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Try These UGC Ideas in Your Print on Demand Store

by Gooten Editorial Team on Jan. 12, 2023

In order for your print on demand business to succeed, you’ll need to prove to potential customers that your products are truly great. You’ll need to earn their trust and convince them to part ways with some of their hard-earned money. Ultimately, earning consumer trust is fairly challenging, especially for brand-new print on demand sellers. If you rely on pure good faith, you may not move nearly as many products as you need in order to stay afloat.

That’s what makes user-generated content, or UGC, so important. UGC is one of the best ways to earn some goodwill among your buyers, and to move more custom on demand products. In this article, we’ll take a quick look at the importance of UGC, and offer some suggestions for incorporating it into your print on demand marketing efforts.

What is UGC?

Basically, UGC refers to any type of content that’s made by your customers, but somehow features your business. In its purest form, UGC is totally organic; you’re not paying for it, simply reaping the benefits of a satisfied customer base.

There are plenty of examples of UGC, such as:

  • An Instagram post in which a customer shows off one of your custom shirts.
  • A TikTok video where a customer reviews or unboxes your print on demand hoodie.
  • Textual comments, including testimonials and reviews.

Why Does UGC Matter for Print on Demand Sellers?

Simply put, UGC offers social proof. It allows potential customers to see other consumers, just like them, who have purchased your products and been pleased with the results. UGC is one of the best ways of earning trust and generating buzz.

Some specific benefits of UGC include:

  • UGC is free marketing! It’s hard to beat organic word-of-mouth buzz. With UGC, customers are marketing your business for you, and they’re doing it free of charge!
  • It conveys authenticity. Sure, you think your custom on demand products are great. But when customers hear unbiased, unprompted raves from people just like them? Now that carries some weight.
  • It can be very efficient. While you’ll need to spend a little time ensuring permission to re-share UGC, you won’t have to spend a lot of time designing your own marketing collateral.
  • It builds community. Sharing UGC helps you encourage the loyalty of your best brand advocates, ultimately creating a small village of folks who are passionate about your print on demand products.

Print on Demand Marketing Tips: What are the Best Ways to Use UGC?

As for specific ways to leverage UGC, here are a few tips and suggestions.

  • Add UGC to your product listings. On each product page, consider adding user- submitted images or videos. These can serve as “lifestyle mockups,” and may be more persuasive than anything you design on your own.
  • Repurpose to social media. The simplest way to leverage UGC is to reshare on your social media. Just make sure you seek permission from the original creator of the content.
  • Create branded hashtags. Using UGC is one thing… but first, you need a way to collect it. Developing an original hashtag and encouraging your followers to use it for all their brand-related content, is a great first step.
  • Provide prompts and contests. Sometimes the best way to get UGC is to ask for it, or at least give your customers a little nudge. Consider sharing a social media prompt. (“It’s snowing today! Show off your favorite snow-wear from our catalog!”) You might even make a contest out of it, offering a discount or a free gift to one lucky participant.

 

These are just a few suggestions to get you started leveraging UGC on behalf of your brand.

Get More Print on Demand Marketing Tips from Gooten

Ultimately, you’ll need to earn the trust of your customers if you want your print on demand business to succeed. And one of the best ways to do that is to tap into the enthusiasm that’s already there, based on previous purchases.

We’d love to talk more about the best ways to generate print on demand success. Reach out to the team at Gooten today, and let’s discuss the possibilities of a partnership!