Instagram Reels is the perfect format for promoting user-generated content. This post breaks down how to put build your brand’s UGC Reels campaign from scratch.
Want to build trust and engage your Instagram audience at the same time?
User-generated content (UGC) can make it happen!
Because customer content not only allows you to show off your products in action but also creates a sense of community around your brand.
The best way to feature UGC on Instagram, though? Short-form video.
Consider how Reels are booming right now. The current Instagram algorithm can’t seem to get enough of ‘em. That’s why featuring UGC in Instagram Reels is so effective. In this post, you’ll learn:
It’s no secret that brands are going all-in on short-form video at the moment.
In fact, 20% of all Instagram activity takes place via Reels.
According to Instagram themselves, the platform plans to become more video focused in the future. Formats like Reels are seeing higher reach and engagement versus Stories or In-Feed posts as a result.
And the boom of short-form videos represents a window of opportunity for brands.
Modern consumers flock to social media for recommendations from actual people over brands. That's why a customer-focused content strategy should be a top priority.
Food for thought: 62% of consumers want to see customer videos before buying a product. Content by consumers for consumers is incredibly powerful. Through UGC Reels, brands can maximize the reach of their most valuable customer content.
Below is a breakdown of the steps needed to pull off a UGC campaign via Reels.
First thing’s first: you need to know how Reels work before asking people to create them.
If you’re not 100% up-to-date on how Reels are different from regular Instagram videos, here’s a quick summary:
Source: @solawave
Content-wise, Reels are Instagram’s answer to the skits, challenges and viral videos on TikTok. That said, the format has definitely come into its own recently.
Instagram Reels are perfect for making playful, authentic content that provides an up-close view of your products. Some common types of UGC-style Reels include:
Like with any type of social media campaign, goals and outcomes matter.
That’s why your UGC Reels should be tied to actual business objectives such as:
Short-form videos can help brands achieve a variety of goals. There are countless examples of brands using Instagram Reels to promote products and engage followers.
Some of the goals above overlap and that’s okay! What matters is aligning your UGC Reels with your big-picture marketing efforts.
There’s no “right” way to get more user-generated content on Instagram.
If you’re building a campaign around Reels, you have multiple options depending on your preferred type of promotion. Below are three common strategies for encouraging and gathering UGC.
Promoting a branded hashtag is the most popular way to collect UGC on Instagram. Here’s a quick snapshot of how to use hashtags to source Reels:
Let’s look at an example of a UGC campaign from Lucy & Yak’s. Their #InMyYaks promotion asked followers to share UGC featuring the brand’s products in outdoor settings.
Source: @lucyandyak
Below is an example of both a hashtag and call-to-action from their Reels campaign. Note how the brand specifically prompts followers to share their videos and asks what they’ll create.
Source: @lucyandyak
This hashtag campaign does a great job of raising awareness for the brand’s new line of products. The brand finds a balance between clear guidelines and giving customers creative freedom.
If you really want to provide customers an extra push to create content, an Instagram giveaway can do the trick.
The concept is simple enough. In exchange for entries in the form of Reels, you reward a winner with a prize of your choosing. Instagram giveaways and contests involve their own sets of rules but here’s a quick summary:
Below is an example of an Instagram giveaway partnership between a creator and Marshall’s.
Source: @monroesteele
The giveaway asks followers to post their favorite summer outfit from Marshall’s using the #MarshallsSummerCloset in their caption.
Source: @monroesteele
Note how the instructions are explicit and specific. You want to leave followers with as few questions as possible if you decide to go the giveaway route.
Product gifting is another tried and true way for brands to curate UGC.
Through gifting campaigns, brands send free products to influencers in exchange for a shout-out or review. Below is an example of an influencer-generated Reel that’s part of a gifting campaign.
Source: @oliviaexcuses
Check out another example of an IG Reels gifting campaign from makeup brand lottie london. The campaign’s goal was to support the retail presence of their stamp eyeliner at Walmart. The brand asked creators to post UGC-style Reels of themselves discovering the product in-store. Campaign posts were then tracked and sourced through the #findinglottielondon tag.
Source: @aleksic_twins
The end result of this particular campaign? 80+ pieces of creator content, 23,000+ “Likes” and over 200,000 video plays! This highlights the potential of an Instagram Reels campaign powered by gifted products.
Note: While product gifting can be cost-effective, there’s no denying how time-intensive the process can be if you’re doing it yourself. If you’re interested in getting started with gifting, check out our post on how to put together an influencer gifting campaign.
Once you’ve squared away the goals and format of your Instagram Reels campaign, you’ll need to announce it to the world.
We’ve discussed some details about announcing your campaigns but make sure to:
Note: If you plan on running a multi-week or multi-month campaign, be prepared to post about your UGC promotion more than once. Given how fickle the current Instagram algorithm is, many followers might not see your initial announcement. Use Stories as a way to consistently promote your UGC campaign without spamming your followers’ feeds.
So, what do you do once the content starts rolling in? Good question!
For starters, be ready to engage with every Reel created under your hashtag.
Doing so may be time-consuming if your campaign pops off. That said, even small interactions such as “Likes” and comments can delight your followers. Personalized comments are a huge plus!
That’s because people love when brands engage with them. They’ll remember it, too!
Be prepared to track and collect any UGC that comes in from your campaign once it kicks off. Again, this is where a branded hashtag can be a lifesaver. Hashtags aggregate posts over time, giving you quick access to any UGC affiliated with your promotion.
Pay close attention to your regular @tags that pop up in your inbox and notifications, too. This can help you spot UGC from customers that didn’t end up using your hashtag for whatever reason.
Important: Make sure you ask permission prior to publishing UGC Reels from a customer! Don’t forget to tag them, too. For more best practices for reposting customer Reels, check out our in-depth breakdown of how to repurpose UGC.
Whew! We’ll bite: putting together a Reels campaign requires a lot of legwork.
That said, doing so is a smart move for brands today.
Reels are among the top-performing posts on Instagram and people love creating them. With a UGC Reels campaign, you maximize your brand's reach and engage your most dedicated followers.
The more customers and creators you have promoting your products, the better.
And if your brand needs ongoing content from Instagram creators, Statusphere can help.
Our micro-influencer marketing platform matches brands with creators using 250+ first-party data points. Through our vetted creator community and streamlined fulfillment technology, Statusphere helps brands earn authentic, guaranteed content at scale.
We built our software specifically to support brands with an always-on influencer strategy. We’ve already generated 75,000+ pieces of content for 400+ brands.
Want to learn more about how our platform works? Get in touch with one of our experts to see how we can scale your influencer marketing efforts in a fraction of the time.
This article was first published in November 2020. It was last updated July 14, 2022.
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