The document is a survey report from Miappi Ltd summarizing the results of their 2017 market research on attitudes towards user-generated content in digital marketing. Some of the key findings include: - 77% of respondents said user-generated social media content has more impact on buying decisions than brand advertisements. - 88% said reviews from friends were most important when considering a purchase. - UGC was found to be highly persuasive across brand websites, in-store screens, marketing emails and social networks. - Consumers are more attracted to "authentic" user content from real people than "glossy" professionally produced brand content.

1. T H E M I A P P I U G C S U R V E Y 2 0 1 7
HAS UGC LOST
ITS MOJO?
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2. THERE ARE LOTS OF GREAT INDUSTRY STATS
OUT THERE ABOUT THE POSITIVE IMPACT
OF USER-GENERATED (EARNED) CONTENT IN
DIGITAL MARKETING BUT HERE AT MIAPPI,
BEING A NATURALLY SKEPTICAL BUNCH,
WE ALSO LIKE TO COMMISSION OUR OWN
RESEARCH SO WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT
WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO OUR
CLIENTS IS ACCURATE.
H A S U G C L O S T I T S M O J O ?
I N T R O D U C T I O N
There are lots of great industry stats out there about the positive impact of
user-generated (earned) content in digital marketing but here at Miappi, being
a naturally skeptical bunch, we also like to commission our own research
so we can be confident that what we are recommending to our clients is
accurate.
Each year we commission our own market research to better understand the
use of earned media in visual marketing. In 2016 we commissioned market
research that led to the creation of our 2016 UGC report. You can download
that report here.
This year is no exception and we have just received the results of our Summer
2017 market research. For this year’s research we asked 300 U.S. citizens to
share their attitudes towards user-generated content in marketing. The cohort
comprised both men and women aged 18-44 years old.
We’ve packaged up the results in this report to paint a clear, up-to-date
picture of opinions relating to user-generated content. We’ve also shared
some real-world applications for this data to help you enhance and improve
your digital marketing campaigns.
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3. THE WISDOM OF CROWDS
77% of respondents say user-
generated content on social
media has more impact on their
buying decisions than brand
advertisements.
Social media has always been
primarily about people not
products. Human connection
is at the heart of platforms
like Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram. Although these
platforms are always developing
fresh ways to monetise through
advertising and selling, it’s still
human interactions which users
care most about. These figures
suggest that brands are better
placed investing in UGC creation
than shelling-out for promoted
tweets. Unless those tweets
feature UGC, that is...
88% of consumers said that a
review by a friend is important
when considering a purchase.
Reviews by friends were rated
as the most important factor
behind buying decisions
according to our respondents,
while 82% claimed that a review
by another customer was also
important to them. By contrast,
just 56% of those polled believed
that a brand advertisement was
important.
44% of consumers claimed that
brand advertisements were
unimportant.
These figures clearly
demonstrate that consumers
are now influenced far
more profoundly by UGC in
comparison to brand-created
content, which increasing fails
to convert and engage target
audiences.
WHEN IT COMES TO
PURCHASING DECISIONS WE
ARE OFTEN MORE LIKELY TO
TRUST THE OPINION OF OTHER
PEOPLE, EVEN COMPLETE
STRANGERS, THAN WE ARE
TO TRUST THE SALES AND
MARKETING MESSAGES OF
BRANDS.
Near constant exposure to brand-created
content has made many consumers view brand
messages more cynically than ever before.
In 2017 it is the opinions of other consumers
which matter to us when buying a new product
or service.
77% 88% 44%
With the majority of respondents claiming they first discovered products via recommendations from friends, it’s clear that brand-created
content is also less powerful when introducing products to consumers. Although brands may have more reach, often the messages they
broadcast are ignored or lost in the advertorial clamour. It’s real people’s opinions which cut through all of this digital noise and make
consumers pay attention. Here’s how products are discovered:
Consumers typically first
become aware of a brand’s
products through friend
recommendations.
44%
Friend
recommendation
41%
Social media
advertising
23%
Offline
18%
Brand
website
13%
Email
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4. UGC IS UNIVERSALLY PERSUASIVE
OUR SURVEY REVEALS THAT UGC IS POWERFUL WHEREVER IT IS SHARED AND
SHOWCASED. FROM BRAND WEBSITES AND PHYSICAL IN-STORE SCREENS, TO
MARKETING EMAILS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS, IN EVERY CONTEXT UGC PROVES TO
BE HIGHLY PERSUASIVE.
