Explanation of Terms in the UGC Space

UGC. User-generated content. Sourced content. Found content. What do all these terms mean? People get confused by what it is and how they are different. We thought we’d clarify a few things for you. They’re not different. All of these terms are literally synonymous with one another! They all mean the exact same thing. It’s anything on the internet. Organic, non-organic video and photos. 720,000 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every day. That’s 500 hours per minute. It’s not shocking really. Everyone with an iPhone can record high-quality content and that number is roughly 6.6 billion people worldwide. About 83% of all humans inhabiting this wonderful planet. The only reason to call UGC “sourced” or “found” is when you come to a service, such as ours, to find it for your advertising campaigns. Hence, why some change the name of user-generated content to those terms instead. We hope this cleared up any confusion for you and hope to work together on your next campaign. Unlike our competitors, at Locomotive we personally hand pick every single of content that comes through our screens for each specified creative brief for our clients. Compounding content, steam powered forward.

Ways to Incorporate UGC Into Your Marketing Strategy

It’s no secret that we love UGC. It’s what we do and we’re passionate about it! We deal with UGC in the advertising campaign spaces mostly. However, there are some other areas of marketing that you can use this powerful tool. First, let’s talk about UGC in advertising since that’s what we specialize in. This is a great way to get consumers to trust your brand seeing real people in real-life situations that your audience can relate to. This type of UGC marketing will increase your ROI immensely. Let’s dive in to the other ways your brand can use it for marketing strategies.

1.     Promote your next product launch. UGC influences purchases so using it promote a new product is a great way to get new customers.

2.     Highlight your customers. Everyone likes to be appreciated. Highlighting your top customers through UGC photos and videos will not only make them feel great but it will increase your brand awareness through reposts and reshares. This is great for increasing brand awareness.

3.     UGC in advertising. As we listed above, UGC is one of the best ways to create an emotional connection with your audience. People trust real people in real-life situations that they can relate to.

If you’re interested in learning more about how UGC can help your brand grow contact us today. The benefits of UGC marketing and advertising just keep growing. Every campaign that we’ve ever done for advertising agencies has been successful to say the least. Don’t wait to get UGC into your marketing and advertising strategies. Trust us. We know a little something about this one.

How UGC Can Help Recession Proof Your Brand

50% of people say that they are already experiencing financial hardships due to inflation (Gallup). Most brands are already cutting budgets or see it on the horizon due to the fact that their consumers are already watching their spending more frivolously. During these times, the best way to keep your audience is through brand loyalty that is fueled by trust and transparency. UGC checks all of those boxes and will be less costly than traditional advertising. 92% of consumers trust UGC more than traditional marketing and it cost 62% less than traditional marketing, according to Demand Metric Report. Brands and ad agencies listen up. This can help you during times of economic downturns that result it cut backs on advertising budgets. Harnessing the affordability of UGC campaigns can save your brand a ton of dough and time since the turnaround time is much faster than production campaigns. You can save money while increasing brand trust through adopting a UGC campaign strategy for your ads. It’s really a win, win situation so what are you waiting for?

Contact ustoday for your consultation.

UGC Stats

We’ve all heard it a million times now. People trust people more than paid actors. It’s for this reason and many others that user generated content is now at the forefront of digital advertising. The purpose of this blog is to shine some light on some statistics about user generated content, otherwise known as sourced content.

·      79% of people are strongly influenced by UGC when making purchase decisions (Rachna & Khajuria 2017).

·      71% of people have positive attitudes toward UGC in digital advertisements (Rachna & Khajuria 2017).

·      73% of people believe that the presence of “real people” is the most important component of sourced content (Olapic Survey).

·      Consumers are 3x more likely to say content created by a consumer is authentic compared to content created by a brand (Stackla).

·      Roughly 70% of advertisers believe that sourced content is more cost effective than traditional advertising (Catch & Release Survey).

·      90% of consumers say that UGC influences their decision to make a purchase (Cision PR Newswire).

·      Demographically, Gen Z YouTube viewers prefer UGC to professional videos more than older generations (YouTube 2020).

