In the fast-paced world of event planning and execution, organizers constantly seek innovative ways to captivate and engage their audiences. User-generated content (UGC) has emerged as a powerful strategy, revolutionizing the event landscape by allowing attendees to become active contributors rather than passive spectators.
To explore the depth and breadth of this transformative approach, we have gathered insights from top professionals. Let’s dive in and unlock the secrets to harnessing the full potential of UGC for extraordinary event experiences!
Create an event hashtag and promote it
When it comes to events, a well-crafted and strategically used hashtag can be a game-changer, fostering engagement, boosting brand visibility, and generating a buzz that extends far beyond the event itself.
An event hashtag brings together attendees, participants, and organizers to share their experiences and create a sense of community. Crafting a memorable and effective event hashtag requires careful consideration to ensure it accurately represents your event and resonates with your target audience.
Here are some steps to create an event hashtag that captures the essence of your event:
- Keep it short and straightforward: Opt for a concise and easily memorable hashtag. Shorter hashtags are easier to type and leave more room for attendees to add their content.
- Reflect your event’s identity: Your hashtag should align with your event’s brand, theme, or purpose. Consider keywords or phrases that encapsulate the essence of your event and its unique selling points. Consider the emotions or experiences you want to evoke in attendees when they use or encounter the hashtag.
- Make it relevant: Ensure your hashtag is relevant to your event and resonates with your target audience. Avoid generic or overused terms that might dilute the uniqueness of your event. Use words or phrases that reflect the specific industry, topic, or community your event represents.
- Check for uniqueness and searchability: Before finalizing your event hashtag, thoroughly search various social media platforms to ensure it is not already in use. You want your hashtag to be unique to your event and easily distinguishable from others.
- Test for readability and clarity: Avoid using excessive punctuation, numbers, or complicated abbreviations that may confuse or hinder readability. Clarity is key to encouraging attendees to use the hashtag consistently and correctly.
- Promote and educate: Once you have finalized your event hashtag, promote and educate your attendees about its usage. Include the hashtag prominently in event communications, registration materials, websites, and signage. Encourage attendees to include the hashtag in their social media posts and interactions related to the event.
- Monitor and engage: Continuously monitor the usage of your event hashtag and actively engage with attendees who are using it. Like, comment, and share the posts that align with your event’s objectives and amplify your reach. This will foster a sense of community and encourage ongoing participation.
⭐ Related: 14 Event Activation Ideas to Boost Your Event
Ubaldo Perez Jr.
CEO at Anesthetic
Event hashtags turn attendee posts into accessible UGC. Brand the name of your event all over promotional materials, guest spotlights, and social media content. Your guests will advocate for your event through the hashtag and help you expand your event’s reach. Design hashtag challenges to inspire user-generated content capitalizing on your event theme or purpose. Highlighting Instagram walls or booths with your event hashtag might encourage them to tag their posts with it.
Shivani Maheshwari
Content Strategist at WrittenlyHub
Ask the event attendees to give on-spot answers to a question using branded hashtags. This is to encourage user participation and brand awareness both.
Kirkland Gee
Co-Founder of Perfect Extraction
Event hashtags turn attendee posts into accessible UGC. Brand the name of your event all over promotional materials, guest spotlights, and social media content. Your guests will advocate for your event through the hashtag and help you expand your event’s reach. Design hashtag challenges to inspire user-generated content capitalizing on your event theme or purpose. Highlighting Instagram walls or booths with your event hashtag might encourage them to tag their posts with it.
Shane McEvoy
Managing Director of Flycast Media
My best tip is to encourage event attendees to share their experiences through social media by creating an engaging and branded event hashtag. For example, I recently attended the excellent Brighton SEO conference, and they executed a brilliant strategy to collect user-generated content and amplify event reach by encouraging everyone to use the hashtag #BrightonSEO. Doing so created a sense of community and inclusivity, allowing those who couldn’t attend due to sold-out tickets to engage still and contribute to the event conversation. In addition, the hashtag was a powerful tool to gather UGC from attendees and virtual participants, enabling the event organizers to curate and repurpose the content across various marketing channels, such as social media, websites, and post-event recaps. This approach increased event visibility and extended the event’s impact beyond the physical venue, fostering a wider reach and engagement with the target audience.
