User-generated content

An example of user-generated content in the virtual world of Second Life

User-generated content (UGC), alternatively known as user-created content (UCC), emerged from the rise of intelligent web services which allow everyday users to create content, such as images, videos, audio, text, testimonials, and software (e.g. video game mods) and interact with other users.[1][2] Online content aggregation platforms such as social media, discussion forums and wikis by their interactive and social nature, no longer produce multimedia content but provide tools to produce, collaborate, and share a variety of content, which can affect the attitudes and behaviors of the audience in various aspects.[3] This transforms the role of consumers from passive spectators to active participants.[4][5][6]

User-generated content is used for a wide range of applications, including problem processing, news, entertainment, customer engagement, advertising, gossip, research and many more. It is an example of the democratization of content production and the flattening of traditional media hierarchies. The BBC adopted a user-generated content platform for its websites in 2005, and TIME Magazine named "You" as the Person of the Year in 2006, referring to the rise in the production of UGC on Web 2.0 platforms.[7][8] CNN also developed a similar user-generated content platform, known as iReport.[9] There are other examples of news channels implementing similar protocols, especially in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophe or terrorist attack.[10] Social media users can provide key eyewitness content and information that may otherwise have been inaccessible.

Since 2020, there are an increasing number of businesses who are utilizing User Generated Content (UGC) to promote their products and services. This approach is considered a cost effective and authentic way to enhance brand's image and boost sales. Several factors significantly influence how UGC is received, including the quality of the content, the credibility of the creator, and viewer engagement.[11][12] These elements can impact users' perceptions and trust towards the brand, as well as influence the buying intentions of potential customers. UGC has proven to be an effective method for brands to connect with consumers, drawing their attention through the sharing of experiences and information on social media platforms.[13][14] Due to new media and technology affordances, such as low cost and low barriers to entry, the Internet is an easy platform to create and dispense user-generated content,[15] allowing the dissemination of information at a rapid pace in the wake of an event.[16]

  1. ^ Naab, T. K; Sehl, A (2017). "Studies of user-generated content: A systematic review". Journalism. 18 (10): 1256–1273. doi:10.1177/1464884916673557.
  2. ^ Roma, Paolo; Aloini, Davide (1 March 2019). "How does brand-related user-generated content differ across social media? Evidence reloaded". Journal of Business Research. 96: 322–339. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.055. hdl:11568/1000779. ISSN 0148-2963.
  3. ^ Kang, Kai; Lu, Jinxuan; Guo, Lingyun; Li, Wenlu (1 February 2021). "The dynamic effect of interactivity on customer engagement behavior through tie strength: Evidence from live streaming commerce platforms". International Journal of Information Management. 56: 102251. doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102251. ISSN 0268-4012.
  4. ^ Naab, T. K; Sehl, A (2017). "Studies of user-generated content: A systematic review". Journalism. 18 (10): 1256–1273. doi:10.1177/1464884916673557.
  5. ^ Krumm, John; Davies, Nigel; Narayanaswami, Chandra (October 2008). "User-Generated Content". IEEE Pervasive Computing. 7 (4): 10–11. doi:10.1109/MPRV.2008.85. ISSN 1558-2590.
  6. ^ Berthon, Pierre; Pitt, Leyland; Kietzmann, Jan; McCarthy, Ian P. (August 2015). "CGIP: Managing Consumer-Generated Intellectual Property". California Management Review. 57 (4): 43–62. doi:10.1525/cmr.2015.57.4.43. ISSN 0008-1256. S2CID 12234496.
  7. ^ "The BBC May be the First Mainstream Industrial Medium to Adopt UCG". BBC News. 4 July 2006. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  8. ^ Lev Grossman (13 December 2006). "You – Yes, You – Are TIME's Person of the Year". Time. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  9. ^ iReport
  10. ^ Rauchfleisch, Adrian; Artho, Xenia; Metag, Julia; Post, Senja; Schäfer, Mike S. (July 2017). "How journalists verify user-generated content during terrorist crises. Analyzing Twitter communication during the Brussels attacks". Social Media + Society. 3 (3): 205630511771788. doi:10.1177/2056305117717888. ISSN 2056-3051.
  11. ^ Kim, Mikyoung; Song, Doori (2 January 2018). "When brand-related UGC induces effectiveness on social media: the role of content sponsorship and content type". International Journal of Advertising. 37 (1): 105–124. doi:10.1080/02650487.2017.1349031. ISSN 0265-0487.
  12. ^ Liu, Xia; Burns, Alvin C.; Hou, Yingjian (3 April 2017). "An Investigation of Brand-Related User-Generated Content on Twitter". Journal of Advertising. 46 (2): 236–247. doi:10.1080/00913367.2017.1297273. ISSN 0091-3367.
  13. ^ Zhuang, W; Zeng, Q; Zhang, Y; Liu, C; Fan, W (2023). "What makes user-generated content more helpful on social media platforms? Insights from creator interactivity perspective". Information Processing & Management. 60 (2): 103201. doi:10.1016/j.ipm.2022.103201. ISSN 0306-4573.
  14. ^ Lou, Chen; Yuan, Shupei (2 January 2019). "Influencer Marketing: How Message Value and Credibility Affect Consumer Trust of Branded Content on Social Media". Journal of Interactive Advertising. 19 (1): 58–73. doi:10.1080/15252019.2018.1533501. ISSN 1525-2019.
  15. ^ Schivinski, Bruno; Muntinga, Daan G.; Pontes, Halley M.; Lukasik, Przemyslaw (10 February 2019). "Influencing COBRAs: the effects of brand equity on the consumer's propensity to engage with brand-related content on social media" (PDF). Journal of Strategic Marketing. 29: 1–23. doi:10.1080/0965254X.2019.1572641. ISSN 0965-254X. S2CID 169721474.
  16. ^ Klausen, Jytte (9 December 2014). "Tweeting the Jihad: Social Media Networks of Western Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq". Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. 38 (1): 1–22. doi:10.1080/1057610x.2014.974948. hdl:10192/28992. ISSN 1057-610X. S2CID 145585333.