·      Ads that feature UGC garnered 73% more positive comments on social networks than traditional ads (IAB Study).  

·      UGC generates a 25% higher ad performance than traditional advertisements (AdAge).

·      85% of companies incorporate UGC in their marketing strategy (Semrush).

·      Almost half of customers say that UGC is a way for them to discover new products (Forrester.com)

·      UGC is 35% more memorable comparable to other media (Mediapost).

·      92% of consumers trust UGC more than traditional marketing (Marketing Insider).

This is reason enough to make sure your brand is incorporating sourced content into the advertising strategy. Of course, we will always believe it is one of the best ways to connect with your audience but don’t just take our word for it, let us show you. Contact us today for a free brief evaluation!

Consumer Empowerment Through UGC

A customer who feels empowered is a customer for life. People who feel supported by a brand to make smarter choices will then develop a stronger bond with that brand. With the continued digital space for advertising and brand promotion, the communication between customers and the brand has ultimately changed. The customer now has the power to state what they want, what they need and what they expect from brands. Businesses that listen to their customers will lead to an increase in overall customer satisfaction and retention rates. With social media, customers can now connect with their favorite brands online. This is where UGC can come into play for your brand to empower its audience. User generated content can be created by anyone, anywhere. Your brand will benefit from creating customer empowerment through the use of UGC. We’ve all seen videos on product reviews and promotional videos from a customer at some point while scrolling through the gram or YouTube. This is where customers feel empowered to be part of a brand’s journey. They are invested with them as their values align. Social media now gives customers authority on decision making for a brand. They will publicly state whether or not they like a product and you want them to like it but if not, this is where the brand can benefit from the feedback and make changes for the benefit of the consumer by way of the consumer, if that makes sense. Brands can also license this UGC content from their audience in order to further promote their brand and/or products. It’s a feedback loop where everyone wins. Most brands now understand the importance of sourced content within their advertising strategy but if yours has not, it’s time to start looking into it. Contact us today!

DEI in Advertising

One of the biggest challenges that marketers face today is making sure that their brand embraces DEI. If you don’t know what DEI stands for it is diversity, equity and inclusion. After several recent movements, society has embraced new ideals that include DEI and it’s extending into the advertising world. People want to feel that they support brands that align with their values now more than ever. 83% of millennials to be exact, according to the Consumer PR Culture Report. Brands have to include all people of any gender, race, age, sexual orientation and economic status. This means that every type of individual will need to be featured in their content. But this is not all. Companies must take stances on social issues and build diverse teams behind the scenes as well. First and foremost, brands must talk the talk and walk the walk. Taking action is the only way to ensure that your company is actually practicing DEI. We will touch on a few ways to get you started. 

1.     Always be learning. No one likes a know it all anyway. If the brand is always curious about new ideas and trends it will be in the know about what is important.

2.     Embrace diverse holidays and traditions. This will help to immerse the brand and its team in different cultures they may not be familiar with. 

3.     Make sure you have a diverse team. This will also ensure a more creative team. Many different kinds of ideas come from different backgrounds and cultures. This will keep the spark alive so to speak when it comes to creation. 

4.     Look at other brands for inspiration. See what others are doing to create diverse campaigns. 

5.     Take a position. It won’t be easy but difficult things that are worth anything, never are. Make sure your agency is showing up to social issues that are current. Your audience will thank you for it and it will build more authentic trust.

6.     Lastly, and most importantly. There must be diversity in the campaigns. This one we feel should be a given but we wanted to touch on it nonetheless. 

The key takeaways from this article are DEI is an important topic that’s not going away. And why should it? It’s helping us create a better world to live in overall. Brands need to make sure that their teams and campaigns include diverse voices. If the brand aligns with their audience’s values trust is created. People want to support brands that they have something in common with. 

