Imagine you’re scrolling through Instagram, and several posts catch your eye—a fresh pair of sneakers, a glowing review of the latest gadget, or an exciting unboxing video. That’s user-generated content (UGC) in action. If you’re new to this concept, you’ll probably ask what is user-generated content, and to answer the question, it’s the kind of content people trust because it’s real, unfiltered, and created by actual users, not marketing teams.
In today’s digital world, UGC has become the backbone of social media marketing. It builds brand trust, fosters engagement, and turns happy customers into brand ambassadors—effectively reaching your target audience. From global giants like Apple and Disney to up-and-coming brands, companies leverage UGC to boost awareness and drive sales.
In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about UGC—why it works, how brands use it effectively, and how you can harness its power for content creation and generation to enhance your marketing strategy. Whether you’re a business owner or a content creator, you’ll find actionable insights to maximize UGC’s impact.
User-generated content isn’t just marketing — it’s your audience becoming your voice.
What is User-Generated Content in Marketing and Its Value
User-generated content (UGC) is anything your customers create, including user content that features your brand, whether it’s a review, a photo, a video, or a social media post. This type of content is unpaid and unsponsored, which makes it one of the most genuine ways to showcase brand loyalty.
When people share their experiences with your brand, it builds trust. Featuring customer content on your social media platforms amplifies your reach and encourages more engagement. With so many ads competing for attention, consumers usually tune out traditional marketing but stay engaged with content from real people.
According to UGC Statistics, consumers trust authentic UGC more than branded promotions.
- 79% of people say UGC strongly influences their buying decisions.
- Consumers find UGC 9.8x more effective than influencer content when purchasing.
- Millennials trust UGC 50% more than brand-created content.
- UGC ads have 4x higher click-through rates and 50% lower cost-per-click.
- UGC boosts web conversions by 29% compared to campaigns without it.
Another report from Tint revealed that 93% of marketers believe customers place more trust in content created by other buyers. This trust factor makes peer-driven content one of the strongest tools for brands looking to connect with their audience. It helps build credibility, influences brand sentiment, and encourages engagement in ways traditional advertising often struggles to achieve.
However, it’s important to distinguish user-generated content from sponsored posts. While influencers usually disclose partnerships, organic content from everyday consumers feels more genuine.
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What are the Different Types of UGC?
Customer Reviews & Testimonials
When people love a brand, they naturally want to talk about it. Whether it’s a quick post on social media or a detailed review, these personal stories help spread word-of-mouth marketing and create excitement.
For example, Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, left a review for Tuscan Dairy Whole Vitamin D Milk, saying, “I love milk so much that I’ve been drinking it since the day I was born. I don’t think it was Tuscan though.”
This seems like a simple review of a customer for the brand, but from a deeper perspective, it was a genuine endorsement that caught the attention of Amazon users. Posts like these feel authentic, making them more impactful than traditional marketing. Encouraging customers to share their thoughts creates a ripple effect. One post can lead to another, turning everyday users into enthusiastic brand advocates.
Photos
When social media users share photos of your brand or products, it adds credibility and influences purchasing decisions. For example, Gymshark’s social media channels feature fitness influencers showcasing their activewear.
This reinforces brand identity and increases brand awareness as it generates buzz and builds an engaged online community. UGC images, especially those shared by brand loyalists on social platforms, provide social proof that influences other users.
Using a hashtag makes it easier to collect and reshare authentic and relatable content across different platforms. This marketing method strengthens brand reputation and brand loyalty while expanding reach into social commerce beyond traditional advertising.
Videos
Your audience creates videos using your product. For example, you reposted a TikTok video done by your customer featuring your products. This UGC highlights that the action of your customer benefits your brand as the video showcases how your products are in action. In short, the video serves as your ad to show to the world that your products work.
Users also create videos or vlogs sharing experiences, unboxing, or tutorials about products. These engaging videos visually show user satisfaction, making them powerful UGC. Social media and YouTube videos are great UGC forms, too. YouTubers often share “product hauls” featuring various brands. Sharing these videos can showcase how customers feel about your product.
