User Generated Content (UGC) is any content made by the users rather than the platform owners. UGCs are purely made by users based on their experience with the service or product. The content can be texts, writing, images, videos, or anything really.
UGC is growing quickly as a key component of successful marketing strategies. It has become crucial to understand how to utilize UGC as more educators, course creators, and coaches recognize the power of authentic, community-driven content.
If you are interested in learning more about how UGC is relevant or beneficial in education, then you are in luck! In this article, we will briefly learn about what UGC is, the benefits of UGC in a learning community, their types, and practical steps for creating a successful UGC campaign!
What is User Generated Content (UGC)?
Are you familiar with social media or online forums? Have you ever used Reddit, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or X? I am sure you have posted images, videos, or comments on any of those platforms. Well, if yes then you are a part of UGC creators as well.
Every status that you post on Facebook, every picture that you upload on Instagram, every video that you upload on YouTube, or every comment that you post on a subreddit is considered User Generated Content. These are not forced by any means but completely voluntary contributions of the users. These contents are the primary fuel to run a community or platform.
They refer to any form of authentic content—text, videos, images, reviews, etc.—created by the users rather than the brand itself. UGC is a great tool for marketers as it provides genuine insights and experiences directly from the community.
Types of UGC Relevant to Educators
There can be different types of UGC content produced by the users. In this section, we will learn about some types of content relevant to educators, teachers, coaches or course creators.
Reviews and Testimonials
Written or video feedback and reviews from your students or customers are a primary example of UGC. You can make an option for your students to give testimonials and ratings about your course after completing it. They can also share their reviews any time after getting enrolled in the review section of your courses. These will develop the authenticity of your content and build the interest of other users.
Assignments and Projects
Your course might include quizzes, assignments, or projects. This type of work created by students as part of their coursework can be considered as UGC. The best assignments or projects done by your student can be displayed as proof of your course’s potential.
Also read: 10 Best Online Quiz Maker for Teachers (Free & Paid)
Social Media Posts
You can never avoid the power of social media. Content shared by users on social platforms mentioning or tagging your brand can greatly increase the exposure of your course.
Discussion Forums
Some LMS platforms like EzyCourse let you open a community on your platform to boost interaction between your students. Your student’s contributions to community discussions, including posts, comments, and questions can be considered as UGC content.
Video Content
Videos created by students showcasing their learning journey, projects, or testimonials can be incredibly impactful. Video content is engaging and can carry emotions and experiences more directly than text.
Blogs and Articles
Your students can write about their learning experiences, their success stories, and topics related to your courses in your community. These can be published on your website or shared through newsletters as UGC.
Benefits of UGC for Online Course Creators
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful way for course creators and educators to engage with their students. At present, the demand for authentic and relatable content is higher than ever. Most brands are constantly looking for UGC creators and generating UGC.
UGC lets you utilize the users of your community to create an intense, more interactive learning environment as well as helps to gain customer’s trust, brand loyalty, and organic reach. By taking advantage of UGC in your platform, you can boost reliability, engagement, and even the capability of your courses. Some of the key benefits of UGC for course creators and educators are described below. Let’s talk about the benefits of UGC content in detail.
1. Building Trust
Nothing works better at building trust and reliability towards a new platform than to hear real user experience. Your potential students are more likely to trust and relate to peer reviews and testimonials than promotional content created by the brand or the owner of the platform itself. According to The Drum, 86% of consumers stated that they are more likely to trust a brand that publishes user-generated content, compared to just 12%, who are inclined to purchase a product promoted by an influencer.
The dynamics of advertising is changing. To be honest, people don't want to watch traditional ads that directly promote the product. That is where User Generated Content or UGC comes into play. Hearing from real people who have used your services can be a decision-making factor for your users.
2. Promoting Engagement and Community Interaction
UGC can develop a sense of community by increasing interaction among the users. When students see their content shared and appreciated, they are more likely to engage actively. Some eLearning authoring tools like EzyCourse let you even build a community where teachers and students can interact by posting, commenting, creating polls, and so on just like social media. This engagement can lead to deeper learning and more fruitful class discussions, both online and offline. Creating a community where students can share their experiences, projects, and feedback makes the overall learning experience pleasing and builds a supportive network among peers.
3. Cost-effective Marketing
Utilizing content created by users can significantly reduce the costs associated with content creation. Instead of investing a huge number in marketing materials, using UGC provides a cost-effective marketing alternative. For instance, a well-placed testimonial or a compelling student success story can serve as a powerful marketing tool that doesn’t require a hefty amount of money. Infact a report from SocialMediaToday shows, UGC is 8.7 times more impactful than influencer content and 6.6 times more persuasive than branded content.
UGC allows you to allocate resources more efficiently, focusing on areas that directly impact student success and course quality.
