Three Can’t-Miss Tips for Managing User Generated Content

After overcoming the obstacle of collecting user generated content comes the challenge of managing it. Similar to collecting UGC, there are several ways to go about making the most of the insight it has to offer. Retailers hoping to make the maximize the content collected from customers benefit from having a solution that makes collecting, sharing and analyzing it simple. Some tips on how a ratings and reviews platform help retailers get everything they can out of UGC collection efforts include: 

Have a Plan for Measuring the Impact of UGC

Once enough UGC has been collected by retailers, determining what they can learn from it should be the next step. By analyzing the insights user generated content has to offer, retailers have an opportunity to quickly engage customers with the content that resonates with them best. With managing the responsibilities that come with owning and operating an ecommerce platform, breaking down analytics of customer content might be one task too many. Luckily for retailers, ratings and reviews platforms make accessing and understanding those analytics simple.  

Say for example, you’re trying to get a better understanding of what the most successful products in your catalogue are, and why customers like them. You’ve been collecting product reviews for a few months, and have lots of variety in the feedback you’ve received. As part of your review platform, you receive access to artificial intelligence resources capable of providing you with what topics customers are discussing. Once the analysis has been completed, you can then share your findings with the appropriate teams to create a plan for making improvements and exceeding customer expectations. Retailers who develop a cross-channel plan for communicating customer content metrics are well positioned to create the highly personalized shopping experiences customers are seeking.  

Be Transparent When Asking for Permission to Use UGC

Making the determination of whether a retailer has authorization to use or share the content of customers can be difficult territory to navigate. For retailers who aren’t sure if they’ve received such authorization, the approach might be to ask for forgiveness rather than permission, but that can do long-term damage between a retailer and their customers. The best way for retailers to avoid usage rights issues is by clearly communicating terms of agreement with customers. With the right ratings and reviews suite, rights are directly shared with retailers when customers agree to terms and conditions, ensuring they’re covered.

Additionally, providing terms and conditions for customers to agree to before allowing them to share their user generated content is a great way to build another layer of trust. Let’s pretend you recently uploaded a picture of yourself wearing a new sweatshirt onto your Instagram profile. How would you feel if the retailer shared that photo on their page or in their marketing materials without your permission? You’d likely feel as though your trust had been violated to a certain degree which may discourage you from providing user-generated content in the future, or from shopping with that retailer altogether. Retailers who keep the longevity of their relationships with customers at the top of mind tend to yield positive results from ugc. 

Build a Strategy That Keeps Customer Content Coming

By creating a user generated content strategy that leads to continuous engagement with customers, retailers earn more credibility over competitors who may not be as engaging. Studies show that 73% of consumers only pay attention to reviews written within the last month. This means retailers who make a consistent effort to ensure that the content collected by customers stays up to date and relevant are more likely to provide the experience shoppers are seeking. Retailers go through a lot to create the ideal shopping experience, and a ratings and reviews platform maximizes those efforts. 

By using a ratings and reviews platform capable of collecting multiple forms of customer content, retailers can be assured that their UGC will remain up-to-date and relevant. Book a demo with a representative now to learn more about the benefits of turning to a ratings and reviews platform as a solution for user-generated content.