How can you use email to build a community with user-generated content?

1 Set a clear goal

Before you start asking your subscribers to share their content with you, you need to have a clear goal for your email campaign. What kind of UGC do you want to collect? How will you use it in your marketing strategy? How will it benefit your users and your brand? Having a clear goal will help you craft a compelling email that motivates your audience to participate.

2 Segment your audience

Not all of your subscribers will be interested or willing to create and share UGC with you. That's why you need to segment your audience based on their behavior, preferences, and interests. By segmenting your audience, you can tailor your email content and offer to the most relevant and engaged users. You can also use segmentation to reward your loyal customers, incentivize referrals, and nurture leads.

3 Create a catchy subject line

Your subject line is the first thing your subscribers will see in their inbox, so you need to make it catchy and appealing. Your subject line should capture the attention of your audience, spark their curiosity, and convey the value of your email. You can use different techniques to create a catchy subject line, such as asking a question, using emojis, creating urgency, or teasing a benefit.

4 Provide clear instructions

Once you've hooked your subscribers with your subject line, you need to provide clear instructions on how to create and share UGC with you. Your email should explain what kind of content you're looking for, how to submit it, and what the deadline is. You should also make it easy for your subscribers to create and share UGC by providing tools, templates, or examples. For instance, you can use a landing page, a hashtag, or a dedicated email address to collect UGC.

5 Offer an incentive

One of the best ways to encourage your subscribers to create and share UGC with you is to offer an incentive. An incentive can be anything that adds value to your users, such as a discount, a freebie, a contest entry, or a feature on your website or social media. An incentive can also help you increase the quality and quantity of UGC you receive. However, you should make sure that your incentive is relevant to your brand and your goal, and that it doesn't compromise the authenticity of your UGC.

6 Showcase the results

The last step to build a community with UGC is to showcase the results of your email campaign. You should thank your subscribers for their participation, share their content with your audience, and highlight the benefits of your brand. Showcasing the results can help you build trust, loyalty, and social proof with your subscribers. It can also inspire more users to create and share UGC with you in the future.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?