Influencer Marketing vs UGC Videos - Which one should you prefer for your brand?

As we know in the digital marketing environment, brands are always in a dilemma to choose between Influencer Videos and User-Generated Content, to capture the audience’s attention. Both approaches are effective but can be more efficient depending on the goal of a brand. Read on to get an understanding of influencer video vs UGC video that will help you determine which can benefit your brand more. 

What are Influencer Marketing Videos?

Influencer Videos are videos recorded by social media influencers who must have a considerable number of followers. These people produce content where your product is combined with endorsement and narrative. Besides, the primary advantage of influencer videos is the confidence of the audience in the influencer, therefore, influencer videos are effective tools for increasing brand awareness and stimulating the audience’s purchases.

Advantages of Influencer Videos

• Broader Reach: The advantage of working with influencers is that they have a major, specific audience that may help you drive immense popularity to your business.

• Credibility: People have faith in the influencer, therefore their recommendations are far more credible than corporate appeals.

• High-Quality Content: The influencers normally post quality content which are appealing to their target clients.

Disadvantages of Influencer Videos

• Cost: It is costly to work with influencers, more so when the latter has a large number of followers.

• Limited Control: There could be less control over what the influencers are posting because they get the liberty to create the content on their own.

What are UGC Videos?

User-generated content videos are videos of customers who have used your product and are willing to give a review about it. They are usually raw and natural and give the audience a realistic view of the way the product is put to use. Consumers prefer using UGC because it is authentic and likely to be believable by fellow consumers.

Advantages of UGC Videos

• Authenticity: This is considered more genuine, as it is produced by the consumers and this can induce higher levels of trust and attention.

• Cost-Effective: As it is developed by the customers, it is relatively cheap for the brands who would wish to make content.

• Versatility: The content that is created in UGC can also be used on various platforms and hence helps in having the correct brand image.

Disadvantages of UGC Videos

• Variable Quality: UGC is normally produced by laypeople. So, the quality of the content can be low.

• Limited Reach: While the influencer videos bring an inbuilt audience, UGC is less popular and hence it has a shorter reach as compared to influencer videos.

Influencer Video vs UGC Video: A Comparison

To opt between influencer video vs UGC video, you need to take into consideration the budget, the overall objectives of the brand, and the target customers.

Budget Considerations

• Influencer Videos: Despite its utility, influencer marketing isn’t cheap. Thus brands with bigger budgets might find this investment worthwhile since the impact and the quality of the content it offers is broad.

• UGC Videos: UGC is suitable for brands that are seeking to generate content on a small budget. It does not demand any considerable amounts of money, thus extending the possibility of its use to small to large businesses.

Audience Engagement and Trust

• Influencer Videos: Since it is easy to maintain the existing followers or fans of a particular influencer, it can result in better engagements. Influencers can also bring your brand to other platforms you are not aware of hence widening your market.

• UGC Videos: UGC is more credible than any other form of advertising since it depicts real-life experiences. It also makes a genuine driver for building even more sustainable and loyal customer relationships.

Control Over Content

• Influencer Videos: Influencers can make good content, however, brands are somewhat limited in the ways that they deal with those pieces, which can be different from brands’ expectations.

• UGC Videos: It offers more Brand control as brands can review and choose the best UGC submissions hence maintaining the brand message.

When to Use Influencer Videos?

Influencer videos are most effective when you want to:

• Expand Reach: They have the potential of reaching out to a new audience and hence are most suitable for newly introduced products or a company or product establishing a brand image.

• Boost Brand Image: Working with influencers will assist in branding your company as fashionable and a current brand hence selling products in special niches.

When to Use UGC Videos?

UGC videos are best suited for:

• Performance Marketing: When the aim is to get more sales via paid ads, nothing does it better than UGC.

• Cost-Effective Marketing: UGC helps brands to create content without the need for a vigorously huge budget.

Conclusion

So, when it comes to the debate of ‘influencer video vs UGC video’, the best choice depends on what is needed in your marketplace. Both have some pros and cons. Ideally utilizing the strength of both could be a sound strategy as it would give your branding message a wider reach and meet all your marketing goals. Want to know more about the  video marketing strategy contact What the buzz team for a free discovery call.