Use event technology to gather user-generated content
In today’s digital age, event technologies offer powerful tools to collect user-generated content (UGC) and enhance attendee engagement. These technologies simplify the capturing of UGC and enable real-time interactions and seamless content sharing.
Here are some popular event technologies that can help you collect UGC effectively:
- Event-specific mobile apps: Develop a dedicated mobile app for your event that includes features for capturing UGC. This can have photo and video uploading capabilities, interactive polls and surveys, live Q&A sessions, and social media integrations. Attendees can easily contribute UGC through the app, making it a convenient and centralized platform for collecting and sharing content.
- Social media walls and displays: Utilize social media walls or displays that aggregate UGC from various platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Attendees can post content using the event’s designated hashtag, and their posts will be displayed in real-time on large screens or digital displays throughout the event venue. This encourages attendees to participate and contribute UGC actively.
- Live streaming and video platforms: Utilize live streaming platforms like YouTube Live, Facebook Live, or Instagram Live to capture and share real-time UGC from your event. Attendees can use their smartphones or dedicated streaming devices to broadcast their experiences, performances, or insights. This allows a broader, on-site, and remote audience to engage with the event and contribute UGC.
- Interactive event microsites: Create interactive microsites designed for your event where attendees can submit UGC. These microsites can include features like photo and video uploading, interactive maps, discussion forums, and gamified challenges. This encourages attendees to actively engage with the microsite and contribute UGC throughout the event.
- Event photo booths and kiosks: Set up event photo booths or kiosks equipped with cameras and printing capabilities. Attendees can take photos or record short videos at these stations, and the content can be instantly printed or shared digitally. You can customize the booths with event branding or props to enhance the UGC creation experience.
- Audience response systems (ARS): Implement audience response systems that allow attendees to provide real-time feedback, participate in polls, or submit questions digitally. These systems collect UGC through opinions, ideas, or suggestions from attendees, creating a valuable resource for post-event analysis and content generation.
⭐Related: Social Media Walls: The Future of Event Engagement
Ben LoBue
Director of Marketing atSnapbar
UGC is naturally occurring when you provide the right tools in the right moments. People are always capturing content with their phones. Give them a reason to share it with you, the event, and other attendees by building micro-social experiences. Live displays + social walls, unique photo ops + contests, virtual photo booths + custom filters and prompts, and new AI photo manipulations are all great ways to incentivize both UGC creation and sharing. People want to be part of something so use FOMO to your advantage and the UGC will follow.
Darya Krakaviak
Communications & Events Manager atN.Rich
If this is a conference, these two following things will ensure UGC is coming in: 1) great speakers (ideally active on Socials themselves) and insightful content, which would encourage people to quote these speakers, tag them and develop their thoughts further to appear smart and well-connected on LinkedIn. 2) the SMM of your event pages needs to be reactive and fun – i.e., generously like the attendee posts where they tag the event page and use your hashtags. Encourage them to comment on such publications wherever appropriate to encourage people to post and engage with your pages more. This will also help your event brand appear approachable and more community-like — naturally, both relevant only if this fits your ToV and Communications strategy as such in the first place.
Simon Bacher
CEO & Co-Founder of Ling App
Utilizing event technologies can help organizers gather UGC. For instance, you can use electronic registration tablets to get attendees to register and answer a few questions. Their answers serve as testimonial snippets that you can use in the future. Another way to increase UGC is by using interactive social walls. An interactive wall displays the event’s social media engagement and interactions as it progresses, encouraging attendees to comment and share their event experiences.
Caitlin Barrett
Content Marketing Manager at Webex Events (formerly Socio)
When attendees create and share their own content, it creates a real sense of community and gets everyone involved. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to spread the word about the event and show off all the fun that’s happening. Try implementing a live social media feed. This awesome feature allows you to showcase their content in real-time, creating an immersive experience for everyone. By displaying the live feed on screens or digital displays throughout the venue, attendees can see their own posts alongside others’, fostering a sense of excitement and validation.
Cayla Thurman
Business Reputation Consultant at Rize Reviews
Facilitate user-generated content curation: To facilitate user-generated content, establish a dedicated platform where event attendees can submit their blog posts, articles, or photos related to the event. This allows for a centralized location for content collection. From the submissions received, carefully select and showcase the top contributions, ensuring proper attribution and recognition for the content creators.
