Bringing Advocacy to your Marketing
September 10, 2019
Reaching your audience through authentic content is crucial. But that’s easier said than done. How do you connect your prospects with your brand in a way that gets them talking and brings value to the consumer? Short answer: Advocacy marketing.
Advocacy marketing is one of the strongest forms of marketing, and it is one of the most cost-effective. This involves cultivating relationships with those who visit your destination, not just pushing your message on them through social media and media buying. One of the ways we recommend our partners achieve advocacy is through User Generated Content and So-Fi video.
Authentic people create authentic images
When visitors post pictures and videos of their time in a destination on social media, this is, as the name suggests, User-Generated Content. But UGC is about more than just finding authentic images, you have to put them to good use. Each time you engage your audience, you extend your brand and give potential visitors an impression of your destination. By using UGC in your marketing, you showcase a side of your destination they don’t usually get to see.
The people who take these images or video are in-destination visitors, and sometimes locals. They share your brand’s story—without even knowing it. Immersed in your destination, they want to share their vacation or the things they love about their hometown with their friends and loved ones, making these images powerful assets in your marketing toolbox. Real people and real stories go a long way in connecting with others. As we’ve seen with our own storytelling efforts, narratives that connect with people keep them on page on average 3x longer.
Inspirational video fueled by UGC
According to Cisco, by 2022 online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Visual content is not only more engaging and dynamic, but viewers are more likely to buy a product or service after watching a brand’s video. Over time, a relationship is built between the audience and the brand, fostering trust and loyalty. Scripted videos often come off as staged and impersonal while So-Fi videos using UGC are less polished, and thus more believable. As you can imagine, these videos are beneficial to your social media presence.
Interested in knowing more?
Madden uses UGC in a variety of ways, including:
- Digital ads
- Official Visitor Guides
- Websites and Presentation Layers
- Social media posts
- So-Fi videos
Using UGC in Video
Based on a shot list created by the partner and Madden, our specialists:
- Use CrowdRiff to gather photo and video assets.
- Collect existing assets from users on social media or put out a call for users to submit specific requested shots
An added benefit of So-Fi is that you also receive any and all assets for future use that we received rights to use, whether or not we use them in the final video.
Success story
Visit Galena wanted to promote a fun girls getaway using photos and video posted on social media. We produced the video for their destination using UGC. Check out the final product!
