Shopping habits have changed since the pandemic shocked the world. And brands are studying how to best grab consumer attention, scrambling for buyers to visit their ecommerce pages. Then, we have UGC.
Have we forever changed the way we find, shop, and engage with businesses? Will these new consumer trends have rippling effects for the holiday season, and the seasons to follow?
Stackla has released a new report with insights to those questions. It shows online shopping surges will remain. And it found that today’s consumers want more authentic, bespoke shopping experiences from brands.
With over 2,000 respondents, the survey found 83% of consumers want retailers to give them more authentic shopping experiences. and 70% say it’s important for brands to provide them with personalized experiences.
Here are a few key notes from the study:
1. UGC has the authenticity consumers want.
Brands these days have allocated limited budgets to hire influencers and professional photographers.
The study found that only 19% of consumers find these brand-created content authentic. And only 10% say influencer content as authentic.
Most respondents said user-generated content, UGC, resonates as most authentic. Almost 80% said UGC affects their purchasing decisions. This is 8.7 times higher than influencer content and 6.6 higher than branded content for consumers.
Online shoppers said the pandemic has amplified the impact of UGC. Around 56% of consumers said social media content have influenced their online shopping now than before the pandemic.
In online shopping, people cannot see, touch, or try the actual items they consider purchasing. UGC gives them an undistorted, authentic view. It helps bring products to life in ways that feel real.
About 72% of consumers said real photos and videos from other customers are the content they want to see most on ecommerce sites. About 80% said they tend to buy a product online if its seller’s website had photos and videos from real customers.
In addition, about 64% of Gen Z and 60% of millennials said they left an ecommerce store due to the lack of customer photos or reviews.
2. Consumers want an active role to help build their favorite brands.
UGC is prevalent. It spans multiple marketing initiatives and feeds on brands’ need for fresh content. And using customer content is another way to gain customer loyalty.
Most people give brands consent to use their content to be featured in their marketing campaigns. These days consumers want to act as content creators for the brands they love.
Over 60% of consumers tend to be more loyal and buy from brands who invite them in customer advocacy communities. This way they get to help create more UGC for the brand.
Brands with UGC at the center of their online campaigns will receive generous rewards from shoppers.
Read the full report from Stackla here.