Dan Siepen
Growth Marketing Advisor for startups at dansiepen.io
From having run/hosted a few marketing events myself and having attended many more over the years, the best strategy I’ve seen work really well to generate unique UGC content is by running a hashtag contest in conjunction with a live social wall feed at the event (for example, on a large TV screen). Whether it be photo-driven content you want as an aim or just increasing engagement through questions/comments about the event, I’ve seen this work quite well. What I like about this event strategy is that you don’t need to have a major prize/incentive; you need to have a reason to help kickstart the UGC content generation, and when attendees see the live feed, it then helps motivate other attendees to then also start contributing. Additionally, it’s an excellent low-cost method to generate fantastic content that you can use for future events.”
Joshua Host
Founder of Thrivelab
To ensure event attendees are encouraged to create UGC, have a dedicated UGC area. For example, an area of the event with music, different backdrops, and fun props to choose from make for an engaging activity – and some exciting content simultaneously.
Matt Laybourn
Founder of Rockee.io
When we look at the effectiveness of content, we’ll gravitate to anything that drives higher engagement. Likes/comments/shares etc. This enables us to get better reach on social algorithms, which aligns with our most common objective – brand and product awareness.
Mariah Obiedzinski
AVP of Content Marketing at Stamats
At events, displaying a leaderboard with “top hashtag users” adds an engaging gamification aspect. And a little healthy competition brings new energy to attendees!
David Bitton
Co-Founder and CMO at DoorLoop
Ensure careful selection and moderation of content before its publication or distribution. It’s crucial to recognize that user-generated content (UGC) may not always meet your quality standards or align with your brand and event guidelines.
Nyla Rose
Founder & Editor at BeastBeauty
Authenticity and respect are cornerstones of successful user-generated content strategies. Brands that embrace their audience’s authentic, unfiltered voices are not only enhancing their credibility but also fostering an environment of trust and loyalty. Even when critical, respecting user opinions signifies a brand’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement. In an age where consumers value authenticity over perfection, being true to your brand and respecting your audience can make the difference between simply surviving and thriving in the digital landscape.
Nicky Dutta
CEO at Lorel Diamonds
User Stories: If your event lasts more than a day, consider starting each day by sharing interesting user stories from the previous day. This can encourage attendees to share their experiences in the hope of being featured. Interactive Walls: Incorporate interactive digital walls where attendees can post their thoughts, photos, or artwork. This encourages interaction and provides a lot of user-generated content. Event attendees who post their thoughts will likely share them on social media.
Kyle Porter
Founder at GuidePost Marketing
One of the best ways to get user-generated content you can actually use in your marketing efforts is to give people a thought to finish. Something like “What I wanted to get out of this event was _____, but what was most valuable was _______.” That way, you still give them room for their own voice and creativity, but you know it will also be valuable content for you to leverage.
Luiz Martins
CMO at 6Connex
Elevate your event strategy by enhancing interactivity and encouraging user-generated content by using a professional event platform like 6Connex. With the ability to cater to diverse event formats, 6Connex provides the necessary tools to build successful virtual venues. 6Connex can help you extend your event’s global reach and foster user-generated content, integrating it into your strategy. It enhances interaction and personalization with themes that resonate with attendees’ passions, driving engagement. Attendees’ unique experiences shared on social media further promote your event organically.
To ensure a successful UGC campaign, providing clear guidelines to your event attendees is crucial. You can effectively communicate your expectations and encourage them to create and share compelling content by doing so.
Here are some essential steps to develop and communicate clear guidelines for getting attendees to post UGC:
- Define your objectives: Start by clearly defining the objectives of your UGC campaign. Are you aiming to promote a specific aspect of your event, generate buzz, or increase engagement? Understanding your goals will help shape your guidelines and enable attendees to align their content with your desired outcomes.
- Create simple and concise instructions: Keep your guidelines clear, concise, and easy to understand. Provide step-by-step instructions on how attendees can create and share UGC. Use simple language and avoid ambiguity.
- Highlight preferred platforms and hashtags: Specify the social media platforms you want attendees to use for sharing their content. This will help consolidate the UGC and make it easily discoverable. Additionally, establish a unique event hashtag that attendees can include in their posts to enhance visibility and encourage conversation around your event.
