UGC: Boost the performance of your UA campaigns

 

In a world where consumers are increasingly skeptical of traditional advertising messages, UGC or User Generated Content formats have gradually found their place at the core of mobile advertising visuals. The market’s traction for this type of content can be explained by the fact that it perfectly aligns with the new codes of social media, which emphasize authenticity.

UGC formats are an essential asset in performance-based acquisition campaigns. They allow for diversifying the creative mix by introducing new concepts within campaigns. This notably enables targeting new audiences and thus improving performance.

Understanding User Generated Content Ads

UGC stands for “User Generated Content,” which refers to content created by users of a brand. This content comes in various forms and is typically published organically on social media. In User Acquisition, the term UGC refers to video content that places the user’s experience at the center of communication.

UGC can be produced in 2 ways. 

• Influencer-generated content, which is adopted and shared in acquisition campaigns. For example, Spark Ads on TikTok or Branded Content on Meta.

• Creator-generated content specifically tailored for advertising campaigns, aligning with the platform’s native format where the ads will be displayed. This allows for seamless integration within the feeds without interrupting the user experience.

The demand for this type of content is growing due to the increasing popularity of platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram Reels, as they align with market trends. UGC can be utilized across various industries and verticals. We have implemented these types of campaigns for clients in retail, dating, sports, photography, and mobility, among others.

Why deploy UGC?

Trust and authenticity: Users criticize brands for the lack of authenticity in the content they promote. However, user-generated content (UGC) helps bring credibility to the discourse. In fact, 72% of users believe that customer reviews and testimonials are more credible than a brand’s own communications about its products (State of Social User Generated Content, 2022)

Engagement: User engagement is a major challenge for marketing campaigns, and UGC formats have a great influence on consumer behavior. What other users say about a brand has a positive impact and leads to increased conversion rates. According to TikTok, watching creator content increases purchase intent by 20% (Tiktok Showtime Event, March 2023).

UGC improves the performance of app acquisition campaigns

When used in acquisition campaigns, UGC content is produced with a performance-driven objective rather than branding. It is important not to confuse it with influencer campaigns, which aim to increase brand awareness and image.

Integrating UGC into acquisition campaigns helps improve campaign performance for several reasons:

Renewing ads: This is a key challenge in acquisition to ensure the profitability of campaigns and avoid Ad Fatigue.

Reaching a specific audience: UGC distinguishes itself from traditional formats by seamlessly integrating into the feeds of platforms where they are displayed. This is the case for TikTok, Snapchat, as well as Reels placement on Meta. These placements are often favored by specific audiences, allowing brands to reach a diverse audience compared to traditional formats.

Increasing visibility: When content is posted on a creator’s account, the brand also benefits from visibility within the creator’s community. This expands the audience and reach of campaigns. Some traditional platforms have even developed new campaign types based on such content, such as Meta (with Branded Content) and TikTok (with Spark Ads).

Boosting conversion: UGC has helped improve the results of our acquisition campaigns across various verticals:

• For one of our photography clients, we observed a 20% decrease in CPI and a 9% increase in conversions across all platforms.

• For a cashback client, the CPA decreased by 55% between traditional creatives and UGC on TikTok.

• Even in the gaming vertical, the inclusion of UGC content in our Meta campaigns resulted in a 3-point increase in ROAS.

What are the steps to launch UGC formats within your user acquisition campaigns?

1. Sourcing creators and briefing them according to objectives

At Addict Mobile, thanks to our expertise in over 600 app projects, we select and brief our partners based on concepts and mechanics that generate profitability for app publishers.

2. Adapting content to the platforms they are distributed on

To seamlessly integrate into the feed, it is important to adopt the specific codes of each platform, such as filters, background, or emojis highlighted in the texts or captions. We also adapt the format, margins, subtitle placement, and emphasized keywords for each network.

3. A/B testing UGC

Similar to traditional ads, it is important to A/B test UGC content to understand what resonates best with a target audience. These tests can focus on storytelling, the creator, the tone used, or any other component of the advertisement. It is not uncommon for us to A/B test the same creative as Spark Ads and in a traditional format on TikTok to capitalize on the format that generates the best performance.

4. Adjust media plans based on content performance

Optimizing creatives in real-time to make necessary budget decisions for achieving objectives. With our comprehensive view of campaign performance, we can adjust campaigns in real-time for increased profitability.