Everyone is a creator. This should not be news to anyone, but oddly most people don’t think of themselves as a creator and they don’t think about everyone they come in contact with as a creator, but they are. Today, the ease of publishing to social media and the immediacy of having a high definition camera in your pocket at all times makes everyone a creator whether they recognize it or not.
So, who are a brand’s creators?
Everyone in their community. A brand’s creators can be their employees, fans, customers… anyone that comes in contact with that brand and might share a photo or video about their experience. I say might, because given the right process, tools, and incentives, a brand can influence this opportunity.
Unfortunately, most people are not great creators for brands. That’s not their fault, they are just taking the photo or video of what is in front of them. The average poster to social media does not know to have the logo facing out or the right angle to get the car’s full facade. It’s unlikely they had the brand’s creative guidelines in mind when sharing their photo or video. What they do have is an audience and authenticity. These factors can be powerful in shaping the brand image, especially when shared among trusted people (friends and family) and can be harmful for a brand. Less than 1% of user-generated content is usable in marketing collateral by a brand.
How to drive better user-generated content:
