User-Generated Content Campaigns

Want to do employee-generated content but have no idea where to start? 😳 You’re not alone - it’s come up in nearly every conversation I’ve had with B2B brands in the last few months. EGC can be a great tool for building trust and expanding reach on LinkedIn, but it also needs to be tailored to your people and your business. Asking them to “just post” and expecting immediate results won’t get you very far. (Copy-and-paste templates won’t either 👀) Here’s where I tell brands to start 👇 — 1️⃣ Education ↳ Run workshops showing them what good looks like, how the algorithm behaves, and some mistakes to avoid. Providing prompts is also a great way to get people started if they’re struggling to know what to talk about and need a springboard. 2️⃣ Alignment ↳ Different teams need different levels of support. If people are already posting organically, launching a competition or leaderboard campaign could help build momentum and add some structure. If that’s not the case, you might have better luck starting with a few willing voices and helping them set the standard so that others can follow. 💡 If you’re looking for inspo, Giulia de Oliveira Camargo ran a really cool initiative over at Chameleon: https://lnkd.in/e8ktc7RB 3️⃣ Incentives ↳ It’s not all about money. There are so many benefits that come from posting on LinkedIn, not just for the company but for them too (stronger connections, personal brand, opportunities to speak on panels etc.) If they’re fully bought into the “why”, they’ll be much more likely to stick with it and reap the rewards. 4️⃣ Data There’s not much point in launching an initiative like this if you can’t measure whether it works. Tracking performance by individual and by team helps you understand what’s landing, where people might need additional support, and how the program is influencing engagement overall. 💡 Tools like SocialKit make this so much easier, and give you data you can share internally - I’ve used it before for employee advocacy reporting and love what they're building over there! (#ad #partner) — If you’ve ran an EGC program, what did you learn from the process? Let’s chat in the comments 💬

𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐰. The Old Way (Why It’s Failing) ❌ Find high-volume keywords & chase SEO. ❌ Write a blog and hope for traffic. ❌ Post a link on socials and move on. ❌ No engagement. No leads. No results. The New Way (How to Win in 2025) ✅ Create content that solves real pain points. ✅ Optimize for intent, not just search volume. ✅ Write for people first, algorithms second. ✅ Build a system for mass distribution. How to Turn One Blog into a Traffic Machine 🔹 Turn it into a newsletter and grow your email list. 🔹 Chop it into short-form videos (TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts). 🔹 Repurpose it into a Twitter/X thread with key insights. 🔹 Transform the thread into a high-impact LinkedIn carousel. 🔹 Extract 5+ LinkedIn posts with actionable takeaways. 🔹 Pull 10+ Twitter/X posts from the core message. 🔹 Repost, refresh, and redistribute every 3-6 months. 💡 One long-form post = 20+ short-form assets. 💡 One channel? Not enough. Go multi-platform. 💡 Don’t just publish—PROMOTE and AMPLIFY. The best marketers don’t create more content. They get more from every piece they create. 🔥 Ready to 10X your reach? Comment "GROW" and let’s talk. #ContentMarketing #MarketingStrategy #DigitalMarketing #GrowthHacking #SocialMediaMarketing #RepurposingContent #LinkedInMarketing #ContentCreation #SEO #Marketing2025