When asked how they would respond to seeing social media
content from regular people using a product or service on a
brand website...
78% were likely or very likely to feel influenced to buy the product or service.
69% were likely or very likely to consider engaging with the brand
75% were likely or very likely to feel influenced to trust the brand more
77% were likely or very likely to feel influenced to buy at a later date from the brand
When asked how they would respond to seeing customer-
generated social media featuring a product on in-store TV
display screens...
59% were likely or very likely to consider buying the product service
55% were likely or very likely to engage with the brand
61% were likely or very likely to trust the brand more
60% were likely or very likely to buy at a later date from the brand
When asked how they would respond to receiving an email
featuring customer-generated social media images...
51% were likely or very likely to click on the image link
49% were likely or very likely to open future emails from the same brand
45% were likely or very likely to buy the advertised product/ service
34% were likely or very likely to forward this email to their friends/ family
THESE FIGURES HIGHLIGHT HOW
EFFECTIVE EARNED-MEDIA
DISTRIBUTION STILL IS.
For brands to truly capitalise on the persuasive
powers of UGC, they must incorporate this valuable
content into every facet of their digital and real-
world marketing. Integrating UGC with channels
like email marketing, websites and in-store display
screens will allow brands to squeeze all the
promotional juice UGC has to offer.
Finding solutions which make this distribution process
straightforward, fast and efficient is an important quest for brands
who recognise the value of UGC. From easily surfacing earned
content from different sources, to moderating the content you
discover, cherry-picking the best pieces and displaying them across
your digital and real world marketing outlets, this process can be
labour-intensive without the correct approach.
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5. “AUTHENTIC” IS THE NEW “GLOSSY”
From billboards to pop-ups, TV screens to paid social ads, consumers are now so used to glossy
advertising that they’ve developed an immunity to it. Tired of unrealistic marketing which tells people
how they “should” be (we’re looking at your “beach body”, Protein World), consumers are increasingly
disengaged from this type of promotion.
In its place, the democratisation offered by the digital sphere has turned consumer attention to the
opinions of their “influencers” and peers. Now everyone can connect with individuals they relate to and
respect online, whether that’s close friends or a favourite Instagram personality. This cultural shift lies
at the heart of the move from “glossy” and brand-created, to authentic and user-generated. It’s a key
reason why UGC is so potent today.
This emerging preference even applies to product images and makes consumers more likely to buy
products used by their digital peers:
FROM BILLBOARDS TO POP-
UPS, TV SCREENS TO PAID
SOCIAL ADS, CONSUMERS
ARE NOW SO USED TO
GLOSSY ADVERTISING THAT
THEY’VE DEVELOPED AN
IMMUNITY TO IT.
Tired of unrealistic marketing which tells
people how they “should” be (we’re looking at
your “beach body”, Protein World), consumers
are increasingly disengaged from this type of
promotion.
’THIS IS AN AGE OF
TRANSPARENCY. THE
CONSUMER WANTS IT REAL.’’
AdAge, 2015
When asked how likely they would be to buy a product if they saw their friends on social media using it
76% claimed that they would be likely or very likely to be more positive towards that product.
When asked how they would respond to social media ad featuring user-generated content instead of a
professionally photographed ad...
59% 62% 52%
59% were likely or very likely to
click on the ad
62% were likely or very likely to
visit the social media page of
the brand
52% were likely or very likely to
engage with the ad by liking,
commenting or sharing
UGC APPEALS TO THE YOUNG
81% of 18–29 year olds think user-generated content on social media has more impact on their
online buying decisions than brand-owned advertising, compared to 74% of those aged 30-44.
80% of 18-29 year olds were likely or very likely to buy the product if they saw social media
content from regular people using a product or service on a brand website, compared to
77% of those aged 30-44.
When asked what factors were most important when considering a purchase:
81% of 18-29 year olds rated reviews by other customers as important or very important
87% rated reviews by friends is important or very important
52% rated brand ads as important or very important
AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, THE
18-29 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP
FOUND UGC MOST COMPELLING.
