User-made stuff (UGC) can push more app installs and keep people in the loop. Here's how it works and how you can use it:

  • Trust and Power: 92% of folks trust UGC over standard ads, and apps with UGC see an 18% jump in installs.
  • More Action: UGC lifts user work by 28% and ups hold by up to 90%.
  • Less Cost: Ads with UGC are half as much per click and pull in 4x more clicks than normal ads.
  • Group Feel: Apps like Spotify and Airbnb use UGC to make a shared feel, which gets users to come again.
  • Spread Fast: UGC, seen a lot on spots like TikTok, can catch on fast, upping your name seen without a lot of ad money.

Short Tips to Make UGC Work:

  1. Help easy shares with in-app stuff like tags, tests, and scoreboards.
  2. Put user work up front to get more people in.
  3. Give back to users with a nod, in-app extras, or small gifts.
  4. Check key numbers (action, changes) to get your plan right.

UGC is not just for ads - it's for trust, group, and long hold of users.

UGC Complete Guide: How to get the most of User-Generated Content for Brands and Creators

Common Problems in App Marketing and Keeping Users

App makers face a hard time in today's full market. With a world of apps out there, it's tough to stand out and keep users coming back. Let's look at some big issues apps run into and how they touch their chance to do well.

Hard to See in App Store

The app store is a tough spot. With so many apps up for grabs, most get lost, hidden far in search lists. Old ways of marketing often don’t do enough to stand out.

Adding to this, only 4% of people think ads and marketers are honest. This distrust makes it even tougher for apps to pull in users with paid ads. Smooth ads are often skipped as users look for things that seem real and close to them.

Here, content made by users (UGC) can change the game. UGC not only helps with search ranks but also brings in users on its own. For example, apps with user reviews see an 18% jump in users saying yes to them. Reviews and words by users work as strong trust-makers, pulling in users who like true views over ads.

Look at Uniqlo’s #UTPlayYourWorld on TikTok. It got a big reach on its own, all from users making and sharing posts. This shows real UGC can get what pricey ads can't - real sight and trust.

Users Don’t Like Usual Ads

Old-style ads are not working so well, mainly with the young. Pushy ads and ones that don't match up have made users trust less. In fact, 90% of people say UGC weighs a lot in their choice to buy something.

Tips from friends are tops now. Young ones, like Gen Z, grew up with ways to block ads and skip them, making it hard for usual ads to reach them.

"Gen Z are used to watching content on their own terms - they're not used to watching ads, and they rebel against them." - Jennifer Quigley-Jones, founder and CEO of Digital Voices

UGC shows real people instead of just ads. 91% of young folks from 18 to 34 trust online reviews as much as tips from friends. When they see true posts from others like them, they trust more in trying your app.

Here’s a key fact: 68% of buyers need at least four reviews before they trust a brand. This shows how key user opinions are in making a brand seem real. Apps that use many user stories build trust quicker than those that just use ads.

UGC is great for trust, but to keep users around, you need more.

Keeping Users Around for a Long Time

Getting folks to download your app is just the start. The tough part is keeping them interested for a long time. Some apps get lots of downloads fast, but then see the numbers fall as people get bored or check out other apps.

Old ways to keep users, like push notes and emails, can seem cold or pesky. People want to feel they're part of a group, not just a number.

Apps with UGC get more people coming back. Sites with UGC see a 20% rise in folks coming back and up to a 90% rise in how long they stay. This is because UGC makes them feel they belong. They return to see and share new stories.

Brands like GoPro and Airbnb do this well. By sharing customer stories, they build a community feel that brings people back. When users see their stories matter, they stick with you.

The trick is to make users feel important. Show their stuff or praise their ideas to build a bond that's more than just using the app. These users don't just stay - they promote your app. By using UGC in your plans, you’re not just getting more downloads; you’re making a loyal group that stays with you.

How User Posts Boost App Installs

Posts made by users play a big role in pushing more app installs by building trust, making things go viral, and making ads more like what we see daily. These things together help turn maybe-users into real app downloaders.

Trust From Friends and Their Suggestions

When deciding to get an app, many look at what others say. Reviews, thoughts, and stars act as proof from the crowd, giving trust. In fact, 95% of buyers read comments before they buy. High stars and big download counts make you seem more trustworthy.

Most people, 86%, trust brands more when they show user posts, not so much, just 12%, when influencer ads do the talking. This means putting user thoughts, top stars, and download counts on your app's front page can really pull in new users. It's not just about showing off your app - it's letting real users speak for you.

User Posts Can Go Viral

A big plus of user posts is they can spread wide fast, giving apps a lot of notice without heavy ad costs. This natural reach helps when your app might get lost in the app store. A good example is Starbucks’ #RedCup drive in 2014, where a #RedCup image was shared every 14 seconds.