🚫 How to Run UX Research Without Access To Users. With practical techniques to avoid guesswork and gather insights if you can’t talk directly to users. Attached cheatsheet (with and without access to users) by Nielsen Norman Group. 🚫 Ask for reasons for no access to users: there might be none. ✅ First, study job openings to map existing workflows/tasks. ✅ Make friends with sales, customer success, support, QA. ✅ Find colleagues who are the closest to your customers. ✅ Convey your questions indirectly via your colleagues. ✅ If you can’t get users to come to you, go where they are. ✅ Ask to observe or shadow customers at their workplace. ✅ Listen in to customer calls and interview call centre staff. ✅ Request access to analytics, CRM reports, call centre logs. ✅ Use Google Trends to find product-related search queries. ✅ Gather insights from search logs, Jira backlog, support tickets. ✅ Explore past/ongoing NPS and Voice-of-Customer programs. ✅ Study reviews, discussions, comments for your product/competitors. ✅ Map key themes and user sentiment on TrustPilot, AppStore etc. ✅ Recruit users via UserTesting, Wynter (B2B), Maze, UserInterviews. ✅ Ask for small but steady commitments: 5 users × 30 mins, 1× month. 🚫 Avoid ad-hoc research: set up regular check-ins and timelines. As H Locke noted, if we shed the light strongly enough from many sources, we might end up getting a glimpse of the truth. Ironically, the stakeholders who can’t give you time or resources to talk to users often are the first to demand evidence to support your initiatives. Sometimes the reason why companies are reluctant to grant access to users is simply the lack of trust. They don’t want to disturb relationships with big clients which is carefully maintained by the customer success team. They might feel that research is merely a technical detail that clients shouldn’t be bothered with. Show that you deeply care about that relationship and that you don’t want to disturb it any way. What you do want though is to reduce costs and risk — the risk of drawing wide-reaching conclusions from very little research, or none at all. Your best shot is to explain research as a powerful risk mitigation tool. And: search for people whose priorities align with yours — people who value and see the impact of UX in their units. They would absolutely love to support your work because it also supports their work — and they will put up a good word for you if they only had known that you existed. ✤ Useful resources: UX Research Cheat Sheet, by Susan Farrell from NN/g (attached) https://lnkd.in/eUTHKWvF What Can You Do When You Have No Access To Users?, by H Locke https://lnkd.in/ewHEKhBS UX Research When You Can’t Talk To Users, by Chris Myhill https://lnkd.in/ez5-b6zf #ux #research

Not getting engagement on LinkedIn? Give this a try. If your posts aren’t getting the traction you want, it’s not because people don’t care—it’s because they don’t feel compelled to engage. Try one of these 7 content ideas this week to change that: 1. Share a success spotlight. Feature a client, partner, or leader who is making an impact. → What’s a creative solution they implemented? → How is their work shifting the industry forward? → What can others learn from them? 💡 Example: “How [Org/Person] is tackling [Industry Challenge] in a way we should all be paying attention to.” 2. Speak to a pain point. Your ideal audience should read your post and think: “Wow, they really get me.” → What’s a challenge your clients or partners struggle with? → What’s a small but meaningful shift they could make? 💡 Example: “Struggling to secure new corporate partnerships? Here’s what actually works.” 3. Tell a story with a lesson. People remember stories more than facts. Bring us into a moment that shaped you. → What’s a mistake you made that others can learn from? → What was a turning point in your career? 💡 Example: “The mistake that almost cost me [Lesson]—so you don’t have to make it.” 4. Share a bold take on an industry norm. Engagement thrives on fresh perspectives. Challenge conventional wisdom. → What’s something you believe about social impact, fundraising, or LinkedIn that others might push back on? → Where do most people get it wrong? 💡 Example: “We need to stop saying [Common Phrase]—here’s why.” 5. Offer an industry insight. Break down a common misconception or complex topic in your space. → What’s a strategy or approach that’s often misunderstood? → What’s an easier, more effective way to tackle it? 💡 Example: “Most people think the biggest challenge in solving the global water crisis is access to clean water. But the real issue is _____." 6. Show behind the scenes. People connect with people. Share something personal or vulnerable. → What’s a struggle you’ve faced in running your business? → What’s a challenge you’ve helped a client overcome? 💡 Example: “I used to believe [Old Belief]—until this moment changed everything.” 7. Give a quick, actionable tip. People love practical takeaways they can apply today. → What’s a simple, effective tip that can make a difference? → What’s the #1 thing you wish more people in your industry understood? 💡 Example: “If you want to [Achieve Goal], try this one simple shift.” If your LinkedIn content isn’t landing, try one of these ideas this week. And if you do—tag me! I’d love to see what you create. 🔖 Save this post so you never have to stare at a blank page again.

