User generated content: users can create any content in a variety of forms: text, photos, videos and audio and this content can be placed on infinite platforms such as Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter, blog sites etc.
UGC offers many advantages to companies and users across the globe:
- It is free for the company – no salaries are paid and no company time is used.
- Increases search engine rankings by having frequently created content from a wide variety of sources.
- It is considered more trustworthy and authentic than company created content.
- Enriches user experience through engagement and provides a voice to the average person.
At UBC, students and professors have access to large amounts of information relating to the University and its practices. For example, students can locate the University newspaper the “Ubyssey” online, each faculty can access their faculty website, everyone has access to the UBC generic website, students and professors can subscribe to UBC tweets and Facebook page, UBC REC has their own site etc. However, these sites are not connected in any way and users have to access each site individually seeking the information they need. All of this information is available, yet it is so hard to locate.
Addressing this issue flawlessly, the University of Wisconsin-Madison launched a site on April 18th (just for a one day trial) called UWRightNow. The idea is simply to provide a single platform to compile all student/professor/faculty Tweets, Facebook statuses, videos, photos, blogs etc. that relate to UW in some form. For example, a professor Tweeting that his class is cancelled could use the hashtag #UW and his Tweet would appear on this platform. Similarly, videos from varsity football games could be uploaded in the same manner or photos from a Halloween party.
This site is a great example of primarily UGC (although some University generated content) being provided in real time through a variety of mediums onto one platform. A possible improvement might be to allow users to ‘subscribe’ or select who they wish to see when they enter the site. Being able to tailor the site to their needs will reduce noise, irrelevant content and information overload. I definitely think this idea has a lot of potential for Universities worldwide – it keeps students in the loop of events going on, opportunities for involvement and how to make the most of their University experience.