Imagine that instead of just the marketing team doing all the work, the wider employees of the company also started creating content, too. That’s what we call Employee Generated Content - or EGC for short… (because there aren’t enough marketing acronyms out there).
It's like if someone you follow on social media works at a local coffee shop and you see their Instagram story filled with their morning routine at work or the behind-the-scenes of how they make their favourite pastries. After seeing these posts, you might be more likely to engage and try out the coffee shop for yourself. It's easier to be inspired by the content as it’s authentic, relatable, and coming straight from someone at the company who you feel that you know and trust.
Semrush describes that EGC is “a subset of UGC as long as the posts are authentic and not solicited by the brand” - meaning, businesses can harness the power of content that is generated in an authentic way (and that acts like the modern ‘word of mouth’).
Within the last few years, EGC has risen massively in popularity.
With the rise of micro-influencers, UGC and authenticity (as well as people being more chronically online and sharing their every move) - it isn’t hard to see why.
Here are three key benefits of using EGC:
Polished and perfect content is out. Real, genuine, and somewhat ‘messy’ content is in. Potential customers and brand lovers can relate more to the everyday experiences of employees than to corporate messaging, which helps to build a real connection.