User-Generated Content Tip #1: Save the Content You Like

Raking in 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram isn’t short of any content. And with their introduction of Instagram Reels, there’s even more content to sift through in order to find the perfect regram. To avoid getting overwhelmed, use Instagram’s saving feature to keep track. It will save you from wasting your time trying to remember the account of the image you liked.

Saving on Instagram functions a lot as Pins do on Pinterest. You can save individual posts to your general folder or add them to a collection folder you create yourself. Collection folders allow you to get specific in the type of content you’re searching for and saving! For example, collection names like “UGC,” “Color Palettes,” or “Inspiration” is an easy way to categorize the posts and keep the images from blurring together.

How to Save:

• To automatically save a post, tap the bookmark icon on the post you want to save

• To find a post you already saved, go to your profile and tap the three lines in the upper right corner, then tap the tab that says “saved” with a bookmark icon next to it

• Once you find your saved posts, there’s a general folder called “all posts” this is all the posts you’ve accumulated while saving

• To add individual posts to their own collection folders, tap the ‘+’ sign in the upper right corner, then name the folder

• Once you create your folders, start sorting through and adding each post to its respective collection

User-Generated Content Tip #2: Discover With PLANOLY

The PLANOLY Discover tool is yet another way you can easily search for content to repost. Using the PLANOLY dashboard users can search for content through the discover tab. The discover tool can search for content in three ways–with a user’s handle, a hashtag, or through our free stock image library. All we ask is that you credit the source and ask for permission before using! This is a simple way for people who are already familiar with PLANOLY to start finding content to repost on their Grid.

User-Generated Content Tip #3: Follow Regram Etiquette

Regramming is tricky, and even trickier when so much of the content we come across is already a regram. With many brands tapping into reposting and using UGC content, it might be hard to find the content’s original source, but don’t let that stop you from finding it anyway. Keep these three rules in mind when reposting to your Grid: give credit, ask permission, don’t edit. These are the same rules we follow for the PLANOLY Instagram.

• Give Credit - Always give credit to the account you're resharing in your Grid. Make sure to use photo tags and include the account handle in your caption.

• Ask Permission - Always ask for permission before posting! If someone were to borrow something from you, you would hope they would ask, right? Right. That same rule also applies to images on the internet. Shoot the account a quick message complimenting their feed and then ask if you can post their photo, video, or Reel to your Grid using the proper credits. Not only does it keep you in the clear, but it also opens a dialogue to give your direct appreciation!

• Don’t Edit - If you choose to share someone’s photo in your Grid, keep it as is. Under no circumstance, alter to the picture to fit your color palette. Editing an image to fit your aesthetic is disrespectful to the person whose content you’re using and strays away from the creator’s original vision.

User-Generated Content Tip #4: Incorporate User-Generated Content

User-generated content–UGC for short–is critical for gaining your followers' trust. Not only is it more trustworthy than traditional branded advertising, it’s 76% more trustworthy. That’s a lot!  And with The Z and Millennial generations responding more to UGC than other forms of marketing, it’s becoming a must-have for brands. And if you play your UGC cards right, it’ll end in a positive customer review that everyone can see!

User-generated content doesn't just benefit big companies either. Smaller businesses can benefit from incorporating UGC in their feeds also! It’s a free form of advertising for you and it helps create excess content for your social channels. But don’t forget to give credit and ask your followers for permission, and don’t edit.

A lot of UGC comes in the form of an Instagram Story. Instagram Stories are a quick way for users to share themselves wearing, eating, or using your product! Stories your customers tag you in are easy to share to your Story because Instagram automatically asks you if you want to add the Story you’re tagged in to your own Story. But before you share, make sure to ask the customer whose story it is if you can share! Asking for permission helps cover all your bases and avoid any future conflict.

Accounts Successfully Using User-Generated-Content:

• @glossier

• @yeti

• @rei

• @parade

• @ilmakiage

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