Making the Most of User Generated Content - Tequila Aficionado Magazine

Consumers talk.

Brands need to listen.

The first place someone will share a bad experience is on social media. Like that time I tried Patron XO Café and even Dunkin Donuts’ coffee couldn’t make it palatable – oh, I shared.

But by the same token, the first place we share a good experience is on social media. Like that time I tried Avion Espresso – I shared that too.

The difference, aside from the obvious, here is the owner of Avion Tequila was listening. He (or his representative) responded to my post and expressed his gratitude. Just a simple “Thank You”, but it was engagement and it left me feeling acknowledged as a consumer and they could use my endorsement of their brand as much as they wanted to. It was theirs forever.

How many endorsements of your brand are just sitting around like cash on the table when you walk out of the room?

That’s what the curation of user generated content is all about.

Content Curation is the act of discovering, gathering, and presenting digital content that surrounds specific subject matter.

User Generated Content (UGC) is defined as any type of content that has been created and put out there by unpaid contributors or, using a better term, fans.

While you should always be listening to what others are saying about your brand, you should also be curating UGC and saving it whenever you find great posts, photos, comments or reviews. These can be regranned on Instagram, Shared on Facebook, and retweeted on Twitter.

After all, people expect you to say your brand is amazing because it’s your brand and you’re supposed to love it. But when they see that other people love it too, that’s when they sit up and take notice.

Following, you’ll find several ways to curate content about your brand. If you incorporate UGC curation and social housekeeping along with a Tequila Aficionado Influence Package, you’re sure to take your brand to the next level in no time!

Places to Curate Content About Your Brand

A simple search on search engines and social networks will yield big results for any brand looking to curate content about itself. Search the following using your brand name and your brand name behind a hashtag (#yourbrandname) to find it all:

TequilaAficionado.com (Click on the magnifying glass on the main menu bar and search for your brand name. We’ve got tons of content for you to use!)
Youtube (Search for your brand name and see if anybody snuck a review up there that you missed.)
Twitter (This usually yields a ton of content!)
Facebook (Not everyone will tag your page, so use the search feature often to stay on top of posts about your brand.)
Instagram (Like Facebook, not everyone will tag your account, so use the search feature often to stay on top of posts about your brand.)
Pinterest (If people aren’t pinning your brand, something is wrong like your website has Flash graphics. If you’re still doing that, stop it. Get some help. A pinterest search is usually the easiest way to curate content for your own Pinterest pinboards.)
Linkedin (They’ll say things about you and never tag you or your Business Page. You don’t have a Linkedin Business Page for your brand? That’s why they didn’t tag it. Do the search. Create the page.)
Google (If you don’t know how to use Google then you need a whole lot more help!)

10 Ways to Use Your Brand of Promise Nominee or Winner Medal

You won it – now make it work for you!

Announce your nomination/win on Instagram with your medal graphic
Boost your Instagram announcement to reach more tequila lovers
Announce your nomination/win on Facebook with your medal graphic and link to your review on Tequila Aficionado
Boost your Facebook announcement to reach more tequila lovers
Announce your nomination/win on Twitter with your medal graphic and link to your review on Tequila Aficionado
Post your medal graphic on your website and social media headers
Post your medal graphic on your Facebook header graphic
Post your medal graphic on your Twitter header graphic
Have your medal graphic added to your Point of Sale (POS) materials
Add your medal graphic to your product packaging

These are just several ways to curate content about your brand. If you incorporate UGC curation and social housekeeping along with a Tequila Aficionado Influence Package, you’re sure to take your brand to the next level in no time!