Why User-Generated Content Should Be Part of Your Content Strategy

12. september 2024

The younger generation scrolls quickly through their social media feeds, encountering a wide range of content in a very short time. For businesses or educational institutions, this means being strategic in content planning, campaigns, and outreach efforts to avoid being overlooked by potential students or employees.

 

The way young people use social media demands a steady flow of content from educational institutions and businesses to maintain visibility. Continuous content output is key to staying relevant and capturing the attention of this fast-moving audience.

A traditional branding video still holds value, but it can no longer stand alone. While a branding video is highly effective and fits well into a content strategy, its lifespan on social media is relatively short. Therefore, it’s not the best tool for building initial awareness. Other types of content are more suited to that role.

 

Establishing a Framework for User-Generated Content

According to Thomas Frost Jensen, Director of Attraction at CompanYoung, embracing user-generated content is a growing trend that institutions must adapt to.

“If an educational institution or business can figure out how to consistently produce content, they will be in a strong position in terms of attraction. And it needs to be done cheaply and easily because the quantity of content is crucial,” explains Frost Jensen.

However, it’s not as challenging as it sounds. In today's fast-paced content-scrolling world, young people prefer authentic, user-generated content over polished, expensive ads.

One effective solution is to set up an ambassador program, involving current students or employees in content creation. This approach has several benefits. Firstly, it's cost-effective. Secondly, young ambassadors know what their peers like to see on social media, which trends are popular, and how to quickly create engaging posts and videos. They may even enjoy being part of the process.

An ambassador program can also enhance your image by allowing your own students or employees to share the unique aspects of studying or working at your institution or company, increasing credibility. When peers share their authentic experiences, the message becomes more trustworthy.

The very fact that they’ve agreed to represent your institution speaks to their positive experience, which can influence other young people. Naturally, this only works if your institution truly offers a positive environment that ambassadors are excited to share.

 

A Cohesive Content Strategy

Combining a branding video with user-generated content can be an effective strategy for attracting attention. Quick, user-generated content grabs the audience's interest and directs them to your website, where they can find your branding video. This video, with its carefully crafted narrative, communicates the key message you want to deliver. Together, these formats sustain and deepen the interest of the young audience.

Organic, user-generated content created by an ambassador program and a classic branding video work hand-in-hand. They merge the familiar social media formats seen on TikTok and Instagram with professional, informative content on a website, creating a seamless user journey that helps young people discover your institution or company.

A third component to your content strategy could be to introduce the target audience to a series of portrait videos featuring other young individuals they can relate to. This is especially effective when trying to encourage them to make non-traditional educational choices, where role models and relatable examples play an even more crucial role in decision-making.