Everything you need to know about Influencer Generated Content (IGC)
Influencer Generated Content (IGC) is any type of content that an influencer creates and shares with their audience on behalf of a brand. It can be a post, a video, a tutorial, a story, an article, a podcast. Through IGC, the influencers tell their followers why they love a brand, or educates on the use of a product. The content generated by influencers is capable of activating dialogues with potential consumers, because it is received as authentic and trustworthy.
In this blog post, we will discover:
– Why is influencer Generated Content Important for brands?
– What is the difference between IGC and UGC?
– Are there smart tips for activating IGC?
Why is Influencer Generated Content important for brands?
Influencer Generated Content is important because it provides great levels of social proof. Influencers are considered trusted sources from their followers. This is why people are more keen to listen to their content than the standard advertisements offered by brands.
IGC is also important for brands because it brings a certain amount of creativity in brand communication, getting closer to the audience. If a medium- or long-term collaboration is created with one or more influencers, the storytelling will be more effective and, above all, not merely a sales message. Rather, it will become part of the influencer’s everyday life and will be perceived as natural by his or her followers. Repetition of the message, of course, is highly recommended when it comes to IGC.
Finally, IGC is important because it allows brands to engage in a dialogue with the target audience, and is a valuable aid in understanding the highlights of one’s products. Selecting an influencer with a high engagement rate, you will be able to analyse comments written by real people, which often contain suggestions and ideas.
Difference between Influencer Generated Content (IGC) and User Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is all those contents created and published by users (likely consumers) who spontaneously talk online about a product or service. The major differences between UGC and IGC are:
- UGC is unpaid, as they are spontaneously created by consumers, while IGC is paid as they are requested by the brand from an influencer.
- UGC does not meet any requirements in terms of features, length, or quality of content. IGCs, being often paid, instead respond to a brand brief and must meet quality standards.
- UGC is created by consumers who often have among their follower’s many friends and family members, not united by common characteristics. Professional influencers, on the other hand, have a specific audience, which is precisely the one on which the brand should do the most research.
3 tips for activating IGC
- Firstly, you need to select the most suitable professional influencers for your brand. This can be done either in-house or with the support of an external partner. The latter usually has an established method to ensure a quick and effective selection. The choice of professionals is the basis for quality content that converts.
- Secondly, make sure the brief is clear and specific. After submitting the brief and answering any questions from the influencer, the brand should make sure it sees the content before it is published.
- In addition, the brand must leave enough creative space for the influencer. In other words, the brand needs to trust the influencer’s expertise.
Final thoughts
Influencer Generated Content is important for any brand because it allows them to reach a broad target audience, and also because it is engaging and trustworthy. The key to success is to find the right balance between categories of influencers, as we did in this campaign for the brand Bepanthenderma. Therefore, a good digital marketing plan is one that succeeds in planning one or more medium- to long-term IGC collaborations with influencers suited to one’s brand and that, at the same time, knows how to make the most of the spontaneous UGCs that are posted by one’s consumers.
If you would like to discuss this further or activate a campaign with IGC for your brand, contact us: