How User-Generated Content Is Powering Businesses
Users are becoming increasingly pivotal to the success of any business. An interesting side note is that businesses powered on user-generated content are able to reach the market and achieve engagement faster than most other traditional forms of business.
Rich Barton, the cofounder of Zillow and ex-CEO of Expedia, gave examples in a recent talk, touting the success of consumer services such as Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Glassdoor (where he is chairman). Input from users has greatly helped to power these businesses.
When it comes to reviews of products, I’ve often heard people say that users only share bad experiences; those who have had good experiences often do not take the time to share them. Barton’s statements challenged this belief, with his examples serving as a testament to the power of user-generated content.
For any business that allows user feedback, the content needs moderation. A lot of junk content gets created to promote site backlinks. This necessitates a user content administrator who reviews and posts neutral comments (both positive and negative) that others can benefit from.
Getting users to generate content is not always an easy task. While those with bad experiences may be quick to jump in and provide their reviews, what other practices would help generate the more positive reviews, and how can you use them productively?
Good reviews could be mapped to user brand loyalty. At user forums, review meetings, and field visits, the organization could make a humble request for reviews. Users need to understand the value of the reviews they provide. They could be recognized through creative ways.
For example, the review that has been rated or liked the most or found the most useful could be rewarded, review-based games could be created to bring more feedback to the marketplace, or partners could be asked to provide reviews. These are more compelling techniques to ask for user feedback, which can make all the difference in your business.
Keep in mind that user feedback is voluntary. You want to encourage users to share their experiences so a larger audience can benefit from the information. This feedback will benefit your business, too—not just in helping it expand and reach more users, but also in helping you see if there are things your business can be doing better.