Blogs
When customers share their experiences with a product or service through blog posts, videos, or social media, it creates valuable UGC. For instance, you’re a high-ranking fashion website that featured your product in a blog post, highlighting it as a must-have wear this 2025. Here’s how you can approach this:
- Share user-generated content by reposting the article
- Feature a snippet on their social media channels
- Collaborate with the blogger for future content marketing efforts
Social media users who come across these posts may be more inclined to explore your products.
Comments
Social media platforms have become a hub for UGC creators, where users interact by sharing insights, experiences, and customer photos. Glassdoor tapped into this by featuring comments from its Interview Tips Bowl, turning existing user content into an engaging social media marketing effort.
These comments serve a dual purpose: they highlight authentic and relatable content while fostering customer engagement. By leveraging user contributions, brands encourage users to create content to strengthen brand loyalty and generate social proof.
Social Media Posts
Social media platforms thrive on UGC, with consumers sharing their experiences through updates, tweets, and posts. Whether it’s a simple mention or a creative mashup, user-generated posts shape brand reputation and increase brand awareness.
One example is Burger King’s “You Rule” campaign, which taps into the power of consumer-generated content, inspiring social media users to create UGC content around its catchy jingle. Drawing from the classic “Have It Your Way” tagline, the campaign encourages customer engagement by celebrating individual choice.
Why UGC is Essential for Brand Success
Builds Social Proof and Encourages Purchases
User-generated content turns customers into trusted voices for your brand. Every photo, review, or testimonial is more than just content—it’s a personal endorsement. Seeing other social media users enjoying a product builds brand reputation through social proof. When your potential customers witness user-generated posts across social media channels, it reassures them—if others love it, they will too.
Consumer-generated content is also highly engaging. A Content Benchmark report found that 26% of social media users find UGC the most captivating type of content in their feeds. Customers stop scrolling to interact with relatable content because it speaks to them directly.
Expands Your Brand’s Reach
As more users interact with and share user-generated posts, your brand’s visibility grows organically. As we all know, brand awareness is key to any marketing strategy. When social media users recognize your name, trust follows, making them more likely to consider relevant content about your products. Authentic user-generated content feels more personal than traditional advertising.
Every piece of consumer-generated content acts as social proof, influencing how existing customers and new audiences perceive your brand. A well-planned UGC campaign fuels customer engagement, turning brand loyalists into brand advocates.
Establish a Real Connection with Your Audience
UGC puts your brand in the spotlight in a way that feels natural, not forced. Consumers entrust content created by actual users far more than paid ads, and that trust translates into stronger engagement and loyalty.
Research shows a gap in brand-specific content created for social platforms—many consumers feel there isn’t enough authentic user-generated content. Even in influencer marketing, 62% of marketers encourage genuine experiences, while 50% collaborate with influencers who already love their products.
This highlights a key opportunity: As a brand, you can encourage users to share user-generated posts and create content that strengthens your brand reputation.
Builds Lasting Relationships with Your Audience
Showcasing UGC is a great way to highlight and appreciate your customers. When people see their content featured, they feel valued and connected to your brand’s community.
1 in 5 consumers is willing to spend 50% more on brands they trust. So, having a strong UGC strategy turns loyal fans into advocates. Encouraging users to interact by sharing UGC on your Facebook page, product pages, or other social platforms can also attract new customers. The more authentic and relatable content your brand showcases, the stronger your brand reputation becomes.
UGC Success Stories
GoPro
GoPro, a technology company known for its action cameras, has built a strong presence on social media platforms by leveraging user-generated content (UGC).
The brand’s YouTube channel thrives on consumer-generated content, with its top three videos—all filmed by customers—amassing over 225 million, 116 million, and 88 million views, respectively. This content didn’t cost GoPro anything to produce, yet it plays a major role in increasing their brand awareness.
GoPro’s UGC strategy goes beyond just sharing user-generated posts. The company actively encourages users to create content through daily photo challenges and an official awards program.
Lululemon
Lululemon, a well-known Canadian athleisure brand, is recognized for its premium yoga apparel and leggings. To expand its presence across social media, the company encouraged followers and brand loyalists to create content showcasing their Lululemon outfits using the hashtag #thesweatlife.
This approach led to an abundance of UGC, providing Lululemon with an ongoing supply of relatable content. By sharing customer content and user-generated posts from customers and brand advocates, the company reinforced loyalty while increasing awareness among customers.