Outstream Video Advertising

A new popular topic of discussion in the advertising world is out streamed video ads. This is expected to be a new trend in the following years as opposed to in stream video ads. So, what’s the difference? Well, let’s start with what an in-stream video ad is. These ads are inserted into a video that is already being played. In stream ads require a static video player and they can be viewed as pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll. A.K.A. Before, middle, or after what the viewer is already watching.  These tend to be somewhat of an annoyance and are usually unrelated to the content being played. We’ve all been through the, “your video will play after this ad” situation on YouTube before. Now, let’s talk about what an outstream ad is. This type of video ad does not need a static video player. It exists solely in of itself. It is the video and the player all in one. It’s also called in-read due to the nature of how it’s triggered to play on websites (Giant Media). A viewer will reach the “trigger” point on a site and the video will begin to play. For example, at the end of a paragraph, the video will be inserted onto the page and begin to play when the reader reaches this point. The reader can then either watch the ad or keep scrolling to get back to what they were already looking at. These types of ads are maximized to be more relevant to the content that the viewer is looking at on a webpage. This ensures a higher success rate of views than instream because with in stream ads, they play on videos that tend to not have much in common with their product. Also, these video ads do not require video players and show up in non-video environments outside of YouTube (NuSpark Media). Another positive for these outstreamed ads is that the advertiser only pays for viewable cost-per-thousand impressions. Agencies only pay if 50% of the ad is viewed for 2 seconds or more of continuous video play according to Google Ads Help. 

            Alright, let’s recap what we’ve learned: 

Instream Video Ads: 

·      Require video player to be present 

·      Play before, during or after video content 

·      Usually, the user has to wait for ad to be viewed to see or continue to see what they were already there to watch…. Actually, when given the option, “37% of people say they will skip the ad as soon as possible and 20% say they will skip it in 5 seconds or less,” according to a study done by Hubspot.

·      Difficult to target the market audience they are looking for…. Unrelated to what the viewer is already watching.

Outstream Video Ads: 

·      Don’t require a pre-existing video. Can be inserted into basically any web page. 

·      Easier to target the right audience because the advertiser will know which sites their ads will go on. An ad for an unhealthy snack won’t be inserted into a webpage that has to do with fitness. You get the idea. 

·      Video will be triggered to begin when the reader reaches a certain point on the site

·      Will stop playing when scrolled past so the viewers have more freedom of choice. 

·      Advertisers only pay if the ad is actually viewed!

It seems obvious why outstreamed advertising is superior to instream at this point. You can target the correct audience more efficiently. You only pay if the advertisement actually viewed. Outstreamed ads don’t annoy the viewer nearly as much as instream and it gives the audience more freedom of choice. We expect to see less instream ads in the coming years and more outstream ads in the digital space.

Creating Value Driven and Empathetic Content in Advertising

Why is empathy so important right now to consumers? The pandemic was absolutely dreadful BUT… it did drive some good shifts and this was definitely one of them. People want to feel some sort of connection with the brands that they decide to support. Now more so than ever. According to Harvard Business Review, “25% of people are healthy first, 16% planet first, and 15% are now society first.” This means that consumers are now trying to choose healthier products, minimize their impact on the environment (thankfully/finally) and want to purchase from brands that they feel are transparent and trustworthy. These new shifts are especially true for the younger generations as well. So, what does this mean for advertisers and marketers? First and foremost, agencies will have to change the way that they do things so that their strategies are focused on a customer driven marketing strategy. Discovering new ways to understand their consumers motivations and needs is key. Brands can use customer feedback and take actions based on the results and do research to see what their audience likes and doesn’t like with other brands. This will take a little digging but the payoff is worth it. A CMIresearch study found that, “the top -performing marketers focus 88% of their marketing programs on prioritizing their audiences’ informational needs.” Next, brands need to be transparent and focus on the value of their content. Less is more and keeping it simple will assist the brand in creating trust between them and their consumers. Be conversational with your content. No one wants to feel like their being talked down to or have information shoved down their throat. Lastly, DEI is at the forefront of societal needs today. Diversity, equality and inclusion. Just in case you weren’t sure what the acronym stood for. Make sure that your marketing strategy is focused on everyone! Be the brand that says, “you can all sit with us!” Personally, we believe that this is why user generated content marketing has exploded in the past few years and it’s here to stay. Nothing says I can trust you like a real person, who’s not a paid actor. People trust “real” people. This type of content advertising creates an empathetic connection as well. It’s easier to feel a connection with videos that were created without any advertisement in mind. Just organic emotions from every day people like you and I. 

