With 15 million active monthly users in France, TikTok has become one of the country's favorite social networks in recent years. The app has also become a preferred communication channel for brands' digital marketing campaigns. However, for newcomers, getting started on the platform isn't always straightforward. Working with influencers or product placements can be extremely costly and not always effective. Moreover, influencer selection brings significant responsibility and can sometimes damage brand reputation.
So why not explore User Generated Content (UGC)?
What is UGC?
UGC (User Generated Content) is a new method some brands use to promote their products to potential customers while having them presented by platform users. It's much simpler to implement for market newcomers and builds stronger brand engagement since it's not professional content.
What are the concrete advantages of UGC for a brand?
- Near-zero costs : With influencer partnership campaigns, production costs can be extremely high with limited or zero ROI, which can significantly inhibit certain businesses. With UGC, brands can simply encourage users to create content featuring their products through contests that highlight the brand's offerings.
- Authentic communication : Unlike influencer-created content, user-generated content is far more authentic and reflects actual product experience. The tone and messaging are much closer to genuine customer experience than influencer videos promoting dozens of products daily.
- Stronger engagement : By featuring real consumers, they feel invested in the brand's success, creating a sense of attachment. This creates a chain reaction increasing account traffic, interactions, shares, and content virality, ultimately reaching wider audiences.
- Strong brand value : Influencer collaborations often benefit influencers more than brands, though good partnerships exist. For brands, solid return on investment—both financial and brand image—matters. UGC highlights brand products rather than content creators themselves, making it a win-win for the brand. Plus, brands can maintain exclusivity by selecting which community content is published on the company's official account. Preserve the authentic, simple nature of user-created videos. When publishing them, ensure the TikTok watermark is removed to avoid performance slowdown.
UGC represents an excellent opportunity for any business needing visibility but lacking desire or resources to work with influencers who don't always match expectations. It's also a way to engage brand communities, making them feel valued by the company.
