30 ways UGCs impact e-commerce sales 2024

Would you like to begin using user-generated content to your advantage? It's an excellent way to increase your brand's visibility, boost awareness, and receive more web traffic that converts. Several e-commerce brands are utilizing this convenient and impactful marketing method to see some of the most incredible results.

Gymshark has built a name for itself on social media, honing in on the power of platforms like Instagram and TikTok to connect with its audience and build a massive cult-like following. Supporters of Gymshark love the products and are willing to create and share content using the brand's products for their followers to see, which has helped the company grow and expand tremendously in recent years.

Creating challenges and encouraging consumers to share their content has helped the company receive more than 250 million views on TikTok alone! The sportswear and accessories company is now valued at £1.2 billion.

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Many brands are following the same path, utilizing user-generated content to help spread awareness of their brand, gain followers, and leave a lasting impact that boosts sales and overall success. For example, Aerie uses hashtags to encourage its customers to share photos and videos of them wearing and using products the company sells. One hashtag, #AerieREALPositivity, has over two billion views. This approach has helped the brand reach targeted audiences and increase conversion and sales.

Other brands using user-generated content to their advantage? Fashion Nova, Levi's, Rare Beauty, and Rhode Skin. These are only a handful of the brands getting in on the opportunity to spread content that connects with the consumers better than ever before.

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The massive impact of user-generated content for D2C brands

1 - User-generated content advertisements cost D2C brands 50% less than the average digital advertisement. You can save money while using user-generated content as an opportunity to advertise your brand and the products you sell to consumers instead of relying on traditional advertisements that don’t convert.

2 -  78% of consumers are willing to share brand-related content if it helps them connect on a deeper level with their peers. Encourage customers to create this kind of shareable content by enhancing the unboxing experience and providing excellent customer service. It will make a difference.

3 - 69% of consumers feel a sense of fulfillment when creating user-generated content and believe their content can make a difference. Be clear about what your products can do for the consumers. If they know and understand, they may be more willing to share content they've created of them using the products for those reasons.

4 - 45% of people in the United States have uploaded pictures and videos to social media accounts within the past three years. Consider setting up a hashtag campaign to get your customers to share their pictures and videos to different social media accounts! The added exposure will benefit your business.

5 - 90% of consumers will make their buying decision based on user-generated content. Make user-generated content for your business easier to find. If consumers can find the content with ease, they may feel more inclined to buy from your business, which will boost sales.

6 - 81% of consumers don't mind paying more or waiting a bit longer for shipping when buying products based on user-generated content. While it helps to ship at faster speed, genuinely good reviews of your business will make the consumers much more patient and willing to spend the amount of money you’re charging for the items you sell.

7 - A staggering 97% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 believe user-generated content heavily influences their overall buying decisions. Because this type of content can have such an impact, it’s important to start collecting videos and photos uploaded by consumers and resharing them or even including the content on your website for consumers to see.

8 - 73% of consumers feel more confident buying from a brand if the brand is using user-generated content to display their products and how they work. Collect videos of consumers showing how they use your products or describing what they like best about the items. Place this content on your site to encourage consumers to complete that purchase.

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9 - 61% of shoppers feel more inclined to engage with brands because of the different types of user-generated content they see online. Make your presence known with user-generated content on many platforms. Don’t just settle for one social media platform. Share the content on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.

10 - More than 93% of consumers will read reviews before buying a product from any brand. When sending products to customers, encourage them to leave a review. You can even entice them with a discount code for a review. Of course, don’t push for a five-star review. Let them decide that on their own.

11 - 50% of people learn about new products online from friends, family, and acquaintances. Use this to your advantage to get more attention for your brand.

12 - 85% of consumers believe that user-generated content has more of an influence than content created by the brand itself. While you still need to create content as the brand owner, focus more on taking a user-generated content approach.

13 - Up to 61% of consumers have made buying decisions based on user-generated photos posted to social platforms like Instagram. Once again, encourage consumers to use hashtags when they post this type of content. It makes it easier for others to find it.

14 - 93% of consumers agree that user-generated content helps them when making buying decisions. If you have more user-generated content shared on social media sites, you can boost sales and conversion rates. More people will want to buy from your brand.

15 - Millennials spend roughly 30% of media time interacting with user-generated content across different platforms. Make an effort to connect with this audience because of how much time they’re spending using their phones, laptops, and other electronic devices.

16 - 90% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand if they feel the brand is authentic. Create genuine content to connect with your audience. If they feel they can relate, they won’t mind buying from your brand, and that means they might even create content on your products in the future.

17 - 84% of consumers say they trust peer recommendations over any other recommendations. With more peer recommendations about your brand online, you may begin seeing an increase in the total number of sales received each day.

18 - Consumers are impacted by user-generated content 9.8x more than influencer-generated content when making a buying decision. Although connecting with influencers and having them provide reviews and tutorials on your products can make a difference, it’s the user-generated content that is truly helping consumers make important buying decisions.

19 - Millennials are the most significant contributors to user-generated content, contributing to up to 70% of this content. Take the time to understand your audience. Learn more about what millennials like and dislike about the buying experience to appease them because they’re the ones making most of the user-generated content.

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20 - Product pages containing Q&As have a 447% higher conversion rate than those that don’t. Need proof? Take a look at Amazon's product pages, and how they use them to clear out any questions and objections to buy. Q&As and real answers from buyers are public and accessible for everyone to read.

21 - Millennials trust user-generated content 50% more than any content generated by the brand itself. Because they trust this content over anything else, it’s important to have plenty of it. You can get more user-generated content simply by providing incredible service to your customers.

22 - 74% of consumers utilize social media to help them make buying decisions. If you’re not already active on social media, now is the time to create accounts for your brand. You’re missing out on the opportunity to connect, share valuable information, and get more people to buy from you.

23 - Over 50% of consumers would prefer if brands encouraged them to curate content by telling them what types of content would be best to create. Consider including a cute note in your packaging that encourages consumers to create content, such as product descriptions and tutorials to help out other consumers. Giving them fresh ideas will increase your chances of getting the user-generated content you need.

24 - The average consumer spends a little more than five hours exposed to user-generated content per day. Because so many consumers are exposed to user-generated content for hours on end, you need to develop a content strategy that helps these individuals find your brand.

25 - Incorporating user-generated content can help brands boost engagement by up to 50%. If you’re interested in boosting engagement, the key is to start incorporating user-generated content into everything you do. Share it on your website, your Facebook account, TikTok, and many other platforms to broaden your reach.

26 - 48% of consumers agree that user-generated content helps them discover new products. With consumers coming across products on social media at random, you could potentially reel in a bunch of new customers simply by having user-generated content posted on platforms for them to find.

27 - Content shared by employees of a brand can receive 8x more engagement than content shared directly by the company on its social media platforms. If you have employees working for your brand and they have a following, sharing your brand’s content can boost engagement and benefit your business even more.

28 - 87% of brands are using user-generated content for the free added exposure. Make sure you’re one of those brands getting in on the opportunity to receive more exposure. When users create content on your brand, you’re essentially getting FREE advertisement.

29 - Advertisements containing user-generated content receive 73% more positive comments from consumers. Create advertisements that include user-generated content you’ve found online. People will feel less irritated by the advertisement and will be more likely to engage with it, leaving positive comments instead of negative ones.

30 - User-generated content leads to a 29% higher web conversion rate. Have a special spot on your website where you will display some of the user-generated content people have created. It can boost your web conversion rates and help you make more sales.