Streaming Service Advertising

During the pandemic people were forced to inside due to the stay at home orders. This caused a major uptick in media streaming services all over the world. “With revenues of 15.2 billion in 2018 before the lockdowns it has spiked to 24.1 billion in 2020. It is predicted to hit atleast 30 billion this year alone in 2022 according to Business of Apps. Netflix is the number one leader in streaming with Prime right behind them. According to recent news Netflix lost roughly some 200K people due to price increases so they are considering offering a cheaper, ad lavished version for those that want to opt in. Hulu comes to mind when I think of this because we have the ad version of that service in our home. To be honest, we don’t even mind them and kind of look forward to seeing what fun commercials they come up with for brands because they are short and sweet. With all of these statistics in mind it seems that the streaming ad space is something that brands and agencies should be getting behind and according to Adage streaming viewers are actually becoming more receptive to ads. “It gives advertisers increased brand recognition and recall.” The time for advertising spots in the streaming world is now and it is only going to continue to grow. It’s important that brands and agencies break into this market and make it part of their continued advertising budget and campaigning.

The Different Kinds of Marketing Videos

There are literally tons of types of marketing videos and categories within categories. In this blog we will touch on a few but wanted to preface with that. This isn’t intended to be an all-inclusive article and just merely a guideline to highlight some of the most useful types of marketing videos. Let’s start with “the spot” video. We’ve helped discover and curate hundreds of these. These are short 15-30 second commercials and are great because they can be used virtually anywhere. Between commercial breaks on streaming services, as ads on YouTube. You get the idea. These are also important because people tend to decide in under 30 seconds whether or not they will finish until the end and therefore, must be immediately engaging. User generated content ads are perfect for this type of video for your brand. Next, let’s talk about product marketing videos, which are the most common type. These focus on a brand’s product or service and explain the benefits. This is where brands can connect to market demand and tell a story that’s both conversational and professional (Chameleon). Typically, these are produced but can also be created using user generated content within them. Third, mini documentaries can be done on a brand that showcase a behind the scenes look at the company and its culture. These are generally much longer and treated more like a feature film style of video. Fourth, a behind the scenes style video bring the consumer into your process. This is where brand specialty and craftsmanship can be promoted. Lastly, educational or how-to videos are always a good way to engage consumer to the brand. All in all there are so many more types of marketing videos to engage brands and their target audiences and these are just the tip of the iceberg. Visit these websites to learn more about all the different ways to create engaging video content.

Hubspot | One Market Media | 99 Designs

Video Advertising

92% of B2B prospects consume online video (Whiteboard Animation). This isn’t surprising since the rise of social media platforms that push video formats in the recent decade. In today’s society, banner advertising is a dying art form and the rise of digital video content advertising is here. There are many reasons for video format being at the forefront of the advertising space and,  one of these being that little device that fits in your back pocket. 50% of users watch videos on their mobile devices making video streaming easier than ever (BRID.TV). Here is a list of some of the top reasons to use video advertising.  

1.     Attention spans are shorter and a video can get brand messages across in a shorter amount of time. Keeping the video between 15-30 seconds is recommended so you don’t lose the attention of the viewers. “73% of consumers decide in less than 30 seconds if they will watch to the end of the video.” (Social Sorted)

2.     Video gets the message across better than other formats. A picture is worth a thousand words all of which can be determined by the creative mind of the viewers. A video is better in conveying particular brand messages because it takes the guess work out of it for the viewers. Emotional impacts of videos are important. 

3.     Videos engage the brands target audience. Most people are more apt to buy a product if they are able to watch a video on it. Videos are easy to share and are suitable for different purposes. Stay tuned for our blog on the different types of marketing videos coming soon. 

