Three ways to effectively acquire new customers

Writing your own texts, shooting videos, recording podcasts: At the latest with the triumph of social media platforms, users can become producers of their own content. Companies have now also discovered this trend for themselves and are using the enthusiasm for production of young and online users in particular to establish brands, win new customers and inspire existing ones. User-generated content is the keyword. PrintPeter explains what opportunities companies have to make sustainable use of this trend.1. create evaluation optionsHardly any marketing measure is as effective as the classic recommendation from user to user. Anyone who knows that other consumers are raving about a product or service will demonstrably base their purchasing decisions on this. It therefore makes sense for companies to create rating options without spending a lot of money. Even if some companies hesitate to take this step for fear of shitstorms and negative comments, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages. No brochure, website or advertising spot, all of which have been created by professional copywriters, can copy the authenticity that lies in an honest user opinion. However, the maxim applies here in particular: if a company censors or alters user contributions too much, it makes itself untrustworthy and could put consumers off.2. offer best-of and competitionsWhether it's a district savings bank asking its customers to send in savings tips or a drilling machine manufacturer asking customers to record videos of their construction projects: The possibilities of user-generated content know almost no bounds. In this second variant, a company simply draws on an existing digital infrastructure and uses Facebook or YouTube, for example, to interact with consumers and offer them a publishing platform through social networks.the basic idea is correspondingly simple: the company calls on users to create content in connection with the company. For example, a pan manufacturer could ask people to post delicious pan recipes on social media channels or a health insurance company could ask people to send in health tips. These appeals work best in conjunction with a competition, so that the incentive to take part is correspondingly high. In any case, it always makes sense for the company to create a best of, select winners and then publish them or use an open platform on which users can publish their content directly. In many cases, attention, likes or a competition are the currency that motivates users the most.3. offer your own platformDepending on the sector in which the company operates, it may also be possible to offer a platform for user-generated content itself. For example, a kitchen appliance manufacturer can create a platform on which users can exchange recipe ideas. This can take the form of a blog or forum - there are many possibilities. However, companies should bear in mind that as the number of users increases, so too does the traffic and corresponding server capacity must be provided. Videos and images in particular are extremely popular, but require far greater capacities than pure text platforms. Companies should therefore consider this step carefully. However, once you have established yourself as a platform for user-generated content, you can count on a very loyal and eager-to-buy customer base, who will then increase the reach of a product or brand on their own initiative as brand ambassadors.