User-generated content ‘beneficial for marketers’
User-generated content (UGC) holds much promise for those involved in online marketing, according to British Airways digital marketing manager Chris Davies.
Speaking to E-consultancy, the expert noted that UGC enables marketers to "fish where the fish are" and stressed that the channel is best for raising brand awareness rather than extracting solid financial gain at present.
He urged businesses to only move into the UGC arena if the medium is a good fit for the brand and if they believe users will derive significant benefit from their activities, however.
"Most UGC site users are wary of big brands coming into what they consider to be ‘their space’. But if you are giving them something that helps them, some sort of social currency, then they’ll likely thank you for it," Mr Davies remarked.
According to David Schatsky of JupiterResearch, social media has been shown to have little effect on direct sales and so should only be used for branding purposes.