4.     Videos help generate new leads. 93% of businesses reported getting new customer leads on social thanks to video according to Hosting Canada.

5.     Videos raise brand awareness and increase website traffic. Google favors videos on the search engine results page. 

It seems like creating campaigns in video format is the way to go in today’s day in age. Making sure that the beginning of the video has a “hook line and sinker’” cadence to catch consumers attention immediately is key to success. With attention spans that are shorter and shorter the video has to reel in the viewer in the beginning to be an effective marketing tool. Videos create an emotional connection with consumers and should be in the forefront of every businesses marketing strategy. 

NFT’s…What’s the Big Deal?!

Non-fungible tokens. What are they? Why are they important? Everyone everywhere seems to be slightly confused on what these are exactly. We recently wrote a blog on the metaverse and what it is so now we want to dive into this topic of NFT’s a little deeper. Upon our searching, we found one of the best descriptions of what an NFT is exactly. Think of them as trading cards. Each one is different from the other and there is only one original that can be bought. Each NFT is created of a specific blockchain unique to itself. Though this original can be reproduced and sold, there will still only be one true original, such as piece of art in a museum. Think about it, you can go to the gift shop after your visit and buy postcards with the painting you just looked at on them but the only true original will be the one hanging on the wall. So, what’s the big deal? Why would someone want to buy one of these things? Well, it seems that it is geared toward creatives and collectors. Anything digital can be sold as an NFT. Art, digital design, articles, music, virtual trading cards and even gaming supplies such as helmets, armor, guns, etc. Gaming was actually one of the first places that you could buy an NFT. An NFT’s value is expected to increase over time just like that of a trading card. Also, the owner will make percentages off of copies made and sold just as in the real world. Artists can make money off of their digital NFT art and buyers can purchase one of kind art in hopes that the value will increase over time just like in the real world of buying and trading art. “Some think this is the future of art but some just treat it like trading Pokémon’ cards” (The Verge). Either way, it could be another stream of revenue for artists and creatives alike. I guess we will just have to see where this goes. 

Full Speed Ahead/Earth Day 2022

Here at Locomotive, we like trains. However, we though it important to make a statement on the impacts that they do have on the environment. You see us post steam engines on our stories but we are not oblivious to the fact of the fossil fuel problems they can create. The CO2 they pollute the air with is substantial due to the burning of fossil fuels. The steam engine in particular produces higher emissions. That being said, railroads are still actually one of the most efficient ways to transport freight across the country, so most are modernizing their systems to reduce impacts on the environment. “Moving freight by train instead of truck reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75%.” (AAR) This is because they are more fuel efficient than trucks and move much faster.  

At our company, we love what the metaphor of a train stands for. It represents being unstoppable, getting things done and forward progression. This is why we chose it as our emblem. When the train first arrived in the 18th Century, it brought with it a new notion of industrialization that propelled society into a new era of business and trade since it was now cheaper and easier to produce in large quantities. Our values lie in progress as a culture and as a collective in the industry that we’re so proud to be a part of. The idea of progression has a much different meaning in today’s world. For us it’s inclusion, diversity, equality for a better world tomorrow. These are things that we are bringing to the table in the years to come. Being an equal opportunity employer that bridges the wage gap for women in the industry is just one way we contribute to this progress. We also want to put emphasis on sustainability through business to do our part for environmental efforts. We do this by remaining a fully remote business and have no intentions of changing that. This helps lower the world’s CO2 emissions for unnecessary work commutes. There are many ways a business can become more ecofriendly. Here are just a few: 

1.     Such as using energy saving bulbs

2.     Offering remote work as we do or assist with public transit

3.     Recycle

4.     Choose sustainable suppliers

5.     Unplug electronic when not in use

6.     Provide clean drinking water to reduce plastic bottles

7.     Use indoor plants to improve air quality

Deciding to do your part for climate change is a small win in itself. The more people that join the movement the better! It’s up to each and every one of us to do a little more each day to improve our planet’s health. It’s the small daily habits that add up to BIG changes in the end. One world. One community. 

