupons. Send your customers exciting emails announcing a new campaign they can participate in! Or promote an upcoming game where they can win something by sending in a video.
When you offer your customers an incentive, there’s a greater chance they’ll do it. After all, everybody likes getting a reward for a job well done.
Social proof is gold for your business. So, leverage social media to do two things at once; encourage UGC from your customers and repurpose the video content for your social profiles.
Here’s an example of an email template you can use:
Subject Line: [Customer name] share your experience on video and get entered to win a prize!
Email Body:
Hey [customer name],
We’re running a video contest about [product], and you could win big!
All you need to do is to send us a short video of your experience using [product] by [date/time]. Once you submit, you’ll be entered into our prize draw to win a [prize].
Hit reply and send your video back to us.
Good luck!
5. Don’t Be Too Pushy
There’s a chance your customers won’t want to create video for you, and that’s okay. The best thing you can do for your brand is to be respectful and understanding. Make your customers feel comfortable even if they choose not to respond to your email. Your openness will go a long way with your customers.
Use StoryTap to Produce UGC with Email
Email marketing is a great tool to collect UGC. We’ve given you the tips and tricks you can use to ask your customers to record videos. But, we know it’s not always as easy as it seems.
At StoryTap, our video technology platform is equipped with email automation to ask your customers to create videos on your behalf. Our team will expertly craft and distribute the emails to your entire contact list.
Our patented video technology makes it easy to produce hundreds or even thousands of authentic videos at scale.
Learn how StoryTap can help you produce, create and distribute video. Chat with our team today!