In this new era, everybody seems to shop online through an e-commerce brand in one way or another. One thing these brands all have in common, big or small, is that they have User Generated Content, better known as UGC. Rarely will you ever buy a product online if you don't see a review or someone using it unless it's for a friend starting their newly founded business. Some new companies with a bigger bankroll will even invest in UGC creatives to help kickstart their company. Although this can be a very effective way to help your company's growth, it doesn't always work. They can invest thousands of dollars, constantly trying new variations and ways of presenting their product, without generating the expected result. In this article, we'll go over the biggest mistakes we regularly see when it comes to UGC ads with poor performance.
Bad Hook
Have you ever tried to go fishing without a hook? It's basically impossible. While this isn't an article about fishing, the same rules apply. Even with a great hook rate, it's not directly correlated to a catch or in this case, money. Ultimately, a UGC's ads job is to buy attention, and a business model's job is to turn that attention into money. If you never actually get the chance to earn that attention with a good hook and bait, you'll never be able to get the opportunity to monetize it. So, a good hook rate won't make you money, but a bad one won't give you the chance to make any money.
It's Not a Marathon, It's a Sprint
Have you ever noticed how fast you scroll through TikTok and Instagram? People's attention spans are really short, and your ad can effectively burden somebody's experience. They didn't sign up to see your content; you're in the way of what they're trying to get to. You cannot tell a story in a way that assumes anybody cares about what you have to say. So, get to the point quickly and tell the story backwards.
Fixed Frame
The biggest thing in almost every UGC ad that fails is that the frame is too consistent throughout the whole video. The bottom line is you don't have to be a great storyteller, but if you don't change the setting, people will scroll to the next thing. The camera doesn't have to always be moving, but If you build suspense that something is coming, people might wait to watch it happen. If you're not visually entertained by what's going on, even in the background around what's happening in the center of the frame, what's going on in the center better be captivating. Even if it is, the majority of people will go to the next thing.
Is That An AD?
There's nothing worse than an ad that has someone with a forced smile and an apparent corporate script. The whole point of UGC is to show the user enjoying the product or service in an organic and authentic way.
People know when they're being sold to, and it's one of the biggest turn offs for consumers. Customers know when a transaction in a relationship is one way. So, If you ask for something without offering a fair return, they will leave and never return.
Over-Editing Your Creative
This topic goes hand in hand with making fake or forced ads. A tricky thing when making art is to know when it's done (dont gild the lily!). So we have to understand what genuine content is supposed to look like. We experience it thousands of times a day. You won't earn the consumer's trust if it feels forced or inauthentic. You're going to lose their attention and never get engagement. At the end of the day people just want plain, natural, organic content.
By addressing these aspects and continuously iterating your approach based on feedback and data analysis, you can improve the effectiveness of your UGC ads and increase conversion rates. If you're still having trouble with your UGC, browse through our recent case studies and blogs, or reach out to us and see what Bambassadors can do for you.
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