User Generated Content in Theme Park Lovers of Color
I am blessed with a Facebook group full of people willing to contribute their own content to help the group grow. For example, I reached out to the members of my group via a post asking for whoever felt comfortable to share videos with me they had taken at theme parks. This included videos of them and their loved ones, videos of shows or parades, character interactions, or anything that held a positive theme park memory for them. At the end, I compiled the videos together in a sort of short advertisement for the group, to show my Instagram followers how much theme parks mean to my community and how we come together to celebrate that.
My members do not always need a call to action to share with the group. As I said before, I am very lucky for this, as I know it can sometimes be difficult to facilitate organic participation. Members contribute anything from theme park-inspired outfits, throwback pictures and videos, and theme park-related news. However, it absolutely is easier to find user generated content in my group when I make a call for it. A post I made asking people to “drop their favorite castle pics [in the comments] below” garnered 89 comments of photos and replies. My initial request for people to make posts introducing themselves encouraged the sharing of so many meaningful posts, including photos, videos, and heartfelt stories surrounding theme parks.
There is always more I can do to encourage user generated content. Like the Blackhawks’ #WhatsYourGoal campaign succeeds in using social media to build relationships and really connect with their audience, I can see myself using a scheduled day once per week to really encourage my members to share with one another. By embracing “both emotional content and community” in outreach, the Blackhawks solidify their fan base and humanize themselves beyond their celebrity status. This week has inspired me to start #ThemeParkThursdays — a series of themed days — for example, a day about character interactions — surrounding a particular aspect of theme park fandom that encourages members to share photos, videos, or stories surrounding the theme.
The No Go Britain video proves that user generated content can enact positive change. Positive change is the goal of my group. From the beginning, I wanted to create an environment where creators of color could thrive and support one another, and if social media can investigate transportation for people with disabilities, it can certainly facilitate a place for influencers of color to grow as a result of their own shared content. I believe that user generated content is the beginning of a long life, both for my group, and for theme park content creators of color.