Marketing Challenge Predictions 2022

Since the unforeseen pandemic, the marketing and advertising industries will be facing their own new challenges as a result. There are many different opinions of what types of hurdles will come this year but we’ve put together a list of the top 5 that seem to be on every bullet point list out there right now. 

1.     Gaining new leads

2.     Using multichannel marketing strategy

3.     Reaching the brand target market

4.     Complying with GDPR 

5.     Keeping up with fast changing market needs

There are many solutions presented to each one of these issues that brands face that require a personalized approach. Here at Locomotive we believe that the needs of every business vary greatly and a “paint by numbers” approach will not work across the board so we’ve added some links here to help you navigate the waters of these obstacles. To read more about marketing problems and possible solutions visit any or all of these websites. 

Linkpin | PYXL | Ignite Visibility | StrategiQ

What is the Metaverse?!?

 This term metaverse has been popping up everywhere as of late and if you’re like us, you’re still a little confused as to what this actually means and how it will affect businesses. It seems that people are being urged to grab their spot in this virtual world. But why? And to what benefit would one gain from this? We decided to do a little research of our own to better understand what this new virtual world really means. According to an article written by VICE magazine, “the metaverse is an all-encompassing digital world that exists parallel to the real world.” The term was actually coined from a sci-fi novel, Snow Crash written by Neal Stephenson in 1992, which is very interesting. This is 3D world of the internet. My thoughts first go to Simms World but most say it’s much like games, such as Fortnite. In the metaverse, users will be able to create, sell and buy goods. Some argue that creating this digital economy will boost our economy IRL. However, the question on our minds and I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing, “why would I want to buy a house, clothes and the like for an avatar in a world that is technically not “real?” Don’t we all have enough to worry about financially in reality? Well, ROI or return on investments. This is the largest driving factor in the argument for purchasing digital properties. These properties aren’t limited to real estate. It can also include things like art, music, graphic designs, etc. Purchases must be made using NFT currency in the metaverse. NFT’s have a specific unique blockchain for each one created. They give the investor ownership of the virtualized asset. This was spawn from cryptocurrency that is created in a similar fashion. “Cryptocurrency is a form of digital asset based on a network that is distributed across a large number of computers. This decentralized structure allows them to exist outside the control of governments.” (Investopedia) This is another blog all in itself but I need to touch base a bit in order to fully understand NFT’s. it has been described as like purchasing a domain name. The purchasers of the NFT’s in the early stages of the meta are seeing the costs of the same properties increasing in value substantially. To be specific roughly 500% since Facebook transitioned to meta (CNBC). The potential financial gain also lies in the fact that these virtual worlds can be rented out. Say Nike wants to rent a space in your virtual mall for their metaverse line. Yes, this does exist already. They have monopoly on the shoe commerce as of now in cyberspace. Basically, the metaverse still has a long way to go in terms of development. Some speculate about 10 years before it’s fully developed. Business owners are seeing potential profits in the future for their properties in the metaverse and thus, the reason for businesses to break into this space now. It is up to each business to decide if the metaverse is right for them. It depends on a lot of factors. What type of business it is, does it financially make sense, and does the company believe that the metaverse will be the future. Some are still skeptical. Bottom line, it’s important for businesses to do research into this new world and decide if being part of it is right for them. One size does not fit all. 

National Volunteer Week 2022

Yesterday began the first day of National Volunteer week and we would like to extend our appreciation of all those that volunteer in our communities. There are so many ways in which people can volunteer and so many good reasons why they should. For example, it is a good way to learn new skills, gain real world experience, and make yourself more employable. This is especially important for younger generations looking to break into the work force during or directly after college. Aside from these, you can help make an impact in someone’s life and empower others while connecting with your community making powerful connections. Where you volunteer depends on what your interests are really. Some examples of where you can volunteer include: aiding at your local soup kitchen, summer camps, tutoring at schools, homeless shelters, nursing homes assisting the elderly or hospitals, and blood drives are just a few. The list is truly endless. If you’re interested in volunteering a good site to visit is Volunteer Match where they assist you in searching places that fits your interests near your current location. Just punch in the city or zip and your all set to begin your volunteering journey. 