What you should care about when it comes to social engagement in 2026: (and yes, I spent this Sunday reading Buffer's State of Social Media Engagement in 2026 and distilled it all down for you 😇) 1. Reply to your comments. Seriously. This is the highest-leverage move most people are sleeping on (still, for some reason!). The report shares that posts where creators/brands reply to comments see +30% more engagement on LinkedIn and up to +42% on other platforms. This is the most consistent signal across every platform studied. 2. Your engagement rate benchmark is probably wrong (gasp!) "Good" engagement is platform-specific. ▶️ LinkedIn avg ~6.2% ▶️Instagram ~5.5% ▶️X ~2.5% (or lower, close to 0 for non-premium accounts) A 4% post can be a win or a miss depending on where you're posting. If you're not benchmarking by platform, your reporting is probably off. 3. Carousels run LinkedIn. Carousels have an average engagement rate ~21.7% (I've seen them as high as 75%!). ▶️Video: ~7.3% ▶️Images: ~6.5% An average carousel outperforms a good video. So, if engagement is the goal, this is the format you should choose. 4. Stop obsessing over timing. The data is clear: posting beats not posting, every time. Sure, timing might give you a small lift but content quality is the biggest lever. If you're spending more energy on "what time should I post?" vs what you're posting (and the value you're bringing to your audience) then that's the miss. 5. Consistency over intensity. There's a real penalty for going quiet. Accounts that don't post for a week underperform their own baseline. Even 1–2 posts per week beats silence. You don't need more content. You need consistent content worth engaging with. Bonus number 6. Your format strategy doesn't travel (sorry! and this is why social teams work so. hard.) What works on one platform will not cleanly translate to another. IG Reels = more reach. IG carousels = more engagement. But watch out, because that carousel won't even work on Facebook. The takeaway: Social in 2026 isn't about hacking an algorithm. It's about behaving like a human and being authentic. Reply. Post consistently. Pick formats intentionally. Benchmark correctly. Happy posting! Buffer's full report: https://lnkd.in/gjqp4QXJ 🦓

🛍️ B2C Social Media Strategies: Connecting with Consumers In the fast-paced world of B2C marketing, social media is a dynamic playground for connecting with consumers. Here's a comprehensive guide on effective B2C social media strategies to foster meaningful connections and drive engagement across popular platforms. **1. Visual Content Dominance: B2C audiences are highly visual. Invest in captivating visuals, including images, graphics, and videos, to make your brand stand out. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok thrive on visually appealing content. **2. Storytelling Excellence: Craft compelling brand stories. Share narratives that resonate with emotions and experiences. Use platforms like Facebook and Instagram Stories for ephemeral content that creates a sense of urgency. **3. User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage your customers to create content related to your brand. UGC not only provides authentic promotion but also strengthens the sense of community. Feature UGC prominently on platforms like Instagram. **4. Social Commerce Integration: Leverage the power of social commerce. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer seamless integration for shopping directly within the app. Make the purchasing process easy and enjoyable for consumers. **5. Influencer Collaborations: Partner with influencers who align with your brand. Influencers can bring authenticity and credibility, especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Choose influencers whose audience matches your target demographic. **6. Engaging Polls and Surveys: Foster two-way communication by using polls and surveys. Platforms like Instagram and Twitter allow you to gather insights from your audience, making them feel involved and valued. **7. Live Streaming Events: Host live streaming events to connect with your audience in real-time. Platforms like Facebook Live and Instagram Live enable direct interactions, Q&A sessions, and product demonstrations. **8. Strategic Hashtag Usage: Create and use branded hashtags to enhance discoverability. Utilize trending and popular hashtags on platforms like Twitter and TikTok to broaden your reach and join relevant conversations. By implementing these B2C social media strategies, you can not only connect with consumers on a personal level but also build a loyal community around your brand. 🌐📱 #B2CSocialMedia #SocialMediaStrategies #ConsumerConnection