This generation is the most active on social media,
putting them in the closest contact with their peers
through the medium. This immersion in social
media – the greatest source of UGC – further
enhances the power and pull of user generated
content among young people.
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6. SCREENS & UGC APPEAL TO OLDER DEMOGRAPHICS
When asked how they would respond to seeing customer-generated social media featuring a product
on in-store TV display screens, 59% of 30-44 years olds were likely or very likely to consider buying the
product, compared to 55% of 18-29 year olds.
With a much higher average household income than the younger age range ($76,000 vs. $44,000),
brands with “real life” shop floors may want to consider embracing this technology to help boost in-
store conversions.
Screens aside, however, 30-44 year olds views on UGC closely reflect the views of the younger
demographic.
When asked what factors were most important when considering a purchase:
83% of 30-44 year olds rated reviews by other customers as important or very important
87% rated reviews by friends is important or very important
56% rated brand ads as important or very important
INTERESTINGLY, OUR
SURVEY ALSO REVEALED
THAT AN OLDER 30-44 YEAR
OLD DEMOGRAPHIC WERE
MORE LIKELY TO RESPOND
POSITIVELY TO UGC WHEN
IT WAS DISPLAYED ON LIVE
SCREENS IN REAL LIFE
STORES.
This may be because this demographic is more
likely to shop in bricks and mortar stores.
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7. BOTH MEN & WOMEN VALUE UGC
Male respondents, for example, appear to be marginally more pro-UGC as a marketing tool compared to
female respondents – across all age ranges:
88% of men think user-generated content on social media has more impact on their online buying
decisions than brand-owned advertising, compared to 73% of women.
The effectiveness of UGC distributed via different mediums also appears to vary depending on gender,
with women favouring UGC shared via social media, while men find UGC displayed on in-store screens
more compelling...
When asked how they would respond to social media ad featuring user-generated content instead of a
professionally photographed ad 62.5% of women were likely or very likely to click on the ad, compared
to 57.5% of men.
When asked how they would respond to seeing customer-generated social media featuring a product
on in-store TV display screens, 56% women were likely or very likely buy at a later date from the brand,
compared to 64.5% of men.
Whose UGC holds the most sway also breaks down along gender lines, with men much more likely to
value UGC created by their friends rather than UGC from unknown customers. Women, meanwhile, rate
UGC created by friends and unknown customers fairly evenly.
When considering a purchase...
79% of men said that a review by another customer is important or very important
88% of men said that a review by a friend is important or very important
84% of women said that a review by another customer is important or very important
87% of women said that a review by a friend is important or very important
WHILE DIFFERENT AGE
RANGES ARE BROADLY ON
THE SAME PAGE WITH UGC,
OPINIONS DIFFER MORE
WIDELY BETWEEN THE
GENDERS.
Although both genders rate the value of UGC
highly, particularly in contrast to brand-owned
content, there are some small but interesting
differences between the genders.
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8. THE “TAKE HOME”
USER GENERATED CONTENT IS ALIVE AND KICKING. ONE OF THE MOST PERSUASIVE
FORMS OF CONTENT AVAILABLE TO BRANDS, UGC IS CONSISTENTLY TRUSTED BY
CONSUMERS WHO RATE IT AS MORE COMPELLING AND PERSUASIVE THAN
BRAND-CREATED CONTENT.
IN A NUTSHELL
• Consumers are more attracted to and compelled by
UGC compared to brand-created content
• UGC boosts engagement and conversions when
published via all marketing channels
• Streamlining the discovery of valuable user content
and simplifying the moderation and distribution of that
content could have significant benefits for brands.
UGC is an effective conversion-booster when shown to prospects via digital channels such as paid advertising on social media,
marketing emails and product pages as well as via real-world, physical displays like in-store screens.
This content type is viewed positively by a wide range of demographics, albeit with a few nuances in responses. These nuances,
such as 30-44 year olds’ particular appreciation of UGC in in-store settings and women’s more positive evaluation of the opinions
of other customers, mean that a broad approach to UGC, which harnesses an array of channels and a range of messages, may have
the most beneficial effect.
So, what does this all boil down to when it comes to best practice?
STREAMLINE
DISCOVERY
UGC is hot and, as our statistics reveal, it’s far more
effective than brand-owned content. This makes
harnessing its power while reducing the labour
intensiveness of locating UGC a priority. An array of
tools and automated software can now be used to
discover relevant UGC across all social platforms (and
even review sites), saving hours of time spent trawling
social networks for positive content.