- Provide content ideas and examples: Offer suggestions and ideas to spark attendees’ creativity. Provide examples of the type of content you seek, such as photos, videos, or testimonials. Inspire them by showcasing past successful UGC posts or by sharing a mood board that captures your event’s desired atmosphere or theme.
- Specify guidelines for content quality: Outline any specific requirements for content quality, such as resolution, aspect ratio, or file format. This will help ensure that the shared content meets your expectations and can be effectively used for promotional purposes.
Jenna Nye
CEO & Founder of On The Strip
Give customers guidelines for creating their content, such as the post length, hashtags to use, and suggestions for photos or video clips. This makes it a lot easier for them to create their content, and it also ensures that it will provide the most value for use in your campaigns and be shared on social, and it will also be effective in generating engagement.
Mark Pierce
CEO of Cloud Peak Law Group
Create and share guidelines for creating user-generated content. This helps to ensure that you’ll get the right type of content and makes it easier for people to create. Share a few examples so they have something to reference or provide a template they can fill out. The easier it is for people to create UGC, the more likely it is that they’ll do it.
Josh Weiss
CEO & Founder of Reggie
People naturally take photos and videos at events. This goes for weddings, corporate retreats, birthdays… you name it, and someone will probably pull out their phone to snap a picture at it. The best way to acquire that UGC is to solicit it directly from attendees. If you’re overseeing a corporate retreat, send a follow-up email with a submission link asking people to share their content after the event.
Design fun and easy ways to contribute
Creating user-generated content (UGC) is an excellent way to engage attendees, make them part of your event, and amplify its impact. To make the process enjoyable and effortless for participants, consider incorporating these fun and easy strategies:
- Photo booths and selfie stations: Set up interactive or designated selfie stations at your event. Provide props, themed backdrops, or branded elements that attendees can use to take creative and memorable photos. Encourage them to share these photos on social media using the event’s hashtag, fostering a sense of excitement and participation.
- Contests and challenges: Organize UGC contests or challenges that motivate attendees to showcase their creativity and win prizes. Encourage participants to create videos, take photos, or share testimonials related to the event. Set specific criteria, such as the most innovative content or the highest engagement, and reward the winners. This approach can generate a competitive spirit and spur attendees to contribute UGC.
- Live polling and interactive Q&A sessions: Incorporate live polling or interactive Q&A sessions during your event. Encourage attendees to share their thoughts, opinions, and questions using a designated hashtag or a dedicated platform. Display the live feed of attendee contributions on screens to create a sense of community engagement and encourage further participation.
- Social media challenges and trends: Tap into existing social media challenges or trends that align with your event’s theme or objectives. Encourage attendees to participate by creating content responding to the challenge or trend. This can include dance challenges, viral video trends, or other popular online activities. By leveraging established trends, you can make it easier for attendees to engage and share UGC within their existing social media networks.
- Gamification elements: Incorporate gamification elements into your event to incentivize UGC creation. Use mobile apps or event-specific platforms that allow attendees to earn points, badges, or rewards for their UGC contributions. Design challenges, missions, or scavenger hunts that require participants to create and share specific types of content throughout the event. This gamified approach adds an element of fun and encourages active participation.
- Collaborative activities and group challenges: Organize group activities or challenges that prompt attendees to collaborate and create UGC. This could involve building something, solving a puzzle, or participating in a group performance. Encourage teams to document their progress, capture their experiences, and share the UGC collectively.
- Surprise and delight moments: Incorporate surprise and delight moments throughout your event that prompt spontaneous UGC creation. This could be unexpected performances, installations, or interactive experiences that captivate attendees and inspire them to share their excitement. The element of surprise generates organic UGC as attendees eagerly capture and share these memorable moments.
⭐Related: Event Engagement Tips From Industry Experts
Facundo Chavari Estelrrich
Events Coordinator at InEvent
Promoting live activations during the event is the ultimate strategy to collect UGC. Set a slogan or proposal where attendees have to perform an action at the event and share it on social media using the event’s unique hashtag to win a prize (could be the company’s products, a free trial, or any entertainment options).
Victoria Rasmussen
Marketing Director at BW Events Tech
UGC is so much more than something fun for attendees to do. When you align it with your event strategy, UGC becomes an opportunity to truly connect your attendees to your event. Since it is not limited by physical space, UGC can be a great event tool for both in-person and digital attendees and can even be tied into gamification for a more holistic experience.
