Making UGC WorkMaking UGC Work

Presented by Kim Pittaway, kimpittaway.comPresented by Kim Pittaway, kimpittaway.com

My background

• Magazine writer, editor and editorial consultant

• Have worked with a range of publications on online strategies, from large circ mags to small literaries

• Goal of this session: to equip you to create a plan for generating engaging and cost-effective UGC

Today’s session

• 4 case studies• 7 lessons

The Case Studies

• 48 Hours--an almost instant magazine• AllRecipes.com & Yelp--stand-alone UGC• Ushahidi & the Gulf Coast oil spill--

contributing to a larger story

48 hours

• Announced April 27-ish• Website/blog to take users/contibutors

behind the scene• Promoted on Twitter, industry blogs,

mainstream media--immediate buzz• Buzz boosted by having list of high-

profile participants already in place

48 hours

• Concept: – Editors determine issue theme – Theme unveiled on Friday at noon– Contributors have until Sat at 4 to submit– Team of editors/designers screen and edit and

design over next 20 hours– Files sent to MagCloud Sunday at noon – Digital edition available asap; print edition shortly

thereafter– May 7: Theme announced: Hustle

48 hours

• Blogged process to take users behind the screen; posted “Inspired” clips relating to theme

• Over 1500 pieces submitted• 70 pieces selected; 60-page magazine

published

48 hours

• Paid all contributors (based on 48 days of sales)

48 hours

Voila!

48 hours

And the PDF looks like….

48 Hours

• Contest-like atmosphere--will you be among the “winning” contributors?

• Tight timeline• Status of other contributors• Unique project• High hip/buzz factor• Used the web--but created a print

product

AllRecipes.com

AllRecipes.com

• Over 44,000 user-contributed recipes• 9-16 million monthly uniques• 3.6 million members• Since 2008, added local editions for

Argentina, Australia & New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Quebec, Russia, SE Asia, UK & Ireland

AllRecipes.com

AllRecipes.com

AllRecipes.com

As a user, I can contribute in multiple ways:• Recipe• Photo• Review• ListI can also customize content to suit my needs:• Formats• Quantities• Shopping list• Recipe box• Customize recipe

Yelp.com

• 0ver 10 million local reviews of restaurants, businesses and services

• In US, Canada, UK, France & Ireland• All reviews are user-contributed

Yelp.com

• Combines elements of social network and review site

• Users post reviews and photos, rate other reviews, create lists, send compliments & messages to other users

• Reviewers awarded status by Yelp--”Elite”--and by other users through rating of reviews

• Home page “Review of the Day”

Ushahidi

• Open-source software that collects and displays crowdsourced news submitted via mobile phone or internet

• Originated in Kenya as a crisis reporting tool

• Contributors aren’t crafting “the whole story”--they’re contributing small pieces of it

Ushahidi & BP Spill

• Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) enviro group and Tulane University class had just launched an interactive map of Louisiana’s frequent oil refinery accidents

• Day of final class: Deepwater Horizon rig exploded

• LABB launched Oil Spill Crisis Map to track BP spill

Ushahidi

• Users can contribute – a little or a lot– Words, images, video– Using a mobile phone, Twitter or the internet

Users get- to see their input contribute to creating a bigger

picture- To track the development of an on-going story

The lessons

1. Create buzz• Attach celebrities• Create urgency through time constraints• Get the message out through social media

and traditional media• Timeliness helps (BP, 48 Hours)

The lessons

2. Build in status-building opportunities* Did I mention celebrities?* Reward those who contribute a lot/high quality* Let other users bestow status through rating/voting

The lessons

3. Allow different levels of contribution* Keeners can do more but slackers can still be in the game* AllRecipes--even if I can’t create a recipe, I can take a picture or contribute a review

The lessons

4. Make it easy* Let people use the tools they have--Ushahidi lets you contribute using your phone or computer* Make it interstitial if possible--so I can contribute in the moments between doing other things* Understand your users’ level of likely contribution/technological sophistication

The lessons

5. Make it fun* Did I mention status?* Let people collect points, badges, multiple opportunities to win* Urgency/time contraints can boost the fun factor* Recognize that even adults like to play--can you make some element of it game-like?* Recognize what people like to share: there’s a reason “pet of the day” and wacky weather photos are popular

The lessons

6. Shape it* Recognize that UGC isn’t free: you may still need to shape the content (either in the front end through appropriate templates, or in the back end through testing, compiling, editing, etc--or, more likely, at both ends!)

The lessons

7. Think it through!* Don’t just put out a call for content: Create a plan* Look for multiple platform opportunities--Extend the reach of your UGC* Create a promotion plan to get the word out to potential contributors

Thank you!