This spring, Macy’s is shining the spotlight on user-generated content. Those who post pictures of items bought at Macy’s on Instagram and Twitter with the tag #MacysLove will have a chance to be featured on Macy’s billboards. Macy’s will send mementos to those whose photos are featured to share with followers and friends.
Though user-generated content has been the new “it” endeavor for brands on social media, few incorporate it into traditional campaigns such as television, catalogues, or billboards. L2’s study on social platforms finds that user-generated images are an extremely effective and low-budget way to grow a brand’s fans. For example, Anastasia brows is the fastest growing prestige beauty brand in online and total sales. Meanwhile, it also accounts for the largest share of social media interactions among beauty brands.
In an L2 study of the social presence of 55 Beauty brands, Anastasia accounts for 7% of all Instagram posts – far less than L’Oréal Group or Estée Lauder Companies. However, Anastasia accounts for 37% of all Instagram interactions with the beauty brands despite being smaller than the two conglomerates.
Why does Anastasia’s content resonate so strongly? Possibly because it relies heavily on user-generated content. Roughly 88% of posts on the Anastasia Instagram account are reposts from influencers and advocates, which includes 54% of repurposed posts by makeup artists and 19% of posts from bloggers and vloggers.