Utilizing User-Generated Content In Ecommerce

Amazon rewards people who can see what's coming around the corner. Social commerce is what's next. And it's coming fast. Amazon just introduced a partnership with TikTok that shows they KNOW it's future of e-commerce. And they've had the Creator Connections program for a while now. It's time for brands to really focus on it. The screenshot is a campaign we just ran with Creator Connections. 5X return on investment! Plus, this content can be used across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Amazon Live. Brands MUST embrace collaborating with creators to drive traffic to Amazon if they want to be successful. I predict that in the future, creators' content will be licensed for use in Amazon ads. You'll be able to use UGC in video ads on Amazon just by paying a licensing fee. If you remember, only vendors used to have videos on their listings. I advised sellers around 2015-2016 to start creating videos for their brands, predicting that they would eventually be able to use them in listings and ads. Those who took that advice had a significant advantage when the capabilities were finally available. That's where we are now for Creator Connections. Brands that start leveraging this and TikTok today will be ahead of the curve. They'll have the content ready to license, run ads with, and vet for effectiveness.

🚨 UGC vs CGC: What’s the REAL difference...and are they colliding? We often hear UGC (User-Generated Content) and CGC (Creator-Generated Content) used interchangeably. But there’s a critical distinction: - UGC: Content designed to look and feel like it comes directly from consumers. It can be organic or paid, the core value is authenticity: “real people using real products.” - CGC: Content created by professional or semi-professional creators, typically with higher production quality, and a clear brand narrative. The truth? Most UGC today is paid. The difference lies less in the paycheck, more in perception and positioning. For example, Glossier, Inc. built its identity on community UGC, selfies, product shots, reviews. Today, they complement that with curated creator partnerships to keep content polished but still personal. rhode skin thrives on reposting UGC that showcases the “glazed donut skin” effect, while also investing in creators to deliver trend-led, campaign-ready videos for TikTok and Instagram. UGC isn’t being replaced by CGC, it’s expanding into a spectrum of authenticity and scalability. Everyday fans build trust, while creators bring reach and consistency. The strongest brands orchestrate both. In my view, the future belongs to companies that can blur these lines seamlessly, making audiences care less about who created the content and more about why it resonates. The real power lies in orchestrating UGC + CGC as a unified strategy, because in a noisy digital space, trust and relatability are the ultimate ROI. So, is this coexistence sustainable, or will one eventually dominate? #MarketingStrategy #UGC #CGC #InfluencerMarketing #CreatorEconomy #DigitalMarketing #BrandStrategy #BeautyMarketing #RetailMarketing #ContentMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy #HybridMarketing #ConsumerTrust #CommunityBuilding #BrandGrowth #ContentCreators #MarketingTrends #BrandEngagement

Social/content is 5 years ahead in China So I’m here to learn and share with y’all 3 trends to keep an eye out for…. - 1. Ultra high production short form Authenticity is the current meta in the west. That often looks like raw unedited content shot on phone cameras. Like most forms of content, eventually people get used to it and want something new. A big trend in China is cinematic style short form with actors, sets, professional equipment but optimized for vertical video. Storytelling is the goal and you can unlock much higher levels with more production. 2. Live shopping streaming ecosystem Live shopping is the hottest category in China. The content reminds me of live streaming mixed with auctioneers and some late night TV infomercial. Most folks are streaming from professional setups with lights, cameras, and audio dialed in. What’s interesting is that much of it is set directly in the warehouses/showrooms vs a seperate dedicated space. I’m currently building a system for western 3PLs to get ahead of this trend in the US by unlocking this as a massive value add service for ecom clients. 3. “Cheap/free lifestyle” content People are tighter with money and discretionary spending is down. Aspirational “flexing” content is not in favor whereas people are flocking to content that shows how people can have interesting experiences without spending much or any money. Think cheap street eats, DIY tutorials, and free/low-cost local tourism content. As the average American faces tough times in the current market expect this type of content to gain more and more steam. - I’m meeting with some live shopping streamers in the coming weeks and will be here to share more learnings. #dinginchina

New Ecommerce SEO article: How to use gen-AI + reviews to write product descriptions at scale. In 10 minutes, you can create 250+ descriptions: This is an article that I just wrote for the Search Engine Land site. Reviews are a goldmine of data for ecommerce sites. However, this is a data source that's often underutilized on my sites. Many commerce sites have reviews that contain a ton of information about real customers. Fans of your company, people who have used the product, users will real-life experience. This is the type of content that's perfect for using as a source for product descriptions as users are likely highlighting the product's most important features. By using Screaming Frog's OpenAI integration, you can have the tool extract your reviews, run them through ChatGPT and have it create product descriptions. Here's the process. 1. First you'll need to have Screaming Frog extract the reviews from your site. Navigate to Configuration > Custom > Custom Extraction > Add. Add a new extraction called "Reviews" 2. Then select the "Globe" icon to pull up the visual editor. This will help you create the regex/CSS to extract your reviews. 3. Run a sample product page through the editor. Click your reviews section and look at the "Suggestions" feature. Toggle through these until you find a code snippet that will pull just your reviews. Save this configuration. 4. Next, you'll need to push this extraction to OpenAI. Navigate to onfiguration > API Access > AI > OpenAI. Ensure your OpenAI key is added in "Account Information". 5. Next go to the Prompt Configuration tab and click Add. Name your prompt “Product Descriptions.” In the Page Text dropdown, select Custom Extraction > Reviews. 6. In the "Enter Prompt" field add your prompt. You'll want to tell OpenAI to create reviews from the submitted product reviews. You can click the "Play" button to test the output. 7. Finally, start your crawl by using Screaming Frog on "Spider" mode. When the crawl is complete, go to AI > Product Description in the right-side bar to find your new product descriptions. What I've found is that the product descriptions outputted are generally pretty strong. They take into account a product's most prominent features from reviews and integration them into the actual description. It's worth noting that this content only serves as a STARTING POINT for product descriptions. You 100% need to have a copywriter review the output and makes adjustments. However for commerce sites with thinner resources, this is a good way to quickly generate product descriptions using real-world customer data.

