In a marketplace defined by competition and constant evolution, one of the most influential drivers of consumer spending is social proof, often in the form of user-generated content (UGC), online reviews, and influencer content. But many organizations still operate in silos, despite the growing demand for a unified commerce approach. According to Gartner, cross-functional and integrated operations are the key to achieving digital commerce maturity, a trend that’s expected to become mainstream.
Brands that take a more integrated approach to their social media strategy – combining UGC, influencer marketing, and Ratings & Reviews into one unified platform – are seeing real results. Here are five reasons why unifying these solutions can help brands maximize the impact of their social media efforts.
Integrated commerce offerings have a direct correlation to sales
One of the biggest advantages of integrating commerce activities is the impact it has on sales. When UGC, ratings & reviews, and influencer content all work together, they create a seamless, trust-building experience for consumers. Emplifi’s research found that just adding 0-5 reviews to a product page can lead to a nearly 10% increase in conversions.
Moreover, 90% of consumers say that customer ratings and reviews are the most important factor when making purchasing decisions, even more than price or return policies. That makes the need for a robust Ratings & Reviews solution more crucial than ever.
With Emplifi’s Ratings & Reviews offering, brands can harness the power of social proof through features like review incentives, sweepstakes, syndication, and integration with sampling providers. The key takeaway? The more reviews you can collect, the better your chances of driving consumer trust and boosting conversions.
Amplify your reviews with UGC and visual content
Reviews don’t have to remain confined to product pages. Brands like Navy Hair Care are showcasing reviews across their website, integrating them with UGC galleries for a richer, more interactive experience. By adding visual UGC to their strategy, Navy Hair Care saw a 264% increase in repeat visits.
This approach also allows brands to practice social listening, giving them insights into what consumers are saying and engaging them in meaningful ways. UGC brings authenticity to reviews, making the content feel more trustworthy and dynamic for shoppers.
In fact, 54% of consumers say they regularly seek out pictures or videos from real people before purchasing an item. Displaying UGC alongside reviews can create a more compelling and persuasive customer journey.
Get more value out of influencer collaborations
If you’re working with influencers, why not maximize the value of these partnerships? With Emplifi’s Creator Reviews feature, brands can streamline their influencer collaborations by asking influencers to provide product reviews in exchange for gifted items. This feature simplifies the process, creating an automated workflow where influencers can leave reviews alongside their social posts.
Influencer content can also be repurposed in UGC galleries, extending the visibility of their posts beyond social media. This amplifies both the influencer’s reach and your brand’s content, giving influencers more exposure while driving engagement and conversions on your site.
Unifying content and social marketing for greater impact
When you unify UGC, Ratings & Reviews, and influencer content under one platform, you unlock synergies that create more shoppable and engaging content. For example, you can combine visual reviews, star ratings, and influencer posts into a single gallery, making it easier for consumers to explore and trust your products.
Unified platforms also help reduce your team’s workload by automating processes like content permissioning and publishing. Instead of managing multiple platforms, you can streamline your efforts, allowing you to focus on delivering a cohesive and compelling customer experience.
Here are a few ways Emplifi’s platform helps brands leverage social proof for maximum impact:
Leverage UGC for marketing: Use authentic UGC to power your social posts, saving on content creation costs.
Make “link in bio” shoppable: Drive more traffic and conversions by integrating UGC into your “link in bio” strategy.
Auto-permission content: Set up rules for influencer content that allow you to automatically permission posts for use across channels.
Unified reporting and governance
Another key benefit of unifying these solutions is the ability to track performance across all your marketing and commerce activities. Emplifi’s platform enables brands to see comprehensive analytics for UGC, social media, Ratings & Reviews, and influencer content in one place. This unified reporting ensures you have a clear view of how your content is driving engagement, traffic, and conversions.
Additionally, with everything managed from one platform, you can maintain tighter governance over your content and processes. This includes user permissions, content approvals, and compliance across teams and regions, helping you stay in control while scaling your operations.
Takeaways: The power of unification
Integrating UGC, Ratings & Reviews, influencer content, and social marketing into a unified platform offers powerful benefits for brands looking to enhance their social media strategy. By breaking down silos and bringing these key elements together, brands can boost engagement, conversions, and overall efficiency. Here are some of the main takeaways from this approach:
Unified solutions drive sales: A platform that combines UGC, influencer content, and Ratings & Reviews helps brands build trust and increase conversions. Consumers rely heavily on social proof to make purchasing decisions, and having all this content in one place creates a more seamless shopping experience.
UGC amplifies reviews and engagement: Integrating visual UGC with reviews brings a more dynamic and authentic element to the customer journey. Brands that display real customer photos and videos alongside reviews see higher engagement and repeat visits.
Maximize the value of influencer partnerships: Using Emplifi’s Creator Reviews feature, brands can encourage influencers to leave reviews for gifted products, amplifying the authenticity and reach of influencer collaborations. This also extends the value of their content beyond social media.
Streamlined content and reporting: A unified platform simplifies the process of managing content, permissions, and reporting. With everything in one place, brands can reduce workload while gaining a full view of how UGC, reviews, and influencer content are performing across channels.
By unifying these key social marketing solutions, brands can deliver a more cohesive and impactful customer experience that leads to higher engagement, more conversions, and better long-term results.
