Aside from the park’s attractions – rides, games, shows and the like, there are few things amusement park visitors love more than sharing their experiences on social media.
Whether it’s a Facebook video of them screaming on a ride, a fun snap with the park mascot, or an Instagram post of the amazing funnel cake they just ate, your guests are creating and sharing user-generated content (UGC) that shows how much fun they’re having at your park.
It probably comes as no surprise that 92% of consumers trust word of mouth more than any kind of advertising. As amusement parks work to inspire new visitors or season pass holders to visit again, there’s no better way than with authentic, trustworthy UGC.
Want to use UGC to get more people into your amusement park? We’ll help you understand how to get rights to UGC so you can rest easy knowing you’re playing by the rules.
1. Encourage park guests to make content findable
It all starts with being able to find the visuals park visitors are sharing. Park guests are already taking photos and videos and sharing their experiences in real-time. By creating and promoting your park and attraction-specific hashtags, you’ll show people how to make that content findable.
Take for example this Instagram photo taken at Dollywood. By creating and promoting a dedicated hashtag, the park was able to easily search for, and collect, any UGC including the tag.
Want more park guests to share their photos and videos? Consider kicking things off by having park staff share content with the hashtag, display the hashtag on attraction signage and stickers, and include hashtags on any print and digital promotion materials.
2. Want to use guest visuals in your marketing? Just ask!
Most guests are excited when an amusement park reaches out asking to use their photo or video – who doesn’t like being celebrated? There are just a few things to keep in mind when it comes to respecting the rights to that content.
First, it’s important to remember that you don’t always need rights. If you’re displaying UGC through the post’s original social network, or through an API partner, like CrowdRiff, you don’t need rights. This includes embedding a Tweet or Instagram post onto your website/blog, or displaying a UGC gallery on your site using CrowdRiff.
But there are some cases where you do need rights. In general, you’ll need rights to UGC whenever you take a visual off of its social network. This includes:
- Reposting a visual to your own Instagram account ( this requires downloading the photo/video and re-uploading)
- Using the visual in ads
- Displaying the visual on your website without a link back to the original
- Displaying a modified version of a visual
Any time you do need rights, try using best practices when asking park guests to use their photo or video:
- Show appreciation for the work with a compliment
- Tell them how you’d like to use their visual
- Give them a way to explicitly say “yes”
Amusement Parks with a high need for visual content, like Dollywood, use CrowdRiff’s Advanced Rights Management to acquire rights and cut their search time for content down by 90%.
3. Get extra peace of mind by directing people to your full T’s & Cs
Depending on where you are, or what your legal team is more comfortable with, you may want more than a simple “yes” from a social media user. Feel free to ask them to agree to terms and conditions specific to your amusement park or holding company.
When you reach out for rights, have your comment direct the social user to where they can read and agree to your complete Ts & Cs.
4. Go ahead and use UGC + feel good about it!
People love to share photos and videos of their experiences in the park with their networks and with the parks themselves. At CrowdRiff, we know it’s true because over 60% of people say “yes” to attractions asking for rights, within 24 hours!
You already know how important visitor reviews and word of mouth are for the success of your park, and UGC is the best way to tap into that power in a visual way.