Destressing Your Work Life

April is National Stress Awareness month. Work stress tends to creep up on all of us despite how much we may love our jobs. According to the Mental Health Foundation, “people affected by work-related stress lose an average of 24 days of work due to ill health.” Whether it be in the office or working from home it’s important to realize what ways stress manifests itself in your body. Every-body is different. Here are 10 quick tips to destress your body and mind throughout the work day. 

1.     Eat healthy. You literally are what you eat. When you chose healthy foods over processed ones your mind and body will reflect that. You will think clearer and feel better from getting proper amounts of essential vitamins, minerals and overall nutrients. And please don’t forget to eat. A lot of people get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle and get hyper focused on working. This is all bad but make sure to set reminders in your calendar to eat lunch and snack. Not eating enough can affect your mood and not to mention slow your metabolism.  

2.     Exercise at your desk. Take a 5-minute break here and there when you’re feeling fatigued. Do some jumping jacks, pushups, maybe even some burpees. Get your blood flowing. This is especially good right before a big meeting. There are even some companies, such as BurnAlong that assist employers. They specialize in instructional videos for mental and physical wellbeing. They even offer nutritional counseling. 

3.     Focus on your breathing. Take a few minutes away from your work day to meditate and just simply breath. It’s amazing what this simple act can do for our bodies that we so easily take for granted every moment. Apps, such as Calm help guide you through this if you’re unsure where to begin. 

4.     Step away for a moment. Run a work errand and get a change of scenery for a few minutes. You could even go grab a cup of calming tea from the break room or your kitchen if you’re working from home. 

5.     Stay hydrated! The general rule is to drink 8 glasses of water per day but an even better marker is to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day. If you’re one of those people who finds this difficult buy yourself a large reusable water bottle to make keeping track that much easier. Not to mention it’s better for the environment anyway ;) 

6.     Listen to your favorite jams! Put in your ear buds or air pods and listen to your favorite music while you work! 

7.     Keep your space organized! Your outside space reflects your inside space. Declutter your mind and your desk. 

8.     Have a quick stretch. Sitting all day can take a toll on your body. Muscle soreness and stiffness can restrict blood flow. Get up a stretch every hour or so. Set an alarm to remind yourself. 

9.     Prioritize your tasks accordingly. Focus on the harder tasks first thing in the morning when your fresh and more alert. This can make the rest of the day more manageable and will give more flexibility to handle unexpected concerns that may arise later in the day. 

10.  Positive beliefs. Say affirmations at the beginning of your work day. Just pick one positive thing about yourself that you believe to be true. It can be something like, “I am great at (insert something in your work-related field here) and have the skills necessary to be an asset to my team.” You can make this one whatever you like but keep it positive and keep it something unique to you. The way that we speak to ourselves is important. Our subconscious mind believes what we tell it. 

In a nut shell, we all have work stress and there’s no getting around it. What truly matters is how we learn to cope with and manage it. Learning new ways to help deal with work stress with keep you productive as your overall wellbeing isn’t being compromised. Healthy mind. Healthy body. Healthy work life! 

Reflection 2022

And just like that the first quarter of the year is already gone! As a business, we always wonder what the new year ahead will bring in comparison to last, so we started to reflect on the projects and partnerships that we have helped create so far this year. We honestly love what we do and firmly believe that life is all about the connections we make with one another. This is one of the reasons why here at Locomotive we believe so deeply in the brand connections with consumers through the use of sourced content advertising. We’re so grateful for new partnerships with ad agencies that have come to fruition this year. You know who you are and thank you for deciding to work with us! As far as campaigns go, some that we’re most proud of so far this year are: Xbox featuring Khaby Lame, Ritz Crackers: A Taste of Welcome, Comcast Lift Zone and the March Madness Oreo: Stay Playful spots. So far, we’ve been sharing blogs on advertising trends, creative tips, and other important topics in the industry. We hope you’re enjoying what we have to say but we thought it would be a nice breath of fresh air to just say thank you to all of our partners. We’re so grateful to have help discover and clear content for your campaigns. We’re very much looking forward to see what the future has in store for us. Stay tuned for more fun upcoming spots. Cheers to another great year ahead!

