User generated content best practices:
Like every other content marketing campaign, UGC can go horribly wrong if you don’t plan things wisely.
1. Beware of spam content:
Most UGC, if not moderated, can result in spam content. Since this is user generated content, your users are free to submit the form of content they like.
If you don’t check that what they write and submit, it can result in loss of credibility and at the worst can result in search engine penalty.
Mozilla was penalised by Google just because it had accumulated some spammy user generated content on its website.
This is only true in case of forms of UGC like comments, reviews or testimonials where you don’t have control as to who generates the content.
When you are doing expert roundups or guest blogging you know and select people who are reputed hence no chance of spamming.
2. Thin content issues:
User generated content like comments, forum answers are often thin content with little or no in-depth discussion over the topic. And, Google’s complex algorithm is wise enough to detect such spammy and thin content even if it is on an authority site like QuickSprout.
Neil Patel finally shut down his forum because it did more bad than good with its user generated thin content.
3. Beware of legal issues:
With more power comes more responsibility. This is equally true with UGC. While UGC empowers brands to use content generated by users for their own benefits, sometimes they cross copyright borders in the attempt.
You have to aware that user generated content is ethically protected by their own rights. To stay away from legal hassles and search engine penalties, you have to make sure that they deliver you the rights to use their content.
Crocs, a wearable product retailer, fell into copyright issues when it pulled out an Instagram picture of one of it’s users and placed it as UGC on their website.
Bloggers and marketers need to be careful before posting a guest post on their blog. Don’t forget to ensure the post is owned by the writer and also restrict them from publishing the posts elsewhere.
Similarly, don’t use a testimonial of others without making sure the user gave you permission to use their words for your business purpose.
These all might not seem so important and legal actions are not that common; still when they happen, they can wipe out every trace of your success and brand.
Over to you: Here is how to leverage UGC
User generated content is something everyone is talking about these days.
Bigger brands use it extensively but as bloggers and marketers we can still leverage our readers and fellow marketers to create awesome UGC that will help us increase traffic, generate revenue and most importantly build a strong connection with our peers and followers.
I would suggest you to go and leverage some UGC for building the blog momentum you have always been dreaming of.
Request an expert to appear for an interview on your blog or better request 5, 10 or 40 of them to conduct a roundup post.
Let me know the result. 
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