CURATE QUICKLY AND
EFFECTIVELY
Without careful moderation, UGC can be problematic.
From accidentally displaying negative UGC on a
product page, to using a customer’s content without
consent, there are a lot of potholes to navigate when
moderating UGC. This can prove to be a drain on time
and resources.
Thankfully, new software can also be used to moderate
with a very high degree of accuracy. Sophisticated
artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can
conduct sentiment analysis to gauge the positivity or
negativity of a post, scan for appropriate images and
even send messages to customers asking for their
permission to use their content.
DISTRIBUTE
WIDELY
Our results reveal that UGC is effective across all
marketing channels, often appealing to subtly different
demographics via different outlets. Publishing and
displaying of-the-minute UGC across all channels could
be highly advantageous for brands. But keeping user
generated content fresh on every channel is no easy task
when undertaken manually.
Using the latest generation of visual marketing
platforms, brands can make valuable content visible
more easily than ever before. Email campaigns, ads,
websites and in-store displays can now present fresh
user generated content which says great things about
your brand easily, accurately, engagingly and in real time.
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9. FOOD FOR THOUGHT...
All of this should come as no surprise. We are
tapping into a very natural human instinct. As Ben
Dickens writing for Business.com puts it:
“SINCE HUMAN SOCIETY
EVOLVED, WE HAVE SHARED
STORIES AND EXPERIENCES.
IT’S WHAT BUILDS
COMMUNITIES AND HOLDS
THEM TOGETHER, SHARING
THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
ULTIMATELY, THAT IS WHAT
UGC IS ABOUT, SHARING OUR
EXPERIENCES. IT’S JUST THAT
TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED
THE WAY WE DO THIS.”
BrandPoint 20 also sums up the UGC
phenomenon well:
“FOR CONSUMERS CONSIDERING
A PRODUCT OR SERVICE, THE
OPINIONS AND EXPERIENCES
SHARED BY THEIR PEERS ARE
MUCH MORE INFLUENTIAL THAN
THE BEST PITCH YOUR TOP
SALESPERSON CAN DELIVER.”
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10. WE’LL LEAVE YOU WITH A FEW BONUS INDUSTRY
STATISTICS WHICH UNDERSCORE OUR FINDINGS:
82%
82% of shoppers say
that user-generated
content is extremely
important when
deciding on purchases.
(3dcart, 2015)
25%
Brands see 25%
increase in conversions
when user-generated
photos are used instead
of professionally
made product
shots by brands.
(DigitalDoughnut, 2016)
43%
43% of people are more
likely to purchase a new
product when they have
learned about it through
social channels or from
friends and family.
(Nielsen, 2013)
74%
Consumer reviews are
responsible for 74%
increase in product
conversion.
(3dcart, 2015)
50%
When UGC is included
in advertising, online
stores see 4x higher
click-through rates and
50% drop in cost-per-
click. (Shopify, 2016)
4.6%
When consumers see
UGC while shopping,
conversion rate goes up
4.6%. When they interact
with user-generated
content, conversion
rate spikes up to 9.6%.
(ClickZ, 2015)
74%
Consumer reviews are
responsible for 74%
increase in product
conversion.
(3dcart, 2015)
50%
When UGC is included
in advertising, online
stores see 4x higher
click-through rates and
50% drop in cost-per-
click. (Shopify, 2016)
9.6%
When consumers see
UGC while shopping,
conversion rate goes up
4.6%. When they interact
with user-generated
content, conversion
rate spikes up to 9.6%.
(ClickZ, 2015)
73%
UGC drives a 73%
increase in email
click-through rates.
(Salesforce, 2016)
90%
Visitors to websites that
include UGC galleries
spend 90% more time
on the site.
(Salesforce, 2016)
50%
Social campaigns that
incorporate UGC see a
50% lift in engagement.
(Salesforce, 2016)
43%
Ads with UGC generate
5-times greater
click-through rates.
(Salesforce, 2016)
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11. REQUEST A
DEMO
C O N T A C T U S B Y E M A I L
info@miappi.com
O R B Y C A L L I N G
+44 (0) 203 6374360
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