Thomas Samuels
President of Cardinal Expo
Creating a compelling contest is one of the best strategies I’ve seen for encouraging user-generated content at events. You can offer one or more prizes to get people interested and invested in winning while limiting how much you have to spend compared to giving everyone a reward for participating. Offer a prize for the best photo, video testimonial, blog post, Instagram post, TikTok, or any other user-generated content you want to gather. You can outline exactly what kind of UGC you want and stipulate that you retain the rights to all UGC submitted, giving you an enormous pool of creative, quality content to use now and in the future.
Isaac Robertson
Co-Founder & Chief Editor at Total Shape
I have seen the power of user-generated content (UGC) in creating memorable event experiences. My best tip for collecting UGC from attendees is to provide clear incentives and make it effortless for them to contribute. Utilize creative methods like photo booths, interactive social media contests, and branded hashtags to encourage attendees to share their experiences. To repurpose UGC effectively, focus on showcasing the diversity of perspectives and emotions captured during the event, as this can significantly enhance engagement and create a sense of community among participants.
Deepika Pundora
Founder at Ukti
Instead of using a plain CTA, use incentive-driven CTAs to encourage attendees to leave a review after your event. Using incentive-driven CTAs increases participation by motivating attendees to provide feedback, resulting in a higher quantity and potentially higher quality of reviews. It also enhances attendee engagement, as they feel appreciated and valued for their input. The collected feedback provides valuable data for improving future events, and positive word-of-mouth generated by incentives can attract new attendees and enhance your organization’s reputation. Ultimately, incentive-driven CTAs create a mutually beneficial situation, where attendees receive rewards for their feedback and you gain valuable insights for event improvement and attendee satisfaction.
Nebojsa Savicic
Co-Founder of Plainly
TED events could be an endless inspiration for creating user-generated content. In my opinion, you need to motivate people and gamify the experience so that they feel like participants instead of attendees. Create a wall of love where they could leave their message, set up a photo booth to feed in the images to a system that will automatically create videos, ask for ad hoc video testimonials, and create a competition for the best event commentary. The possibilities are truly endless.
Lisa Richards
CEO and Creator of The Candida Diet
Create fun and memorable hashtag contests that run concurrently with the event to collect UGC from attendees. For instance, you could encourage attendees to post content on their socials using the hashtag you’ve created for the event and reward those who get the most engagement on their posts. You need to understand the attendees’ social media usage as well as how they’d like to experience the event when coming up with hashtag contests. These contests need to improve the attendee experience and not distract them from what they’d like to accomplish throughout the event.
Estelle Barthés
Head of Content at Napta
Create happenings during your event, surprise your attendees, and they will share this on social media!
Young Pham
Co-Founder and Senior Project Manager at BizReport
While there is lots of UGC content, you could still try getting something more customized by incentivizing your customers to create. For instance, you could launch a competition offering a series of goodies for customers who create unboxing videos and share them on social media. This will not only help boost engagement but also helps to ensure that you have a stream of unique UGC to use in your marketing and promotional campaigns.
Peter Michaels
CEO of Yeespy
Being CEO I’ve enjoyed organizing and promoting various events. One valuable lesson I’ve learned is the incredible power of user-generated content in enhancing event experiences and driving engagement. One of the most effective ways to generate user-generated content is by actively encouraging attendees to share their experiences on social media. I’ve seen a surge in user-generated content by creating and promoting a designated event hashtag across various platforms. In addition, attendees shared photos, videos, and testimonials, creating a buzz and attracting more interest from potential attendees.
Guna Kakulapati
Co-founder & CEO at Cureskin
Use a giveaway strategy to motivate followers to create and share UGC for your brand. Giveaway strategies help companies incentivize helpful user actions like sharing image or video reviews, writing testimonials, or rating products. Businesses can create brand advocates out of casual and loyal shoppers for the right rewards.
⭐Related: How to Run a UGC Hashtag Contest
Offer VIP perks to UGC contributors
You can offer VIP perks as incentives to enhance attendees’ experience and encourage them to contribute user-generated content (UGC). VIP perks provide exclusive benefits and privileges to those who actively participate and contribute. Here are some ideas on how you can implement this:
- VIP lounge access: Grant UGC contributors access to a designated VIP lounge where they can relax, network, and enjoy complimentary refreshments.