For apps, spots like TikTok offer good chances. 44.1% of TikTok users are aged 20–39, and 37% spend lots. Even more, TikTok fans are twice as likely to suggest items or services they find there than on other social spots. Campaigns like ELF Cosmetics’ lip-sync video drive, getting billions of views, show how viral user posts can really get your app known and installed.

Using User Posts in Paid Ads

User posts aren't only great for free reach - they also shine in paid ads. Ads using user posts get 4× more clicks and cost 50% less per click. Why? Because real words from users are trusted more than clean, usual ads. In fact, only 1% of young adults find usual brand ads gripping enough to click.

Take Bend's app, for example. Kovalee tested usual ads against user post-driven ads. Usual ads cost $41 per buy and $2.38 per install, bringing about 400 installs. Meanwhile, the user post ads dropped costs to $36 per buy and $1.44 per install, driving over 7,500 installs in a month. Unroll.me also used TikTok user post ads to cut their costs by 75% and raise downloads to over 100,000 a month.

By using real user stories in ads, brands make campaigns that feel true and easy to connect with - something old-school ads often miss.

When put together, the trust from social proof, the spread reach of UGC, and how good UGC-based ads are make a strong plan for getting more app downloads. These ways do not just pull in users - they set up a base for keeping them hooked for a long time.

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How UGC Gets Users to Stick Around

Making users get your app is just the first step. The real task is to keep them using it for a long time. This is where user-made content (UGC) steps in. It's great for keeping people, turning one-time users into loyal group members who return again and again.

Making a Group Around Your App

When users make content in your app, they're not just using a tool - they're joining a group. And feeling part of a group is strong. 86% of buyers are more sure to trust a brand that uses UGC. This trust makes deeper links and helps make a group of loyal users.

UGC also pulls in people with the same likes, making them talk and work together. Apps that push for strong group ties see 20% higher stay rates, as users feel they're part of something big, not just using a product.

Look at Spotify's Wrapped drive, for instance. In 2023, they got users to put their own "Wrapped" numbers on social media. The result? A 35% rise in app use and a 50% jump in social media talks compared to the year before. It was not just about numbers - it turned into a yearly event that users wait for every December.

"No one tells our story better than our members. The Well Traveled community is the key here. Whenever we can let their experiences shine, we do." - Laura DeGomez, Director of Partnerships & Brand Marketing, Well Traveled

Things like comment parts, user feeds, and games make using an app with others fun. These bits link folks in ways that make them come back. When you add prizes for sharing or making stuff, you set up a system that keeps folks interested for a long time.

Paying Back Users for Making Stuff

Giving and thanking users for sharing can change them from just visiting to really making. In fact, apps with rewards keep 75% more users. Prizes, big or small, keep users coming back.

Not all prizes need to be money. Adobe Creative Cloud, for instance, shows off user work to tell about the skills of their bunch and what their tools can do. This makes others want to make and share too, which keeps the cycle going.

Games in apps work well too. Apps with game bits see a 30-50% rise in what people make. Stuff like badges, leaderboards, and goals make users stick around.

For example, ActiveLife, a sports place, made a game on social media called the "Challenge of the Week." They asked members to show their wins with the tag #ActiveLifeChallenge, with weekly prizes for the top tries. This way made users stay active not just on the app but in real life too.

Even small rewards like coupons, special things, or just saying great job can make good loops. These rewards push users to share more, which makes their link to the app stronger.

Keeping Users Busy with UGC Bits

Apart from rewards, good UGC bits are key to keeping users busy. When these bits work well and feel part of the app, they can boost busy users by 70% and daily users by 60% .

Bits like sharing pics, review systems, and fun games give users reasons to open the app often. Duolingo, for example, uses UGC to let users share learning tips, stories, and even make stuff in different tongues. This builds a group where users come back not just to learn, but to connect and share what they've done.

Apps with fun UGC bits see a 30% bump in daily use. Making users snap and share moments in their app builds habits that last.

Making it personal goes even further. Shaping things based on what users do can lift how they interact by up to 74%. When users see that their input changes their app world, they want to keep giving.

Top apps put UGC in every step of the user's path. Whether it’s by sharing wins, making reviews, or joining in games, these moments flip lazy users to busy ones, pushing them to stick around and making a lively group.

Top Tips for Adding User-Made Stuff to Your App

It’s not enough to just hope folks will post stuff. A sound user-made content (UGC) plan needs good features, wise content handling, and clear tracking to up downloads and keep folk around. Here’s how to nail it.