I invited 31 researchers to test AI research synthesis by running the exact same prompt. They learned LLM analysis is overhyped, but evaluating it is something you can do yourself. Last month I ran an #AI for #userresearch workshop with Rosenfeld Media.  Our first cohort was full of smart, thoughtful researchers (if you participated in the workshop, I hope you’ll tag yourself and weigh in in the comments!). A major limitation of a lot of AI for UXR “thought leadership” right now is that too much of it is anecdotal: researchers run datasets a few times through a commercial tool and decide whether or not the output is good enough based on only a handful of results. But for nondeterministic systems like generative AI, repeated testing under controlled conditions is the only way to know how well they actually work. So that’s what we did in the workshop. Our workshop participants produced a lot of interesting findings about qualitative research synthesis with AI: 1️⃣ LLMs can product vastly different output even with the exact same prompt and data. The number of themes alone ranged from 5 to 18, with a median of about 10.5. 2️⃣ Our AI-generated themes mapped pretty well to human-generated themes, but there were some notable differences. This led to a discussion of whether mapping to human themes is even the right metric to use to evaluate AI synthesis (how are we evaluating whether the human-generated themes were right in the first place?). 3️⃣ The bigger concern for the researchers in the workshop was the lack of supporting evidence for themes. The supporting quotes the LLM provided looked okay superficially, but on closer investigation *every single participant* found examples of data being misquoted or entirely fabricated. One person commented that validating the output was ultimately more work than performing the analysis themselves. Now, I want to acknowledge that this is one dataset, one prompt (although, a carefully vetted one, written by an industry expert), and one model (GPT 4o 2024-11-20). Some researchers claim that GPT 4o is worse for research hallucinations–and perhaps it is–but it is still a heavily utilized model in current off-the-shelf AI research tools (and if you’re using off-the-shelf tools, you won’t always know which models they’re using unless you read a whole lot of fine print). But the point is–I think this is exactly the level at which we should be scrutinizing the output of *all* LLMs in research. AI absolutely has its place in the modern researcher’s toolkit. But until we systematically evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, we're rolling the dice every time we use it. We'll be running a second round of my workshop in June as part of Rosenfeld Media’s Designing with AI conference (ticket prices go up tomorrow; register with code PAINE-DWAI2025 for a discount). Or, to hear about other upcoming workshops and events from me, sign up for my mailing list (links below).

Mamaearth's top campaign, driven by mom bloggers, cost under 1% of their marketing budget. SUGAR Cosmetics’ 500 customer makeup videos became their best-performing ad, cutting acquisition costs by 70%. Dove India's #𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 gained massive traction not through official video but through 100s of women sharing their real stories of beauty bias. What if your next big campaign didn't cost a fortune? Here's how to use UGC for 2x ROI: 1. Transform customer reviews into micro-content. 2. Let users document their experience. 3. Build community challenges. Pro tip: Start small. Ask your next 10 customers to film their unboxing experience. Test it against your regular ads. The results might surprise you. You're not just saving money on production. You're investing in content that actually converts because it's real. Share your favorite UGC campaign below, and I'll tell you why it worked! #ugc #marketing #influencermarketing #brands

