One of the newest trends in media, user-generated content, is starting to sweep the ad world. This month, Callaway Golf began allowing golf fans the chance to create and submit an ad they can post on ESPN.com, as well as on their Facebook walls. Callaway Golf is not the first company to offer their customers this feature, they're one of a growing number of brands including Saab Automobile who believe that user-generated content is the wave of the future. While the benefits of having a free ad created for you are obvious, there are even greater benefits to this strategy that may not be immediately apparent. One of the biggest of these is the idea that people tend to choose products and services based on the recommendations of friends and family, regardless of expert opinion. In the age of digital television and the internet, consumers are faced with a massive amount of choice in the marketplace on nearly every product or service they'll ever buy. The problem for advertisers is that, with this many options, each individual advertising message becomes lost in the crowd. Because of this fact, advertisers are increasingly turning to user-generated or "hyperlocal" content. It's really a brilliant move, especially when combined with social networking. It's easy to comprehend the potential of this strategy if you think of a social group of people as its own miniature market. If you use the loyalty of your brand's fans to create user-generated content that will have an increased impact within their respective social circles or "markets", this can ultimately add up to real-world market dominance. While large brands such as Saab and Callaway are certainly benefiting from this strategy, smaller companies may be able to use it to even greater effect. One of the major hurdles for a small business to overcome on its way to becoming a major player is simple brand recognition. There aren't many small firms with the advertising budget to run a major network tv ad or buy space in national publications, but one of the best features of user-generated, social networking campaigns is that they cost almost nothing. The first thing to do is to set the guidelines for what type of content you'd like your fans to create, and then spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and your own website. You'll be surprised at the results!
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