Nearly 86% of people intend to celebrate Mother’s Day this year, and Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday in the UK on March 10 honours mothers and the nurturing spirit of motherhood.
Marked by warm family gatherings filled with appreciation for countless mothers and caregivers, youngsters express their love with gifts, celebratory meals, and cherished time spent together. The tradition presents a massive opportunity for brands to capitalise on the occasion and enhance their second-quarter revenue.
Here are three impactful strategies your brand can employ, leveraging user-generated content, to drive Mother’s Day sales.
Why use User-Generated Content
The influence of user-generated content (UGC) is undeniable, with an astounding 86% of millennials believing it directly reflects a brand’s quality. This content serves as social proof, fostering greater trust and connection with consumers. If that was not all, it also offers remarkable cost-effectiveness. Instead of relying on internal teams or external contractors, your advocates generate content using their own resources and time.
Engaging in a well-designed UGC contest offers a swift and straightforward approach to boosting brand awareness and sparking conversation. In fact, over 86% of businesses have incorporated UGC into their marketing strategies.
This overwhelming embrace of UGC stems from its undeniable effectiveness. Compared to standard brand posts, UGC posts achieve a remarkable 28% higher engagement rate. Furthermore, UGC has the potential to increase your web traffic by an impressive 26%.
Despite the undeniable success of UGC, not everyone possesses the inherent creative spark. Over 50% of consumers actually find it helpful when brands provide guidance on what content to create, when to create it, and how to share it.
The question arises: how can you inspire your advocates and their mothers to participate this year?
3 Fun & Effective UGC Contest Ideas for Mother’s Day
UGC encompasses any content shared by unpaid individuals, such as social media followers, loyal customers, and dedicated supporters. This content can take various forms, including videos, photographs, tweets, and reviews.
Here are three top UGC formats you can use this Mother’s Day.
Spark Joy with a Lookalike Contest
Celebrate the undeniable bond between mothers and their children with a light-hearted “Mini-Me” Lookalike Contest! Encourage your followers and advocates to submit photos of themselves alongside their mums, fostering engagement and heartwarming competition.
To maximise participation, keep entry simple. Leverage the power of Instagram’s photo-sharing capabilities by prompting users to upload selfies with their mothers, utilising designated hashtags to participate. This easy-to-enter format will encourage a larger pool of submissions, ultimately amplifying your brand awareness and generating positive interactions.
Rekindle Memories with a Throwback Photo Contest
Embrace the power of nostalgia and celebrate the ever-evolving world of fashion with a ‘Fashion Flashback’ or Throwback Photo Contest! Invite your advocates to share the most amusing and memorable "throwback" photos (with their mother’s permission, of course) showcasing their unique fashion sense. Let your community vote for the funniest or most iconic outfits, fostering lighthearted competition and engaging interaction.
To maximise participation, ensure your contest instructions are simple and to-the-point. You could also add exciting incentives to encourage people to spread the word and invite their friends and family to participate, boosting contest visibility and generating a wider pool of entries. The key is to make it easy for everyone to join the fun!
Foster Connection with a Heartfelt Confessions Contest
Go beyond the typical photo contest and delve into the relatable world of motherhood with a captivating ‘Mum Confessions’ contest. Encourage mothers to share their unique “confessions,” whether it be lighthearted secrets they keep from their children, universal truths about the joys and challenges of motherhood, or inspiring tips for self-care after a long day.
This contest allows mothers to express themselves creatively and connect with others on a deeper level. You could also create a dedicated Mother’s Day landing page where they can easily submit their #MumConfessions. These humorous and heartfelt contributions can become a valuable asset in your ongoing marketing endeavours, offering authentic content for years to come.
Liked these ideas? You can go one step further by incentivising participation and offering rewards to your favourite confessions.
Nurture an engaged audience through personalised email blasts, ensuring they stay informed and connected to your brand long after the contest concludes. This strategic approach not only fosters deeper customer loyalty but also expands your community and builds a lasting presence in the lives of mothers.
Celebrate with an Intimate Mother’s Day Brunch
Mother’s Day consistently ranks as one of the busiest dining holidays, with over 41% of individuals celebrating with brunch in 2017, emphasising the strong association and positive connotations attached to this occasion.
Want to craft something huge and unforgettable on the special day? Elevate your brand image and cultivate lasting customer relationships by hosting a memorable Mother’s Day brunch.
Host a unique brunch experience for your valued customers and brand partners. This exclusive event affords an opportunity to make both mums and their advocates feel like true VIPs, fostering deeper connections and solidifying positive brand perception.
Enrich the event further by inviting guest speakers or providing exceptional entertainment, adding an additional layer of engagement and enjoyment.
Transform your brunch space into a visually captivating environment with “Insta-worthy” elements and documenting their experience on social media. Use hashtags and brand mentions in their posts. This organic content creation fosters brand awareness and extends the reach of your event beyond the immediate attendees.
While user-generated content contests offer a multitude of benefits for brands, managing them can be a time-consuming and complex endeavour, even for established companies. A talented paid media agency provides a comprehensive platform that streamlines the entire UGC contest process, alleviating the associated frustration and maximising your return on investment.
Need a fresh perspective? Let’s talk.
At 360 OM, we specialise in helping businesses take their marketing efforts to the next level. Our team stays on top of industry trends, uses data-informed decisions to maximise your ROI, and provides full transparency through comprehensive reports.