Making Features That Push UGC

The best UGC happens when sharing feels easy and fun. In fact, 60% of folk think UGC is the most real sort of marketing stuff. To catch on to this, your app should have tools that make making and sharing stuff simple and cool.

Add things in-app like chats, user feeds, easy-share buttons, fun challenges, cool tags, and art styles. These don't just push folk to post but also smooth out the experience.

Cool tags work very well. They put all user posts in one spot, so it’s simpler to spot and share. Light up their power by doing contests or tasks with these tags. Keep showing them off with calls to act and asking for reviews to keep it moving.

Art styles are also a top pick. Many might not want to start posts from scratch, so giving tools like styles, looks, or edit stuff makes it less hard and spurs them on.

Also, think about where your folk hang out. Make your app’s tools line up with the sort of stuff they already like making and sharing elsewhere.

Handling and Showing Top Content

With your app set for UGC, handling and showing top content is key. This needs clear rules, good filters, and a mix of auto and people checks.

Start by setting community rules that show okay acts and content. When users know what’s okay, they're more likely to add good stuff.

User safety is key. Keep your community safe from bad content, bullying, or harm by using smart filters to catch bad posts by themselves. Add this tech with people checks and user reports for a full plan.

Make it simple for folks to flag bad stuff, and be fast to keep trust and a safe place. At the same time, be firm with rules for content breaks to make sure it's fair and steady.

To spark others, show top UGC well in your app and on your site. Treating creators not just spurs more posts but also sets a mark for good stuff. Show all kinds of content to touch different groups of your folk and honor all views.

Checking UGC Scores with Analytics

When your UGC plan is set, watching its scores is big to tweak your way. This starts with clear aims. Are you wanting to lift brand seenness, get more downloads, or keep users? Your goals set what to look at.

Here are some main things to look at:

Measure Its Meaning How to Work It Out
Engagement Rate How much users talk or react to UGC (All Engagements ÷ All Followers) × 100
Conversion Rate How many people get stuff after seeing UGC (Total Downloads ÷ Total UGC Views) × 100
Click-Through Rate How many users hit UGC links (Total Clicks ÷ Total Impressions) × 100

Set clear, easy to count goals for these numbers. For example, rather than just trying to "make more people engage", aim for a 25% boost in how much people engage in three months.

To make tracking easy, use one board that shows data from your app, social media, and website. This lets you see the whole way a user takes, from first seeing it to getting the app. Adding CRM tools with your checking tools can help make things run even better.

A/B tests are also a big help. Try out different user made content, places, and action calls to see which ones work best. Check these results with old tries or what others do to make your plan better. For example, some brands that use AI to look at user made content saw a 30% jump in their returns.

Look at success tales for ideas. NielsenIQ’s aimed user made content drives cut the cost to get each user by 75%, bringing in over 100,000 new app users each month. Also, Hurom’s focus on health-related user made content cut their cost per user by 36% and raised their ad money returns by 2.5 times in a year.

End: How UGC Shifts App Wins

User-made stuff (UGC) changes how apps talk with people, making deep links and steady growth. A big 79% of folks say that UGC majorly guides their choices to buy, and 60% view it as the most real kind of ad stuff. This trust turns into real gains for the business - ads with UGC get click rates four times as high and cut click costs by half compared to old ads.

The true power of UGC is in its skill to take on big app ad issues. It grows with shared posts and tips from friends, which 84% of buyers trust more than any other ad type. More than just pushing downloads, UGC makes a community feel, turning common users into loyal ones who feel a true link to the app's wins.

"User-generated content (UGC) has become a powerful tool for app marketing, allowing app developers and business owners to tap into the creativity and advocacy of their users." – Studio Mosaic Apps

The keep rates show a lot. Apps that use group-led fun see a 20% jump in stay rates, and those that use user-made stuff get a 28% rise in how much users do. Early users are key, being 40% less likely to stop using the app. They help make a good loop of fun and stay. These facts show how key it is to use user-made stuff well.

For those making apps who want to use user-made stuff right, make it easy and fun to share stuff. Make clear rules to keep it good but still let people join in. Users find user-made stuff 9.8 times more key than stuff from famous people, so lifting up your users’ voices can be much better than big names saying things.

The best apps now do not just work - they make groups where users feel heard, seen, and linked. User-made stuff is key in making these groups, turning happy users into ones who tell others to get and keep the app. In a world where real wins, user-made stuff makes true links that turn apps from just tools to must-haves every day.

If you want to add a user-made stuff plan to your app, think about working with pros who get both the tech and how to build a group. At Zee Palm, our group is good at making apps that mix group parts, social sharing tools, and ways to get users active. Whether you're making a social site, a health app, or an EdTech fix, we can help you use the full power of user-made stuff.

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