- Priority seating: Offer priority seating to UGC contributors, allowing them to enjoy the best views and proximity to the stage or main event.
- Backstage tours: Provide exclusive backstage tours or meet-and-greet opportunities with speakers, performers, or celebrities as a reward for their UGC contributions.
- Early access: Grant UGC contributors early access to the event venue, allowing them to secure prime spots before the general attendees arrive.
- Exclusive merchandise: Create limited-edition merchandise or swag items specifically for UGC contributors, such as t-shirts, badges, or personalized items that showcase their involvement.
- Dedicated social media recognition: Feature UGC contributors prominently on the event’s official social media channels, acknowledging their contributions and giving them increased visibility.
- Exclusive workshops or masterclasses: Offer UGC contributors the opportunity to attend exclusive workshops or masterclasses led by industry experts, providing them with valuable knowledge and insights.
- Enhanced networking opportunities: Organize special networking events or sessions exclusively for UGC contributors, facilitating meaningful connections with other industry professionals or influential individuals attending the event.
Normand Chevrette
President & CEO at CME CORP
Provide special privileges like backstage access, reserved seating, and exclusive networking opportunities. Recognizing and rewarding their efforts creates a sense of exclusivity and motivation for attendees to produce exceptional content. Authenticity is key, so ensure that the perks align with the overall event experience and maintain transparency in the selection process.
Obtain consent and give proper credit
When incorporating user-generated content (UGC) from event attendees, obtaining proper consent is essential to ensure compliance with privacy regulations and respect participants’ rights. Here are some guidelines for obtaining consent for UGC:
- Clearly communicate your intentions: Explain to attendees how their UGC may be used. Provide information on where and how the content will be shared, such as social media platforms, event websites, or promotional materials. Transparency is key in building trust and obtaining informed consent.
- Include consent clauses in registration or participation forms: When attendees register for your event or participate in any activities involving UGC creation, include a specific clause. Request attendees’ consent to use their UGC for promotional purposes, specifying the intended usage and duration. Make sure the consent clause is written in clear and understandable language.
- Allow opt-in or opt-out options: Give attendees a choice to opt-in or opt out of having their UGC used for promotional purposes. Provide checkboxes or other means for them to indicate their preference. Respect the decisions of those who choose not to have their content shared.
- Provide an easily accessible privacy policy: Ensure your event has a comprehensive privacy policy that clearly outlines how attendee data and UGC will be handled. Make this policy accessible to attendees through your event website or registration portal. It should cover topics such as data storage, retention, and the rights of attendees in relation to their personal information and UGC.
- Respond promptly to inquiries and concerns: Establish a process for addressing inquiries or concerns related to UGC usage and data privacy. Be transparent and provide clarity to maintain a positive relationship with your event attendees.
Corey Donovan
President & CEO at Alta Technologies
Ask for permission before sharing and using UGC in your marketing or advertising campaigns. While it’s unlikely that a user wouldn’t be willing to have their content used, getting their permission is still best. Have them sign an agreement to make it official, and of course, don’t forget to thank them for their time in creating the content.
Young Pham
Co-Founder and Senior Project Manager at BizReport
One thing you must remember to do when leveraging the power of user-generated content is to seek permission to use such content from the creators. Also, if or when you get such consent, always ensure that you provide proper credit to the creator and, if possible, link to their social page or site. UGC is always readily available and will typically be free to use. However, this does not mean you are free to use this content to your benefit. It’s only fair to seek permission and clear any privacy concerns the creator may have. While there is lots of UGC content, you could still try getting something more customized by incentivizing your customers to create. For instance, you could launch a competition offering a series of goodies for customers who create unboxing videos and share them on social media. This will not only help boost engagement but also helps to ensure that you have a stream of unique UGC to use in your marketing and promotional campaigns.
Showcase brand values and personality
User-generated content (UGC) created by event attendees presents a valuable opportunity to authentically showcase your brand’s values and personality. By curating and leveraging UGC effectively, you can amplify your brand’s identity, engage your audience, and build a strong connection with your target market. Here’s how you can utilize attendee UGC to showcase your brand’s values and personality:
- Encourage content aligned with your brand: When promoting UGC, encourage attendees to create content that aligns with your brand’s values and personality. Provide clear guidelines that reflect your brand’s tone, messaging, and key attributes. This will help ensure that the UGC generated resonates with your brand and its core principles.
