Everyone Loves User Generated Content
Interesting news from Jupiter Research that shows nearly half (49 percent) of online users have engaged with user-generated content (UGC) in the past month by actively creating or simply reading material posted by others. In a study titled “User-Generated Content: Strategies for Media Sites”, JupiterResearch reports that UGC is now a mainstream activity for millions of consumers.
According to the study, users under the age of 25 are especially active participants. Three-quarters of users 18 to 25 are reading or writing UGC, and few of them are passive participants.
“The relative youth of UGC users provides an opportunity for publishers to address consumers they have been unable to reach off-line,“ said Barry Parr, Analyst at JupiterResearch. “UGC is an important means of attracting younger users to the online sites of traditional media properties with whom they have no existing relationship.”
Although younger online users are clearly the leading consumers of UGC, it would be a mistake to think of UGC as limited to the young. According to the study, a third (34 percent) of those over age 55 are participating in UGC as well. Additionally, active users of UGC haven’t abandoned off-line media for online, but they are learning to balance the two.
UGC helps in the buying cycle, improves customer satisfaction and loyalty. If you cannot add UGC content to your web site, as a marketer you should be very aware of that all the User Generated Content is saying about your brand, company or service. UGC can be a great gateway to beginning a conversation with your target audience.
Filed under Brand Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization : Comments (1) : May 18th, 2007
August 21st, 2007 at 6:01 pm
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