4. Boosting SEO
Unique and diverse content created by users can improve your search engine rankings. UGC often contains keywords that prospective students use, enhancing the SEO of your educational platform. Additionally, constant and fresh content signals to search engines that your site is active and valuable, which can further improve your rankings. Encouraging students to share their experiences and insights can organically boost your online presence and attract more potential students.
5. Increasing Course Completion Rates
Students can get motivated to complete their courses by seeing other peers’ success stories and progress. Peer influence can be a powerful motivator. It encourages students to persist through challenging materials and overcome the learning curve knowing others have done it before them. Sharing success stories and showcasing student achievements can create a positive, motivating atmosphere that drives students to complete their courses and strive for excellence.
How to Encourage User-Generated Content Generation
Hopefully, you already have some basic idea about UGC, UGC creators, types, and benefits of UGC. Now we will know how to develop an environment where the users will be encouraged to generate UGC. To grow your User Generated Content sustainably, you need to initiate some steps. Let us dive deeper into some strategies to boost UGC creation.
1. Develop a community
Create and develop a supportive and interactive community where students feel comfortable sharing their work and experiences. You can utilize platforms like Facebook groups, Discord, or dedicated forums to build this type of community. With course creation platforms like EzyCourse, you can even get a dedicated community feature that allows you to build a community on your own site. Regular interactions and engagement from instructors within a community can also make a big difference.
Also read: A Complete Guide to Building Your Online Learning Community
2. Provide Incentives
You can motivate students to contribute by offering incentives like discounts, recognition, or prizes. Additionally, you could offer a discount on future courses for students who write a detailed review or create a compelling video testimonial. This will be a great investment towards building a sustainable UGC environment.
3. Ask for Feedback
Directly ask your students for reviews, testimonials, or ratings upon completion of their courses. Sometimes, a simple request is all it takes. You can also provide a clear guideline on what you’re looking for to make it easy for your students to contribute.
4. Highlight Contributors
Select the top contributors in your community and recognize and showcase their names. Featuring their work on your course page or community can boost their enthusiasm and encourage others to participate.
5. Simplify Submission
Streamline the content submission process by using easy-to-access tools and platforms. For instance, you can create a Google Form where students can easily upload their testimonials, photos, or videos. Additionally, you can integrate UGC submission features directly into your website using platforms like EzyCourse, which allows students to submit their content without hassle. By making the submission process straightforward and user-friendly, you will encourage more students to participate.
6. Host Contests and Challenges
Engage your students by organizing exciting contests and challenges that encourage them to create and share content. For example, you can use social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or your own community (Learn how to Build your own community) to host a photo contest where students share pictures of their study spaces using a specific hashtag. Alternatively, you can set up project showcases where students can submit their best work directly on the site. By providing clear guidelines and rewards, you can inspire your students to participate actively and generate useful UGCs.
Integrating UGC into Your Online Course
So, you have learned how to encourage your users to generate more UGC. Now you need to utilize the content efficiently. There are multiple ways you can utilize UGC in your online course. You can use them on live sessions, make marketing content, display them on your course page, etc. Here, we will learn about some ways you can integrate UGC into your online course or business.
➨ Display on Websites and Course Platforms
Highlight UGC on your website and course pages to showcase real user experiences. For example, you can have a dedicated section for testimonials, student success stories, and project/assignment showcases.
➨ Incorporate into the E-mail newsletter
You can feature User Generated Content such as students' reviews and success stories in email newsletters. You can share this in a monthly or quarterly period. Sharing a student’s success story in a newsletter can inspire others and develop a sense of connection.
➨ Highlight UGC on Live Sessions
During live sessions and webinars, you can mention your student’s success stories, reviews, and blogs. This will develop a sense of community among your audiences and increase the chance for your audience to convert into your customers.
➨ Share on Social Media Channels
Engage your audience through social media channels by sharing UGC such as testimonials. This can let you engage deeply with a broader audience and encourage more contributions. Additionally, you can create a hashtag for your courses and tell your students to use it when sharing their experiences.
➨ Include as Course Content
In some cases, you can include UGC in your course content. For example, use student-created videos as part of your lessons or feature top projects created by previous students.
➨ UGC in Marketing
I am sure you have faced this type of video where a developer shares his story of learning React.js and recommends the one site/course that helped him the most, or a footballer telling how much his brand of shoes supports him to play even better. They are all examples of User Generated Content used as advertisements.
UGC is a great cost-effective way to market your products which gains the trust of your customers and builds your brand’s loyalty. Real stories and experiences are more impactful than traditional advertising and can significantly boost your marketing efforts.
Know the tricks: How to Grow a Brand | 11 Best Strategies For Course Creators
➨ Feedback and Improvement
Use UGC to gather feedback and improve your courses accordingly. Analyzing student reviews and testimonials can provide valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
There are quite a lot of advantages of User Generated Content, sure. But the biggest problem with User Generated Content is that any user can make and upload content, so the platform moderators need to review the submissions. Some legal and ethical factors should be considered while approving or sharing UGC. Such as-
1. Obtaining Permissions
You should always obtain the necessary permission or consent from users before using their content. This can be done through consent forms or agreements that clearly state how their content will be used.
