5 Benefits of Using User-Generated Content in Your Hybrid Events

by Harry Prince, 18 January 2022
by Harry Prince,  18 January 2022
5 Benefits of Using User-Generated Content in Your Hybrid Events

Are you organising or hosting a hybrid event soon? Here is how you can make it successful — integrate user-generated content into your hybrid event. UGC is the content created by your customers, clients, or employees. No one else can be a better brand ambassador for your brand than your customers and users.

Using UGC is the best way to achieve the goals of your event. When hosting a hybrid event, a big challenge is making your attendees feel connected. With UGC, you can directly build a connection with your audience.

Still not sure if UGC will help your hybrid event? Let’s go through this blog and discuss how you can integrate User-generated Content in your hybrid event and its advantages.

How to collect and use UGC for your hybrid event?

You can collect user-generated content through different social media platforms. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, etc., are the top social media platforms where you will find your users sharing their experiences. You can even collect reviews from Google, Yelp, Facebook, Airbnb as user-generated content.

Live user-generated content during the event is even better. You can create a hashtag campaign so your audience can share live event experiences using one hashtag. This will help you collect all forms of UGC (videos, snaps, reels, photos, or testimonials).

Here are some examples of how you can use UGC for your hybrid event:

  • Add the live UGC social wall to your event meeting
  • Add the live UGC social wall to your venue display screen
  • Add the live UGC social wall to your event stage screen
  • Promote UGC on your brand’s social media channels

For example, UFC 267, held at Etihad Arena, caused a great buzz on social media. Etihad Arena took this social engagement higher by displaying social walls with UGC. The move helped them get 80k+ interactions and 1000+ UGC pieces in 2 days.

You can use UGC platforms to collect user-generated content and use it in your hybrid event. Here are some top examples of UGC platforms.

  1. Taggbox
  2. Pixlee
  3. Stackla
  4. Flockler
  5. Tint

These are the top market players (in the order we have listed) in the UGC platforms industry, and you will get the best features in them. Check them out and select the best one for yourself. Additionally, when looking for the best UGC.

Additionally, when looking for the best UGC platform, don't forget to explore the Best Social Shopping Platforms to harness the power of user-generated content for your business's growth and success.

Benefits of Using UGC in Hybrid Event

1. Engage your Audience

In hybrid events, some of your audience is connected online while the other attendees are present in-person. So it becomes difficult to engage them, especially the audience present remotely. If you don’t want your audience to be merely passive viewers but active participants in the event, you need to connect with your audience and make them feel present at your event. In fact, 72% of brands use UGC to engage their audience.

You can create a social wall of the best UGC, share it at your event display, and invite a UGC content creator to join your campaign. Your audience at the venue will be engaged seeing the live social wall. And even for your online audience, you can add a live social wall to your meeting. Your audience can even participate and share their pictures or experiences on your UGC social wall. You can run live contests through your UGC social wall. Sharing live UGC will help your audience feel a part of the event, no matter where they are.

These event activities will spark conversations among your audience and even create a buzz on social media.

2. Increase Brand Trust with Social Proof

People feel uncertain about trying new things. More than 90% of the customers look for reviews from existing customers before deciding. That’s why event branding is essential to build trust and authenticity, as it will scale your hybrid event’s ROI.

But you can win their trust by showing them what positive things other people (your past customers/clients/employees) say about your brand. UGC will help you win the trust of your audience. It is the best social proof you can use for hybrid event marketing. Also, UGC will improve your brand positioning and presence in the market.

3. Increase Conversions

Now that you know UGC is an excellent tool for winning the audience’s trust, you can even leverage it further to increase your conversion. The conversion rate of websites featuring UGC is 50%, which is a lot higher than the expected conversion rate.

People think ten times before buying from a brand they don’t know. But once you win the trust of your audience, you can get more people to attend your hybrid event. When your audience believes in your brand, they are more likely to buy from you. You can sell more of your product and services during and after your hybrid event.

Add user-generated content to the marketing material of your event. You can add it to your banners, social media accounts, venue display screen, website, etc. Anyone seeing your marketing content with UGC will be more attracted to attending your event or buying from you because they know people already trust your brand.

4. Reduce Marketing Costs

Planning a hybrid event with a limited budget is not easy. Even if you have a big budget, it will require well-planned budgeting and management. Instead of reducing costs in all areas, you can cut down costs on marketing without letting it hamper your promotions.

How can you do it? One central part of your marketing budget will go into content creation which you can get for almost free of cost. User-generated content is free content for your brand as you do not have to invest anything in it. So using UGC in marketing your hybrid event will directly reduce your marketing costs. Managing user-generated content and adding to different platforms is also very cost-effective, and all you need is a UGC platform.

You can use UGC even after your hybrid event for your brand promotions on different platforms like social media, websites, email campaigns, eCommerce pages, etc.

5. Enhance Brand Presence and Social Media with UGC

Using UGC in hybrid event promotions will excite your audience to interact with your brand. It will excite them to share more photos and pictures associated with your brand on social media, leading to a massive boost in your social media presence as well.

Final Thoughts

You need to ensure that your online and offline audience is connected in hybrid events. It is a challenge in hybrid events because the organisers cannot control how the online audience engages throughout the event.

You can tackle the main challenges of your hybrid event with user-generated content because it is a great way to hype up your event and make it lively. It will help you boost engagement and conversions for your event. You don’t need to put in extra effort to connect with your online audience.

So use this powerful way to make your next hybrid event successful and enhance your marketing and brand presence with UGC.

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