User-generated content: New marketing trend for a new year

PITTSFIELD — Here’s the fastest way to social media burnout:

Thinking you can create all of the content your business needs without a plan to repurpose the variety of things you’re already creating and a way to encourage regular user generated content, or UGC. You’re likely to see a lot of those three letters this year.

Brands recognize that content created by customers is trusted more than content created by the brand itself and that consumers are more likely to watch and connect with content created more casually by people like them.

UGC is any content — text, videos, images, reviews, for example, even testimonials or podcasts, that is created by peo- ple, rather than brands, according to hootsuite. com. It’s something that can happen organically by customers who are sharing videos, photos, blogs, or social media stories. It’s also something you can budget for to pay a UGC creator. You might think, “but isn’t this the same as paying social media influencers?” The answer is no. A social media influencer campaign is more like a traditional advertorial in a publication with a large reach. The influencers charge for the content creation but price their services to include the large audiences they reach and have influencer over. UGC creators may or may not have large audiences on the platforms where they post content, but the goal of paying them isn’t for the

By the numbers

Why user-generated content (UGC) works: people they reach, it’s for the content they create.

• 51 percent of consumers believe that less than half of brands create content that resonates as authentic, according to Business Week.

• Customers are 2.4 times more likely to say that UGC is most authentic compared to branded content, according to Business Week.

• Over 50 percent of millennials make decisions to buy a product based on recommendations from families or friends, according to Adweek.

Starting to add UGC to your marketing plan doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as it might sound. You can encourage organic UGC and begin with a couple of easy action steps. Start by making sure you have

Real estate transactions

Berkshire County real estate transactions from Dec. 5-30.

ADAMS

Paul A. Trzcinski, trustee of the Paul A. Trzcinski RVT, sold property at 62-68 Spring St., Adams, to Stonehenge Properties LLC, $140,000.

Melissa A. Zepka sold property at 17 Country Club Ave., Adams, to Seth C. George, $242,000.

Matthew J. Gaffey sold property at 8 Harding Ave., Adams, to Brian Connors, $189,900.

Brenda Ann Rumbolt and Penny Marie Tarsa, personal reps. of Harold J. Scarbo Jr., sold property at 31-33 North Summer St., Adams, to Michelle Picard, a hashtag for your customers to use when sharing content of their own to make it easy for you to find. Offer an incentive if possible for users who share content.

$182,000.

Gail A. Assante, personal rep. of Raymond Alton Porter, sold property at 33½ Alger St., Adams, to Gail A. and John A. Assante, $115,000.

Manuel Leal, trustee of the Adams RET, sold property at 177 Columbia St., Adams, to BAPA 177 Columbia St. RE LLC, $1,350,000.

Janet R. Eichorn sold property at 44 Valley St., Adams, to Madison L. Tarsa, $199,000.

Bernard A. and Melissa J. Martin sold property at 146A Bellevue St., Adams, to James M. and James B. Shea, $246,500.

Town of Adams sold property at 20 East St, Adams, to Hinton’s Berkshire Homes LLC, $25,000.

For example, you might promote that you will direct message a coupon for a discount or free item if your brand reshares their content. Another option: if you have an existing loyalty program you can offer points for content created using your hashtags. A simple way to encourage UGC is to include something in each order that asks the customer to share their unboxing or experiences and tag you.

Kenneth R. Brooks sold property at Bucklin Road, Adams, to Ryan P. Thomann, $41,250.

Scott Jacobs sold property at 2 Daniels Court, Adams, to Anne M. Adamczyk Read, $180,000.

Kevin James Tyler and Anna Susan Downing sold property at 78 Friend St., Adams, to Zachary D. Stedman, $75,000.

Christine M. Nimmons sold property at 10 Glendale Drive, Adams, to Dennis C. and Nancy J. Underwood, $259,000.

David Johnson sold property at 200 Columbia St., Adams, to William H. and Lisa M. Allen, $66,750.

Brian Lagess, trustee of the Barbara A. Lagess NT, sold property at 152 Columbia St., Adams, to Lisa Mendel and Dawn Harrington, $42,900.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation sold property at 70½ Lime St., Adams, to Jennifer M. McDonald, $160,000.

The last part of adding UGC is be sure to always ask permission before sharing. UGC is not your content and it’s best to have asked for permission to share in writing in a direct message or email when dealing with customers. Also have a standard license and contract when paying a UGC creator.

Now, let’s get started.

Kaitlyn Pierce is the founder and chief strategist of PierceSocial, a digital marketing company.

Dan F. Carpenter sold property at 78 Lime St., Adams, to Jake Louis Crowley, $112,500.

Donna M. Sadlowski, Jolene G. and Bryant D. Wood sold property at 2 Wilfred Ave., Adams, to Doris C. McShine, $280,000.

Mary H. Gaule sold property at 99 East Hoosac St., Adams, to Liam Brady and Cassidy Kiernan, $193,000.

Alford

John W. Littlechild and A. Ruth Littlechild, trustees of A. Ruth Littlechild Trust-2008, sold property at 26 East Road and 30 East Road, Alford, to Kenneth A. Rosen & Lisa A. Rosen, $8,000,000.

Alfonso Kimche and Joan Kimche