2. Verify Authenticity
Another thing that you need to ensure is that the content you use is genuine and not misleading. Monitoring the authenticity of UGC helps to maintain users’ credibility and trust.
3. Maintain Privacy Concerns
Privacy has become a matter of concern for most educated internet users these days. It is better to be careful of privacy issues and handle sensitive information with care. Ensure that you enforce data protection laws and respect the privacy of your students.
4. Manage Negative Content
It is only natural that all the UGC won’t be positive towards your service or content. You might receive some negative feedback or ratings. Develop strategies for responding to negative feedback constructively. Remember, negative feedback can be an opportunity for improvement if handled correctly. Address issues raised by your students properly and professionally.
5. Copyright and Intellectual Property
Now, this is an essential step to follow. You should ensure that the UGC you use does not violate any copyrights or intellectual property rights. If needed, provide clear guidelines on what type of content can be shared to avoid any legal issues.
6. Transparency and Honesty
Your users have the right to know how and where their content will be used. You should be transparent regarding this matter. Communicate regarding this matter to your students to build trust and reliability and ensure that they feel comfortable and encouraged to share their content.
A Guide to Creating a UGC Campaign
By now, you have the overall idea about UGC, its benefits, and challenges. Now you need to follow some steps to create a UGC campaign. Here is a step-by-step guide showing how to start a UGC campaign.
Step 01: Define Your Objectives
At first, you need to set clear goals for what you want to achieve with User-Generated Content. Are you looking to increase course enrollments, improve engagement, or gather feedback? Defining your objectives will help you to set up your campaign strategy.
Step 02: Identify Your Audience
You need to understand who your target UGC contributors are. Are they your current students, alumni, or prospective students? Understanding your audience will help you customize your campaign to their needs and motivations.
Step 03: Choose the Right Platforms and Tools
Select the tools and platforms that best suit your needs. You should consider where your audience will be most active and comfortable sharing content. This can be social media platforms, your website, or a dedicated community forum.
Step 04: Create Guidelines and Incentives
Develop guidelines for UGC submissions and create incentives to encourage participation. Clear guidelines will help ensure the content you receive is high-quality and relevant. Incentives can motivate students to contribute their best work.
Step 05: Promote Your UGC Campaign
Use various marketing channels to promote your campaign. Announce the campaign through emails, social media, and during live sessions. Creating a buzz around your campaign will increase participation.
Step 06: Collect and Curate UGC
Select the best content from your platform and collect them. Curate the content if needed. Make sure to acknowledge all contributors to encourage continued participation.
Step 07: Share and Integrate UGC
To utilize the content efficiently, share it across different platforms and integrate it into your content. Use testimonials on your website, feature student projects in your course materials, and share success stories on social media.
Step 08: Analyse and Iterate
Monitor how your UGC campaign is doing periodically and make necessary adjustments according to the results. Use analytics tools to track engagement and gather feedback from your community. Use this data to refine your strategy and improve future campaigns.
Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Finding some challenges along the way in managing UGC is normal. As we have known, User-Generated Content can offer tons of benefits, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. As you incorporate UGC into your educational platform, you might encounter some challenges that could impact the effectiveness and smooth operation of your UGC campaigns. Here we will discuss some common challenges and how you can overcome them to ensure a successful UGC strategy.
1. Low Participation
If you feel like you are not getting enough participation, you can increase them by making the process fun and rewarding. Highlight the benefits of contributing and make it easy for students to share their content. Running contests or offering incentives can also boost participation.
2. Quality maintenance
Maintaining the quality is a concerning challenge for UGC. As anyone can upload anything, it is hard to maintain quality without the involvement of the platform managers. Implement a strong moderation process to ensure the quality and appropriateness of UGC. This can involve setting clear rules and guidelines, using moderation tools and approval settings, and having a community managing team in place to review content.
3. Handling Negative Feedback
You can receive negative feedback from your users or students. Addressing negative feedback constructively and using it to improve your offerings is necessary for growing sustainably. Negative feedback can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement. Respond promptly and professionally, showing that you value all feedback.
4. Balancing Quantity and Quality
A large volume of UGC can be beneficial for your platform, sure. However the quality of the content should not be compromised. Your focus should be on generating meaningful and impactful content rather than just increasing the number of dull, monotonous submissions.
Are you an online course creator looking for the best online course platforms? Check here.
Benefits of UGC: Final Words
Hopefully, the benefits of UGC campaigns can help you grow your online course business.
In summary, utilizing UGC can significantly boost the credibility, engagement, and reach of your educational content. By understanding the benefits, types, and strategies for integrating UGC, you can create a dynamic and interactive learning environment that resonates with your audience.
Start integrating UGC into your strategy today and watch your community grow and thrive. Embrace the power of authentic, community-driven content to connect with your students on a deeper level.