The Legal Side of Sourced Content

Obtaining sourced content can come with a dark side. We find it interesting that so many articles found on the internet state that using sourced content is actually free. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Users are protected by U.S. Copyright Laws. The content that they create is considered to be their intellectual property and permissions must be granted from the owner of a video or photo. This also means that anyone seen in the video or photo must give permission for use as well. There is also something called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that criminalizes production and publication of technology, devices, or services intended to bypass measures that control access to copyrighted works (Wikipedia). Basically, it’s a copyright law intended for the digital world that protects website operators but not the speakers. For example, if I posted a user generated videos in a commercial that I edited on my home computer with sourced content and did not get permission from the video owners, they can come after me but not the social media platform itself if that makes sense. This is why getting the proper licensing for videos is vital! Permission must be granted from the copyright owner and releases obtained from anyone in the videos, photos, or even audio tracks. Having professionals source videos for ad agencies that don’t specialize in the field is tricky business. Indemnification for the license of the content should be obtained in a case of a situation where someone falsely claims content that was not theirs by copyright. This is where companies that specialize in UGC, such as us, come in handy. We have a very strict verification process and are able to identify red flags early one during the clearance process. This allows us to protect our client partners from any legal issues so that they’re commercials are free of any liability. Since this type of advertising space is fairly new the waters are still being navigated by most but our founder and CEO has almost 20 years of experience with licensing and agreements in the sourced content field. Legal issues are no

Creating Good Content

We’ve all created a video at some point on our social media channels but what makes one video creator more effective than another? High quality UGC videos are important when sourcing in the advertising space most of the time, so it’s important that content creators make high quality videos. So, let’s dive a little deeper into what makes a video great. First, let’s discuss authenticity. This is the most important aspect of one’s social media presence. If you’re unsure of how to narrow down your online personality, start by asking yourself these questions to help you figure it out. What five personality traits/words do you have that would use to describe yourself? Examples would be capable, direct, etc. (Angela Chang, blogger/social media marketer). Also, take a few minutes to write down topics that are important to you. What are they? Unless you’re into politics, may we suggest staying away from heated political topics? Anything else is fair game. After you do this, what are some things that you absolutely do not want to discuss on your platform? Even choosing particular aesthetics for your page, such as a color pallet to stick with, is important. If you had to pick only two what would they be? Now that you have taken the time to answer all of these questions, let’s chat about making good content videos. Three things of high importance that first come to mind are quality, authenticity, which I touched on a bit already, and consistency. Always ensure that the video quality is the best that it can be. Without quality, you will lose engagement from viewers who have come to expect high-quality content (Forbes). Also, a recent study, “revealed that, content and technical quality of UGC have significant effects on UGC’s functional and emotional values” (Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, VOL 21, NO1, 2020). Filming horizontal is always good practice. Vertical is alright from time to time but it’s most important to make sure that the video is not blurry and does not contain any logos. Aside from being logo free, be sure to wear clothing without any striking patterns. This will make it more appealing to the agencies who source user generated content for advertisements. Secondly, be yourself. Organic content is always more alluring than something that looks overly produced or scripted. Have slight control over the narrative and try filming a lot of raw videos. Then, you can choose what you like from these and edit it together later. Authenticity is what will build trust between you and your audience. Finally, be consistent. As with anything, consistency is key. Being consistent will keep your followers with you long-term. Posting 3-5 times weekly is always a good place to start. Think about TikTok star Khaby Lame. He has a very specific style. His sarcastic style is shown through overly exaggerated facial expressions in each and every single one of his videos. He has his own online voice (which for him is actually no voice at all), he is consistent with the type of content he posts and it is always authentic to his particular style. Overall, creating great user generated content isn’t rocket science but that doesn’t mean it’s not difficult. Using these simple tips will help you improve on your filming technique and assist you in finding your unique online voice. Happy filming creators!