So you’re a digital brand, what’s your physical touch point? Oh… you don’t have one? Listen to this (you might want to make a coffee first)👇🏼 Last year Snap Inc. launched Snapchat+ membership gift cards via Amazon. They saw memberships rise from 5 million in September to 7 million by end of December. That’s a 40% subscription increase in one quarter. I think all of our finance teams would agree that’s the greatest Christmas present of all. So this year Snapchat are doubling down. They’ve just introduced physical gift cards in retail stores marking a strategic move to blend digital experiences with tangible interactions. In an age where 82% of consumers say they feel more connected to brands that offer in-person experiences, digital brands are realising that physical touchpoints not only reinforce loyalty but can also bring a whole new depth to their offerings. Here’s why this approach matters—and how some of the most innovative digital brands are pulling it off ⬇️ 1️⃣ Meeting Customers Where They Are – IRL Digital-first brands are finding that physical experiences resonate in powerful ways. Look at Runna - a running training app that brought its brand to life with a pop-up at the New York Marathont this weekend, offering runners real-world support, community, and connection. These brands turn online experiences into memorable in-person touchpoints, meeting users in the moments where they’ll connect best. Smart! 2️⃣ Tangibility Boosts Brand Loyalty There’s something about holding a product that brings a brand closer to home. Bumble Inc. the networking and dating app, understood this when they launched Bumble Hives—real-life lounges where users could attend dating workshops and networking events. These moments make the app experience feel more personal, building stronger loyalty. 3️⃣ Targeting the Gift-Givers - NOT the receivers While Gen Z is immersed in digital ecosystems, physical products like Snapchat gift cards are designed for their parents and grandparents. These tangible items offer a straightforward way for older generations to gift experiences that align with Gen Z’s digital lifestyles, effectively bridging the generational gap. This is what makes this super smart. 4️⃣ Why It Matters Now – People Want Real-World Experiences Consumers are increasingly seeking real-life interactions with their favorite brands, especially digital-first brands, as 78% of people now say they want brands to connect with them in more experiential ways. Physical experiences, whether pop-ups, branded parties, or beautifully crafted stores, offer a chance for digital brands to deepen relationships, bring their values to life, and connect with audiences in memorable, tangible ways. — As marketers, it’s essential to recognise the value of this intersection - but only when it’s smart, not just for the sake of it. What are some of your favourite examples of digital meets physical? Who’s doing this REALLY well? 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

How to Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC) Introduction: User-generated content (UGC) helps brands connect authentically with audiences, as people trust peer recommendations over ads. Showcasing real user experiences builds credibility, strengthens community bonds, and turns customers into advocates, driving organic growth and engagement. Key Concepts -Social Proof: UGC demonstrates trust and recommendations, often more effective than ads. -Authenticity: Real customer content fosters trust as genuine endorsements. -Community Engagement: UGC encourages customer connection and sharing. -Content Variety: UGC provides diverse, reusable content for multiple channels. Challenges in Implementing UGC -Quality Control: Curating UGC for brand alignment can be challenging. -Permissions: Obtain creator permission to avoid legal issues. -Negative Feedback: Be prepared to manage unfavorable UGC without harming your reputation. -Incentivizing Participation: Encourage customers to share experiences through incentives. Strategies & Solutions To gather and utilize user-generated content (UGC), brands can create hashtag campaigns, run contests for product photos, and showcase testimonials on social media for credibility. Highlighting curated UGC demonstrates real product use, while repurposing it in emails and ads maximizes reach. Engaging with creators by tagging and sharing their posts strengthens connections and encourages more sharing. Benefits of Leveraging UGC User-generated content (UGC) enhances credibility and trust by showcasing authentic customer experiences, leading to higher conversion rates. It fosters brand engagement and loyalty while being cost-effective, filling content calendars without high expenses. UGC also improves SEO by generating relevant content that boosts discoverability through branded hashtags and reviews. Insights for Effective UGC Campaigns To maximize user-generated content (UGC), prioritize authenticity by encouraging customers to share genuine experiences instead of scripted or promotional ones. Monitor UGC performance by tracking metrics like engagement and conversions to understand what resonates with your audience. Additionally, create a streamlined content submission process with direct upload links or clear instructions to make it easy for users to share their content. Conclusion: User-generated content (UGC) builds social proof, fosters trust, and engages communities. By incorporating UGC into your marketing strategy, you transform customers into brand advocates, enhancing reach and connections. Utilizing hashtag campaigns, reviews, contests, and social media features encourages sharing experiences and cultivates a loyal community that spreads your brand's message organically. #UGCmarketing #brandUGC #contentstrategy #digitalmarketing #usergeneratedcontent #UGCstrategy #brandengagement #socialmediastrategy #contentcreation #UGCcommunity