Amazon just shut down Inspire, their TikTok-style shopping feature. Here’s what this means for ecom in 2025: Most brands still think “social commerce” is just about adding a shop button to content. But what consumers actually want is authentic discovery, not obvious selling. The platforms that are falling short: • Prioritize transactions over relationships • Focus on products instead of entertainment • Separate shopping from the overall experience This is why creator-driven content consistently outperforms… When people follow creators, they: • Discover products naturally • Build trust before making purchases • Engage with content they actually enjoy Amazon's failure proves what we've been seeing across 1,000s of brand partnerships: Social commerce only works when entertainment comes first and commerce second. The future belongs to brands that understand their products aren't the entertainment… They're props in creators' stories. Implement this, and watch what happens in 2025. — Leo Limin

Most brands don’t leverage user-generated content (UGC) from their Amazon product detail pages as much as they should. One of the best sources of UGC is the Q&A section and customer reviews. If the same question keeps popping up, that’s a sign you need to address it in your product content. Your bullet points, A+ Content, and even your images should proactively answer those common concerns. Beyond just boosting conversions, this approach strengthens your product pages for search as well. Amazon’s AI assistant, Rufus, pulls from this content to answer shopper queries. Voice search on Alexa devices, mobile shopping, and external search engines also prioritize content that directly addresses user questions. The more detailed and relevant your product pages, the more likely your ASINs are to surface in search results, no matter how (or where) shoppers are looking. Your customers are already telling you what they need. Make sure your product pages are listening. #ChannelKeyLLC #Amazon #Rufus

UGC works. The problem is that you’re doing it wrong. Recent research uncovered e-commerce sites using user photos and videos lifted conversion rates by 3.2%. Yet too many brands rely solely on reviews for UGC. Yes, reviews provide valuable social proof. But for true influence, you need visual UGC. Customer photos and videos build credibility and drive purchases much more than text alone. 2024 calls for an image overhaul. Show real customers using your products. Let consumer moments and conversations sell for you. It not only drives more conversions. It boosts customer confidence in the quality you deliver.

𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵'𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Leveraging platforms like Instagram and Twitter, Taylor Stitch has mastered the art of user-generated content (UGC). They encourage their community to share their experiences, showcasing the versatility and durability of their products in real-world settings. This provides authentic visual content and fosters a sense of belonging among their customers. The true genius of Taylor Stitch's marketing lies in its strategic use of user-generated content (UGC). Here's how UGC has become the cornerstone of their success: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆: 😉 In a digital age where consumers crave authenticity, Taylor Stitch's reliance on real customer stories and visuals has enhanced its credibility. Seeing the product in action through the lens of fellow consumers significantly influences purchasing decisions. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲: 🛍️ By featuring customer photos and stories in their campaigns, Taylor Stitch keeps the conversation going long after the purchase. This continuous engagement deepens customer loyalty and transforms buyers into brand ambassadors. 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳: 📣 User-generated content serves as powerful social proof, with customer testimonials and lifestyle imagery acting as endorsements that attract new customers. Taylor Stitch is an online apparel company that focuses on crafting durable, well-designed clothing with a commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing. Their bond with their customers is inspiring, so people who shop at Taylor Stitch love sharing their personal stories. We hope Taylor Stitch inspires your brand to launch its own creative and effective marketing campaigns. #SustainableFashion #UserGeneratedContent #UGC #ContentMarketing #EthicalFashion

Just as it seemed to be exploding, influencer marketing may soon be on the decline. To a certain extent, it’s already happening. Brands have poured massive budgets into influencer partnerships, but the returns aren’t as strong as they once were. For one, engagement rates are dropping. Younger audiences are skeptical of branded content, and as the market becomes oversaturated, it’s harder to make an impact. Rising costs and declining trust make it difficult to justify the spend. But brands aren’t abandoning social influence altogether. Instead, they’re shifting toward more sustainable strategies—leveraging micro-influencers, KOLs (a big thing in China), and community-driven content. That could mean: - Allowing fans and super users to be brand ambassadors, which offers authenticity and a sense of relatability that resonates with customers. Ikea does a great job with this. Their Ambassador Club network of patrons has shared over 9,000 pieces of content, leading to 5% increase in sales. - Throwing employees into the mix. Team members offer the same realism, and have the advantage of knowing your target market. Perfect example: last year, the owner of a cafe in Illinois created a TikTok campaign pitching drivers on the restaurant’s pancakes. Her videos went on to accrue over 10.5 million views, and sales increased by 50%. - Repurposing material for targeted campaigns. Ads based on user-generated content get 4x higher click-through rates than regular ads, and campaigns that include UGC see 29% higher web conversions. Original, everyday voices can drive just as much—if not more—engagement as traditional influencers and reduce the drain on your budget. And they’re often easier to work with 🤣