- Curate and select UGC strategically: Carefully curate the UGC you share to reflect your brand’s values and personality. Select content that embodies your brand’s spirit, showcases attendees’ positive experiences at your event, or highlights the impact your brand has on their lives. Prioritize UGC that aligns with your brand’s voice, aesthetics, and key messages.
- Feature UGC on your digital platforms: Showcase curated UGC on your website, social media channels, or other digital platforms. Create dedicated UGC sections or highlight specific posts that embody your brand’s values. This not only gives recognition to attendees but also demonstrates your brand’s connection with its community and the shared values you have.
- Collaborate with influencers or brand advocates: Identify influential attendees or advocates who align with your brand’s values and personality. Collaborate with them to create UGC that highlights their experiences and insights. Amplify their UGC on your platforms to showcase your brand’s positive impact on influential individuals within your community.
Matthew Ramirez
Founder at Rephrase Media, Inc.
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for building brand awareness and engaging with customers. UGC allows customers to become advocates for your brand, creating a sense of community and loyalty. Here are my best tips for leveraging UGC effectively:Make it easy for customers to share their content. This means creating a clear and simple process for submitting content and providing clear guidelines for what is acceptable. Consider using a hashtag or tagging system to make tracking and sharing UGC easy. UGC can be a powerful tool for building brand awareness and engagement. By making it easy for customers to share their content, engaging with them and showing appreciation, showcasing your brand values, and being authentic and transparent, you can create a strong sense of community and loyalty around your brand.
Dr. Michael Green
Chief Medical Officer at Winona, Inc.
One way to motivate and encourage UGC is to interact and comment on followers’ UGC posts. Customers always appreciate a spotlight moment and special attention for their efforts. Try to include a personal anecdote whenever possible to keep your comments from sounding too generic.
Repurpose UGC for future events
User-generated content (UGC) created by event attendees is a valuable asset that can be repurposed to enhance future events and extend their impact. By strategically repurposing attendee UGC, you can create a sense of continuity, leverage existing content, and engage both new and returning attendees. Here are some effective strategies to repurpose attendee UGC for future events:
- Create promotional videos: Compile UGC, such as videos and photos, into engaging promotional videos for upcoming events. Showcase the vibrant experiences and positive moments attendees capture to build anticipation and generate excitement. These videos can be shared on social media, event websites, or email campaigns to attract new attendees and remind past participants of the unique event atmosphere.
- Design testimonial campaigns: Gather testimonials from attendees about their experiences at previous events. Incorporate these testimonials into marketing materials, landing pages, or social media posts to showcase the value and impact of your events. Authentic attendee stories and endorsements can significantly influence prospective attendees and build trust in your brand.
- Feature UGC in event collaterals: Incorporate attendee UGC into event collaterals such as brochures, event programs, banners, and signage. Display photos, quotes, or social media posts highlighting past events’ positive aspects. This visually appealing content serves as social proof and creates a sense of excitement and anticipation among attendees.
- Create social media campaigns: Leverage UGC across your social media platforms to engage new and returning attendees. Feature attendee photos, testimonials, or memorable moments from past events in regular social media posts. Use event hashtags and encourage attendees to share their favorite UGC from previous events. This enables ongoing participation and keeps the event community active and connected.
- Develop blog posts or articles: Transform attendee UGC into compelling posts or articles highlighting specific aspects of past events. Share attendees’ stories, experiences, or tips and provide valuable insights and information for prospective attendees.
- Include UGC in event presentations: Incorporate attendee UGC into event presentations, workshops, or panels. Use photos, videos, or quotes to illustrate the impact of past events on attendees and the community. This visual and real-life evidence can enhance the credibility and effectiveness of your presentations while also creating a sense of inclusivity and connection.
- Showcase UGC in post-event materials: Use attendee UGC in post-event materials, such as event recaps, newsletters, or reports. Feature photos, testimonials, or social media posts that reflect previous events’ highlights and key moments. This allows you to showcase the collective experience of attendees and reinforce the value of your events.
