XGC is the New UGC

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How Experts Cut Through the Clutter to Provide Product Information Shoppers Can Trust

In a world of anonymous user-generated reviews, AI-generated content, and misleading information -- honest advice matters more than ever. For consumers that means finding reliable sources of information that can help guide their purchase decisions.

Faced with a lack of education in retail, shoppers don’t know who to trust. Brands and retailers have employed influencers to promote their products in an effort to fill this gap, but many of them are falling short, lacking the qualifications and expertise required to be helpful to consumers.

In a recent study we commissioned, run by 3rd-party Wakefield Research, the majority of shoppers say all they need is an expert demo to be confident in their purchase. With formal qualifications and years of industry experience, experts have the knowledge that matters to consumers. They understand that followers can be bought but that credibility is earned, leading consumers to place more trust in an expert recommendation.

In an effort to make experts more accessible to shoppers, we have pioneered Expert Generated Content (XGC) -- a new approach to expert recommendations, that makes it easy for brands and retailers to provide their shoppers with the product education they need wherever they need it.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the difference between XGC and UGC, and how its entry into the retail landscape is transforming the shopper experience.

Taking UGC to the Next Level with Experts

While UGC can be a cost-effective way to build trust with consumers, it can also be the wild west of content. UGC requires brands to rely on shoppers to create and upload their testimonials when a majority don’t even want to write an online review. While it might create a more authentic experience for both you and your shoppers, UGC content isn’t easily regulated. Unknown and unreliable sources can deter consumers from buying the products that they actually need. A regular user might not understand the product completely or have the knowledge to use it correctly.

Through XGC, experts showcase the products they genuinely use and recommend, sharing what it is, how they use them, and why they recommend them. It takes the best of UGC -- the creation of a community around your brand, the ability to share real user insights -- but with the added value of an expert to build shopper trust and confidence.

“Fake reviews have been automated. We’re automating real, authentic expert recommendations for brands and retailers.”

– Eric Sheinkop, Co-Founder and CEO, The Desire Company

As influencers lose their credibility and online reviews become automated, experts are able to offer years of product trials and tests in real-world situations, to help consumers purchase the right products and confidently use them.

In a strategic departure from user-generated content, flawed influencer marketing, simple testimonial collection software, and basic shoppable video content, The Desire Company is changing the game with a focus on expertise.

The Desire Company’s community of experts is verified through their experience, knowledge, and qualifications and not by their follower count. In fact, research shows that experts with 1,000 followers are more than twice as likely to be considered trustworthy by consumers when compared to an influencer with millions of followers.

Comprised of vetted experts from a cross-section of industries including  NFL players, top chefs, beauty pros, wellness experts, stylists, artists, and more -- all at the top of their game. Desire Co. community of Pros share their hard-earned knowledge about the products they already use and love.

According to Best Buy data, The Desire Company expert video recommendations increase time on site by having a 10% higher completion rate and driving more conversions when compared to other product videos on their site.

Get Affordable Expert Generated Content for your Brand

In an effort to make experts more accessible to shoppers, The Desire Company has pioneered Expert Generated Content (XGC). Through XGC, brands and retailers get quick, easy access to the expert product education content their shoppers need, wherever they need it.

Getting started with us is easy. On a central platform,  we collect, manage, and distribute expert product recommendations in 3 steps:

1. Get matched with Pros ready to try your products
2. Conversion-driving product videos ready in less than a week
3. Easy-to-use tech for hosting and distribution, with no coding required

USE YOUR XGC VIDEOS EVERYWHERE

Place expert recommendation videos on your home page, PDPs, social, and in ads to increase engagement and sales and decrease confusion and returns. Expert videos can be optimized with click-to-buy technology, driving conversions at every point of sale.

Video testimonials have been proven to not just drive purchases but it takes consumers from interested and inundated to informed. Access to expert advice and recommendations helps deepen that connection and drive purchases. So if you’re looking to gain access to qualified experts ready to use and recommend your products, book a demo today.

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