Yotpo's Head of Design explains what makes the best UGC Instagram campaigns so successful - and how you can replicate it in your own UGC campaigns.

1. The Best UGC Instagram Campaigns,
Picked By Our Head of Design

2. Instagram’s visual nature
makes it the perfect social platform
for user-generated content (UGC).
And brands who understand how
to use UGC on Instagram effectively are seeing
seriously awesome results.

3. Design plays a key role on Instagram,
which is why we asked our Head of Design, Roni Klein,
to compile the best UGC Instagram campaigns with
explanations for why they rock and tips for how
you can replicate these brands’ success yourself.

4. The Campaign: #CastMeMarc by Marc by Marc Jacobs
The Takeaway:
Skyrocket Engagement Levels with Rewards Your Audience Can’t Resist

5. The #CastMeMarc campaign
really understood how to get strong audience involvement.
People could participate for the chance
to be a Marc by Marc Jacobs model
just by submitting selfies
with the hashtag #CastMeMarc!

6. The results?
The hashtag #CastMeMarc was
Instagrammed over 12,000 times in 24 hours
– that’s about 8 selfies a minute.
Why did it succeed?
The key here was that the contest offered a reward that
was strong enough to elicit real participation.
Even people who didn’t submit selfies still wanted to watch.

7. Replicate this
in your own UGC campaigns by understanding
what motivates your specific audience.
Come up with a reward that doesn’t just get
participants but also gets Instagram buzzing
and watching the campaign.
Learn how to use UGC more effectively in your Instagram campaigns - and more!

8. The Campaign: The Nike PHOTOiD Campaign
The Takeaway:
Allow Customers to Use Content They Already Have

9. The Nike PHOTOiD campaign
let users design, share, and buy custom shoes
inspired by customers’ very own Instagram
photos. Customers can upload their favorite
Instagram photos and then design shoes that
complement them.

10. Nike used customers’ own photos as
the background for the shoe design,
personalized and created in real-time.
This was genius,
because rather than asking customers to
specifically create content for their campaign,
Nike made it easy for them to use content
they already had.

11. People are on social to connect to their friends
and share their special moments. They’re
probably not looking to take photos specifically
for a brand’s benefit, but for their own.
So, follow in Nike’s footsteps, and make it easy
for your customers to participate by inviting them
to share content they’ve already created.
Learn how to use your customers’ content in your marketing

12. The Campaign: IKEA Norway Catalogue
The Takeaway:
Use Content From UGC Campaigns In Your Marketing Materials

13. IKEA Norway asked their customers to take photos
of their favorite products and post the photos on
Instagram for a chance to win free items.
It was so popular,
customers Instagrammed every
single item one of IKEA Norway’s
items! IKEA Norway was the big
winner in this - they got tons of
amazing content to use in future
marketing materials.

14. Your customers are your
greatest source of
marketing material.
Rather than trying new creatives
and A/B testing copy,
why not use the images and
content your customers created?
You can then show this off to potential new customers,
increasing authenticity and trust in your brand.

15. The Campaign: Starbucks’ White Cup Contest
The Takeaway:
Ask Customers to Re-imagine Iconic Brand Symbols

16. Starbucks’ White Cup Contest
asked customers to get creative and put their own
designs on their iconic cups. Customers participated
for a chance to have a winning design printed on a
limited-edition Starbucks reusable plastic cup.
Using the white cup as a canvas brought their brand into the picture
while inspiring creativity from their customers.

17. Your campaign should begin with a simple premise:
This is one of the most important
elements of a successful UGC
campaign on social media.
Think of an icon people associate with your brand,
and ask customers to get creative and reinvent it.
What symbol of your
brand can you
reimagine with
the help of your
customers?

18. The reason this is so successful
is because it naturally gets you
more exposure.
People share their UGC with their networks.
Your brand is part of the UGC, so you spread
brand awareness without even trying.

19. For more tips on how to use UGC in
your social media marketing, paid
advertising, and more...
Get your free copy of our guide to UGC marketing!