What The UGC Craze Is All About

UGC, or ‘User Generated Content’, is rapidly becoming the real deal for marketers around the world. Consumers are craving ‘authentic’ experiences and testimonials with products, and brands are closely following and incorporating these trends into their own strategies. 

What is causing this craze? How do UGC strategies differ between brands? And, what does this all mean for content creators around the world?

At Twirl, we’ve done the time investigating the answers to these questions so you don't have to. We have used our answers to create an online platform where brands can meet with content creators around the world. Our aim is to follow the trends closely and provide brands with a remote content creation studio enabling them to leverage on the UGC craze.

What’s causing the craze?

Perhaps the most fundamental market shift is the rise of short-form video media with Youtube Shorts, TikTok, Insta Reels to name a few. Video has become one of the most popular forms of content for consumers globally, and where there are consumers, you’ll find brands in their masses. As video becomes a more powerful and influential medium to reach consumers, brands will want to build their brand awareness on both their own platforms and that of influencers.

And that's a perfect segway into the rise of influencers across social media platforms. Consumers are seeking marketing by people they can attribute a level of trust and authenticity to. Given specific niches, brands also look at influencers in social media niches that fit into their own marketing strategies and market segments. Customers are becoming increasingly aware and sceptical of polished marketing and UGC is the perfect counteract to that. 

How are brands viewing this?

It’s safe to say that every brand has UGC on their radar. They’ll be missing out if they didn't. But the reality is that some brands are a little more savvy than others, and they are reaping the benefits for this. 

Brands in beauty, cosmetics, wellness, and food are leading the charge in incorporating UGC into their marketing strategies. The reality is that even the brands that don’t currently think UGC fits into their strategy, will eventually succumb to the recent market trends. It’s only a matter of time before your average brand is budgeting for content creators to promote their product in an authentic, short form video format to be published across social media channels.

Twirl works with a number of brands in a variety of industries from software applications to food and beverage. These brands are leading the charge on current market trends and are putting their content creation on autopilot with Twirl. We are aiming to be the ‘one-stop shop’ between brands and content creators in the UGC space.

What does it mean for creators?

As video becomes the prominent medium for marketing, content creators with a knack for unique editing styles and engaging creativity will see a rise in their clientele. Thousands of UGC creators are already taking this space by storm and this trend will only continue to grow. We’ve already covered the difference between influencers and content creators in this blog post. But what does Twirl offer to creators looking to leverage these market trends?

Twirl provides an online dashboard where creators can match with brands on specific projects. We ensure that brands submit briefs that are easy to understand and implement, often with significant opportunities for incorporating creative agency and direction. We aim to empower creators by providing them with the tools and projects they need to excel at what they do. 

Shall we tie it all together? The rise of video content and demand for authentic marketing is requiring brands to think creatively about how to market their product in line with such trends. Brands are turning to influencers and content creators to produce short-form video content fit for platforms such as Youtube, TikTok and Reels. Twirl is an online dashboard that provides the convenience of autopiloting the processes within the space, for both brands and creators. 

Wanting to learn more about UGC? Or eager to incorporate these trends into your marketing strategies? Reach out to us and we’ll be more than happy to assist you!