Consumer-generated media (CGM) is all the creative content produced by individuals, through basic or semi-professional digital tools. It can be in any format – written, audio or video. Examples of CGM include posting on social networks, photo sharing, blogging, making podcasts, video blogs and much more. Consumers create and share this content online; thereby, it differs from professional media. CGM is of great interest to marketers, brand managers, and market researchers, as it offers valuable insights on products, services, brands, and companies.
What is the meaning of Consumer-Generated Media?
The term “consumer-generated media” means online content created by end-users. CGM can be any kind of content – video, audio, written, photo, or multimedia. Consumers use basic or semi-professional tools to create and share their content online. This could be through photo-sharing apps, podcasts, social media, video blogs and much more. People create unique content that differs from professional media.
How is Consumer-Generated Media related to Word-of-Mouth Behavior on the Internet?
Consumers use the internet to discuss and share opinions, experiences, advice, and comments about brands, services, and products. The term consumer-generated media (CGM) captures all the user-generated, unique content shared with a broader audience through social media platforms, blogs, discussion forums, bulletin boards, Usenet newsgroups and blogs. This type of behavior is known as word-of-mouth behavior on the Internet.
Why is Consumer-Generated Media important for Marketers and Brand Managers?
Consumer-generated media (CGM) offers important insights to marketers, brand managers, and market researchers. It allows them to get feedback on brands, services, products, companies, and gather customer insights, opinions, recommendations, and preferences. The best part is that CGM leaves a digital, archival trail that can be analyzed using algorithm-based technologies. Brands can use these insights to improve their marketing strategy, understand customer needs and preferences, and develop a better product or service.
What formats can Consumer-Generated Media include?
Consumer-generated media includes all kinds of formats. This can be text, image, video, audio, podcasts, and other forms of multimedia. Consumers use basic or semi-professional digital tools to create and publish their unique content on various platforms, websites and services on the Internet.
Why is CGM important for Market Researchers?
Consumer-generated media (CGM) offers valuable insights to market researchers, helping them to analyze and understand consumer behavior, opinions, and trends related to brands, products, and services. By analyzing CGM, market researchers can gather unique data in real-time, which helps them make informed decisions about market research, product innovation, and support for marketing and advertising strategies. CGM is a great way for companies to understand customer needs and preferences, and get in touch with their audience.
What are some examples of Consumer-Generated Media?
Consumer-generated media (CGM) can incorporate anything that a consumer creates and wants to share with others. Examples of CGM include photo-sharing, vlogging, podcasts, posting on social media, and blogging. As long as it is user-generated and made available through an online website or service on the Internet, it is considered consumer-generated media.
How impactful can Consumer-Generated Media be on Brands?
Consumer-generated media (CGM) can affect brand perception positively or negatively. Consumers trust CGM over advertisements, which makes it a powerful way for brands to interact with their audience. Positive reviews and recommendations can contribute to building brand awareness, reputation, and trust. Negative experiences, feedback, or reviews can damage the brand’s reputation; therefore, it is crucial to monitor the consumer-generated media and handle any negative feedback promptly. Brands can leverage CGM to improve their customer experience and create loyal customers.
Final thoughts
Consumer-generated media (CGM) is gaining importance as modern technology has made it easy for anyone to create and publish their content online. CGM offers valuable insights to marketers, brand managers, and market researchers by providing an archive of digital content to analyze customer behavior, opinions, and preferences. It is crucial for brands to monitor CGM and handle any negative feedback promptly. Brands can leverage CGM to develop a better product, understand their audience and improve their customer experience.
FAQs
What is Consumer-Generated Media?
Consumer-generated media (CGM) is all the digital content produced by individuals, through basic or semi-professional means, such as social media platforms or blogs.
What are the formats Consumer-Generated Media can include?
Consumer-generated media can include various types of content: text, image, video, audio, podcasts, and other multimedia.
What insights can Market Researchers get from Consumer-Generated Media?
Market researchers use consumer-generated media to analyze and understand consumer behavior, opinions, and preferences related to products, services, and brands. This data helps them make informed decisions, support advertising strategies, and innovate products.
