6 Tips to Attract Great UGC

March 1st, 2010 – Toronto, Ontario

Whether you are running a contest, an online audition or a community assignment, attracting UGC submissions can be a challenge. Here are some tips that you can apply to your campaign to draw more content from your website visitors.

Experiential and luxury prizes

While a huge cash prize can bring in a tonne of submissions, you are also going to attract pros and cheaters. Professional contesters scour the net for fast, easy contests and know every trick in the book to stuff the ballet box. A large cash prize is sufficient motivation for a good developer to build software to exploit your user-friendly entry process.

Branded contests and communities should be more interested in attracting their core fans and getting them excited and involved. Music fans will sing into their webcam, remix a video or create an original tour poster if it gives them a chance to meet their favourite band, get the limited edition box set or win an autographed guitar.

Make it Easy

Don't make me think, don't make me work. If at all possible, don't even make me get up: let me say / sing / yell something into my webcam. Got a digital camera? Capture the everyday everyman: "Show us your backyard and win a patio set" or "Show us why you need a new car".

When all else fails, have people upload a picture of their pet! Canadian Living has blown the doors off the UGC contest standard with two massively successful editions of Most Lovable Pet 2009 and this years 2010 campaign.

Attractive Association

I don't want to be perceived as evil or a sell-out for participating. For example, "Show us how you club, and win a trip to Baby Seal Island" or "Tell us why you love Telecom Customer Service" are bad ideas and should be avoided.

Facebook Connect

When I upload my video, a link is automatically posted to my Facebook stream. When someone comments or votes, they can instantly tell all their friends. We have seen huge referral numbers from Facebook on our UGC campaigns. Campbell's Chunky Most Valuable Coach in particular is a great example of getting the most out of Facebook Connect.

Multimedia Commenting

Text comments are great, but enabling comment attachments and webcam responses, you can increase the number of photos and videos on your site. Start a discussion or set a community assignment that facilitates the use of photos and videos. For example, a men's forum might have a thread for the best hair style, while women might enjoy exchanging pictures of their gnarliest scars.

Community Management

As I've written before, community management is key. These days, growing an online community organically can be challenging if not impossible. Community management is the growth hormone and industrial pesticide of niche networks and brand-centric discussions.

Your niche community might be a resource for customers, such as a support forum or advice column. Depending on the technographics of your target audience, your manager(s) may be the life of the party, getting people excited, loosening them up and letting them participate in a way that keeps them feeling comfortable. The authors of Groundswell, a Forrester Research joint, provide the Consumer Technographic Profile Tool for figuring out what makes your audience tick.

Quality user-generated content, and multimedia in particular is not something that comes easy. Applying some of these tips to your next campaign, contest or community discussion will help keep things fresh and unique.

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TSN launches "Bring Home the Cup"

Feb 24th, 2010 – Toronto, Ontario

Filemobile is proud to announce the launch of "Bring Home the Cup". This popular contest which is now in it's fourth year is sponsored by Pepsi, Lay's and Gatorade, and is hosted by TSN and TSN.ca.

Bring Home the Cup asks Canadian Hockey teams to submit a video, picture and/or write a story explaining why their team should Bring Home the Cup. One Canadian Amateur Hockey Team could win a special playoff party with Mark Messier and the Stanley Cup®. Last year the HRS Huskies from St. Lazare, Québec brought home the Stanley CupTM and had a memorable experience with Mark Messier. Click here to have a look at their journey.

If you have a hockey team that wants to enter you have until March 12th, so get your entry in now!

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The Globe and Mail Feature | "Filemobile capitalizes on active marketing"

Feb 17, 2010 - Toronto, ON

Filemobile was recently featured in an article by Globe and Mail technology reporter, Omar El Akkad.

Profiled in the 'Report on Business' section, the article: "Filemobile capitalizes on active marketing" discusses some of the ways companies are engaging in social media and building communities online.

A live chat with Chris Becker (CEO) followed on February 17 at Noon. This chat was a chance to have a 'Question and Answer' session and to discuss "How to custom build a social community", social media, its advantages/disadvantages and the business itself.

The Globe also profiled "Firms that have embraced the social web" providing some examples of how organizations are trying out ideas in this emerging industry.

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