How Companies Are Encouraging User Generated Content

to Build Their Brands and Online Reputation

By Josiah MackenzieMay 2011

2

Why We’re So Focused With Reviews and Reputation

Customer reviews and online reputation has a more

measurable connection to business performance than any

other type of digital communication.

• Reviews are the type of UGC closest to the buying

process– Reviews affect sales conversion rates

– Reviews affect revenue

• Reviews give us candid feedback for quality improvement

• Review analytics provide insights for decision making

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

3

What User Generated Content Can Do For Your Brand

• Introduce your brand to new audiences

• Share a more compelling sales message

• Increase search engine visibility

• Act as a virtual product research and

development lab

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

4

Potential Limitations of User Generated Content

• Small percentage of contributors

– Indifferent majority

– Inaccurate sample sizes

• Lack of a strategic overall content plan

• Lack of centralization reduces visibility of

individual contributions

All of these can be overcome with proper planning…

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

5

The 90-9-1 Rule of Participation Inequality

• In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the action. [Jakob Nielsen]

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

6

How To Increase Volume of User-Generated Content

Understand what motivates people to share content online–“Status stories” and sharing experiences–Building their social profile–Helping others

Make it easy and convenient to contribute–Make participation an side effect of using the product–Create templates to customize–Go mobile–Go offline

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

7

The Amazon Consumer Generated Content ModelEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

8

Make It Easy – Bridge the Online/Offline GapEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

9

Make It Easy – Create TemplatesEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

10

Case Study: Roger Smith Hotel

• The Roger Smith Hotel hosts “content creation events”– Live meetups and events– Establish clear sharing mechanisms– Provide access and tools

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

11

Practical Considerations of User Generated Content

• Choose your community home

• Make it easy for others to contribute

• Actively promote the material contributed

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

12

Case study: Fairmont – Everyone is an OriginalEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and

Reputation

13

Case study: Marriott Napa Valley on FacebookEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and

Reputation

14

Case study: Roger Smith Hotel at RogerSmithLife.comEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and

Reputation

15

The Future of User-Generated Content

What trends are changing user-generated content?

• Adding an editorial layer to user-generated content

• Involving user-generated content in product

development

• Location-based services play a bigger role in

creating UGC

• Likeonomics, microinfluence, and the time-starved

consumer

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

16

Editorial Evolution of UGC

“What the Web 2.0 revolution is really delivering is superficial observations of the world around us rather than deep analysis, shrill opinion rather than considered judgment.” – Andrew Keen

User-generated content isn’t the next big thing: UGC + Editorial is.

"Web 3.0 is taking what we've built in Web 2.0—the wisdom of the crowds—and putting an editorial layer on it of truly talented, compensated people to make the product more trusted and refined.” – Jason Calacanis

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

17

UGC + Editorial Example: CNN Open StoriesEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

18

Future: Customer-Driven InnovationEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and

Reputation

19

Future: Location-Based Services as UGC

“Location is part of my story.”

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation

20

Future: “Likeonomics” and microinfluenceEncouraging UGC To Build Brands and

Reputation

21

Recap: What We Need To Know About UGC for Brands

• Reviews have a measurable link to business

performance

• UGC plays a key role in sales and building

visibility

• Negative aspects can be avoided with

planning

• Key changes coming to UGC in the years

ahead

Encouraging UGC To Build Brands and Reputation