User-Generated Content

You don’t always have to be looking for UGC (user-generated content). Maybe you haven’t even started. Sometimes, it’s just fun to participate in someone else’s campaign while also getting a little exposure on the side! For example, a hashtag campaign from a favorite brand or service.

A few suggestions if you’re considering joining a hashtag promotion:

• Make sure the product or service is something you actually use, or at least like & believe in. By posting with their hashtag, you are also endorsing the company or service provider.
• Only participate if you can be positive. We are in business and trying to attract clients, right? View your post as a potential client and think, “Would I work with this person after viewing this post?”
• Make sure to read the rules, if any. There may be things the company wants you to disclose in your post. For example: #Sponsored or #Contest. Unless you got something for free from the company, there shouldn’t be repercussions for not using the hashtags, but you may also miss out on them sharing your post if they like it.
• Finally, if you don’t want to take the time to read the terms and conditions, that’s your choice. Just know that by not doing so, you may be agreeing to let them have a photo for an ad campaign or your quote could be added to their website. Also, this goes back to tip number 1!

 

#MyShutterfly

Today, Shutterfly’s newsletter asked to “Show us your Shutterfly!” While the form says “Submit an Entry” and there are “Official Rules,” this isn’t a contest. Just a way of sharing photos of a common theme using the hashtag, #MyShutterfly. They are doing this to curate photos of their products and generating awareness at the same time.

While there are many examples of ways to get followers and fans to create content for you, we’ll use Shutterfly’s for today. For their promotion, you are taken to a landing page on their website where new photos that fans of their products have submitted are displayed.

The best things come in orange packages.

“Show us your favorite moments, projects and photos by clicking to upload below or using #MyShutterfly on Instagram or Twitter from a public profile, and you could be featured.”

As you can see, they have offered 3 ways to participate. Is one better than the other? I would say your photo is more likely to be stumbled upon on social media via users searching for the hashtag. By using a social profile, you are giving viewers a chance to check out your other posts and potentially engage.

How this all works:

Take a photo (or more!) of products you’ve purchased from Shutterfly. Most people are being literal about that. A picture of a mug. A picture of a t-shirt. That is not creative! Maybe you take your beach pictures to the waterfront and photograph them in the sand? Or show a photo on your mantel with a child on their toes trying to see it? Get creative!

Post your photo on social media. Use the hashtag: #MyShutterfly, but don’t forget to include any other relevant hashtags.

You can also take advantage of Shutterfly’s landing page. it has a button to submit your photo directly to the campaign. Here you can also look through the photos that have been posted by others. These photos have been curated by Shutterfly, and from the stream, it seems the popular submission method is Instagram.

As I said, using your Instagram to post a photo gives you the added benefit of driving people to your profile. Your username is clickable directly to your profile on Instagram. While you are there posting your image, you can take a minute to search the hashtag and “like” the interesting ones. Even better, leave a comment. You are now engaging with a community!

The goal?

When people submit photos or other content to a hashtag campaign, they are somewhat invested in it. They want to see what others have done. They look for inspiration. So when you join a campaign, be friendly, inviting, chatty, and attract the followers! They then become your community.

Final tip: Clicking through to your profile only does so much. If you aren’t posting regularly, and your photos or posts are not that interesting, the browsers will not follow you. Don’t just be eye-catching with this hashtag. Always aim to be entertaining, informative, or inspiring in all of your Instagram posts.

Here is an example from my Instagram:

#MyShutterfly

What can you learn from this promotion?

If you want to get into UGC to help strengthen your community, it’s a great idea to be involved in some promotions as a follower yourself to get a feel for how they work and what’s possible. Shutterfly may not be your thing, but companies are running similar campaigns constantly. Find the one that works for you.

If you’re ready to move on to a UGC promotion of your own, this campaign also has some great qualities to it that you may want to take note of:

1. By having a submit button on the Shutterfly landing page, they don’t alienate people who don’t participate in social media but still believe in your product or service.
2. Note the subtly placed image in the center of the photo shares encouraging viewers to click-through and learn more about Shutterfly’s services. They didn’t create anything new or fancy. They simply link to the home page, where, they always have a deal going to entice visitors!
3. The page is simple and eye-catching. Don’t go overboard. Use a nice graphic, a simple instruction, and share some of your favorites.

 

Feel free to share a link to your photo below! I’d love to go give you a like and share! Sharing is caring!