Damjan Tanaskovic
CMO of Localizely
UGC is quite the buzzword these days. The brilliance of UGC is that it’s a powerful way to involve your attendees and create a buzz about your event. Whether it’s through posts, pictures, or videos, UGC allows your attendees to become active contributors and, in a way, co-creators of the event experience. Here’s a neat trick that’s worked wonders for many event planners. Host a contest! Encourage attendees to share their experiences with a unique event hashtag on social media platforms. You can incentivize participation by offering a prize to the most liked or shared post. A cool anecdote? One event planner did this, giving away free VIP upgrades to the best posts. The result was an explosion of user-generated content and a highly engaged audience. Now, let’s talk about how you can repurpose this goldmine of UGC. One great strategy is to showcase user-generated content during your event in real time. For example, you could have a live feed of attendee posts projected on screens around your venue. A brilliant example is when a music festival used a live Instagram feed, creating a highly interactive atmosphere. Attendees loved seeing their posts featured, and it encouraged others to join in on the fun. Don’t forget the magic of UGC doesn’t have to end when your event does. Use this content to promote future events. It’s a fantastic way to show prospective attendees the experience from the eyes of previous participants. There’s a fitness event that does this brilliantly, using photos and videos shared by participants to promote their next event. It adds an authentic touch that traditional marketing materials sometimes lack.
Cynthia Davies
Founder & CEO of Cindy’s New Mexico LLC
Create graphics from testimonials to use as marketing collateral. Testimonials are one of the most influential types of user-generated content because they help to build trust by showing potential customers that the product they’re buying is highly recommended. Testimonials can also be used to showcase how your products can be used by sharing examples.
Max Ade
CEO & Co-founder of Pickleheads
If you’re planning an event that happens annually, that’s an excellent opportunity for repurposing user-generated content. You can cut some costs on marketing and advertising outreach for the event by utilizing UGC from prior years. For example, if it’s your first year planning the event but it’s expected to become a yearly thing. You could try setting up a photo opportunity at the event in the hopes that attendees will participate and help you build up a bank for next time.
Martin Potocki
CEO at Jobera.com
Don’t underestimate the power of post-event feedback. Inviting attendees to share their experiences and suggestions after the event can provide valuable insights and testimonies. These can be used for improving future events and marketing purposes, showcasing honest opinions and experiences from your audience. This form of UGC can be collected through emails or feedback forms on your event’s website or app.
Jen Macdonald
Marketing Manager at Evolved Search
Events need attendees to be interactive and active on social media for success, so as an event planner, it is always important to drive this engagement. The work doesn’t stop there once you’ve gathered this user-generated content! Contact attendees who have interacted with you on socials asking them to leave reviews on your website or Google. Also, ask if they’re happy for you to include their feedback in a blog for your website so you can write a trustworthy event roundup.
Chary Otinggey
Digital PR Strategist at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
Identify user-generated content highlighting positive experiences, success stories, or innovative ideas the attendees share. Transform these stories into case studies or success stories that can be shared on your website, blog, or marketing materials. This helps build credibility and demonstrates the value and impact of your event.
Event user-generated content examples
User-generated content (UGC) plays a significant role in both virtual and in-person events. It enables attendees to actively participate and share their experiences, creating a sense of community and engagement. Whether it’s a virtual conference, a music festival, or a trade show, UGC can enhance the event’s promotion, interaction, and overall attendee satisfaction. Here are some examples of user-generated content from both virtual and in-person events:
Over to you
User-generated content (UGC) has revolutionized how events engage with attendees and extend their reach beyond physical boundaries. By harnessing the power of UGC, event organizers can create authentic connections, amplify their brand message, and foster a sense of community among participants.
By encouraging attendees to contribute UGC, events can tap into diverse perspectives, experiences, and creative expressions. UGC serves as a powerful marketing tool, showcasing the unique value and personality of the event while building trust and credibility among potential attendees.
Successful UGC campaigns require careful planning, active engagement, and a commitment to maintaining a positive and inclusive environment. By fostering a sense of ownership and appreciation among attendees, events can cultivate a thriving UGC community that continues to grow and contribute even after the event concludes.
So, whether it’s through event-specific mobile apps, social media walls, or immersive AR experiences, embracing UGC allows events to tap into the collective power of their attendees and create lasting memories.
As you embark on your next event, consider the tips and strategies discussed in this article to harness the potential of UGC. Embrace your attendees’ creativity, diversity, and authenticity, and let their voices be heard. Together, let’s shape unforgettable experiences and create a legacy of UGC that resonates long after the event.