CeraVe
After skincare influencer Hyram started sharing his thoughts on CeraVe, the brand’s popularity skyrocketed. At the time, there was no official partnership—he was just a fan discussing his experience. Soon, products were flying off the shelves, and even Google Trends reflected a surge in interest.
Hyram’s content, which highlighted CeraVe’s benefits, coincided with a major spike in searches in 2020. While direct attribution is tricky, his posts reached millions across social media, sparking conversations among users.
According to WWD, CeraVe saw a 128% jump in earned media value, with over 2,300 influencers contributing to brand-specific content created around its products. This is a prime example of how authentic user-generated content, influencer marketing, and social proof drive brand loyalty, increase brand awareness, and impact purchasing decisions, which proves the importance of user-generated content in today’s marketing strategy.
Alpenglow
Andy Yates, a Staff Engineer, has worked on many software projects, but none have matched the success of his app, Alpenglow. This app helps photographers find the best sunrise and sunset forecasts, making it easier to capture stunning shots.
In 2021, a social media user posted a TikTok video demonstrating how Alpenglow works, and the response was overwhelming. The video quickly gained traction, especially in Spain, bringing a surge of interest to the app. As more social media users engaged with the content, downloads and in-app purchases skyrocketed.
Andy shared data showing that in July 2021, right when the video went viral, the app’s monthly recurring revenue (MRR) spiked from $200 to over $1,200. The TikTok hashtag for Alpenglow has since accumulated over 2.7 million views as other users continue to create content around it.
How to Maximize the Impact of User-Generated Content
Align UGC with Your Brand’s Goals
To get the right UGC for your marketing strategy, you need a clear plan. Social media users might tag your brand in customer photos, but how does that content support your goals? Start by reviewing your marketing campaigns and defining exactly what kind of UGC content fits.
Encourage users to share user-generated posts by adding your request to social media channels, product pages, and packaging. A strong UGC campaign boosts brand loyalty, builds brand reputation, and influences purchasing decisions through social commerce.
Give Proper Credit to Content Creators
When you share user-generated content (UGC) on your social media channels, always credit the original creator by tagging them and specifying if you’re using their visuals, words, or both while also showcasing your own content.
Before reposting on other social media platforms, ask how they want to be credited. For example, if sharing an Instagram photo on your Facebook page, check if they have a Facebook account to tag.
Recognizing UGC creators fosters an online community, boosts engagement, and provides social proof, making user-generated content marketing a valuable strategy for increasing brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Be Specific About Your UGC Requirements
UGC creators want their work to be shared, but they need some direction. If you want more user-generated content that fits your brand, let creators know exactly what kind of content you’re looking for. Be specific about the themes, formats, or styles that align with your marketing efforts.
When you encourage users to share user-generated posts that resonate with your brand identity, you not only strengthen customer engagement but also build trust with potential customers. Authentic user-generated content boosts brand loyalty and increases brand awareness across social media platforms. Clear guidelines make content creation easier and improve your UGC campaign’s success.
Get Permission Before Using UGC
Before reposting or using a customer’s content, always ask for permission. Consent is essential when sharing user-generated content (UGC) across social media platforms. Just because someone uses your branded hashtags doesn’t mean they expect their content to be repurposed. Republishing user-generated posts without approval can damage brand reputation and upset loyal followers.
Asking for permission builds trust and strengthens your online community. It also ensures your UGC strategy aligns with copyright guidelines. Engaging with UGC creators promotes customer engagement and encourages users to create content that supports your brand’s image.
Implement the Power of UGC to Content Marketing
Leveraging user-generated content in your content marketing strategy strengthens brand loyalty, builds trust, and increases engagement across social media platforms. Consumers trust content created by other users more than traditional advertising. By encouraging users to share authentic content, you enhance brand reputation and generate buzz around your products or services.
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FAQs About UGC
Is UGC content paid?
This content can be generated organically by people sharing it on their own or through paid user generated content partnerships where creators produce content on a brand’s behalf. Whether paid or unpaid, UGC can appear in various forms, such as social media posts featuring products or services.
Can you really make money with UGC?
You can make money as a UGC creator through brand collaborations, freelancing on platforms like Fiverr, selling your own content, monetizing social media, or working with UGC agencies. Focus on quality, build a portfolio, network, stay updated, and be persistent for success.
What are the risks of UGC?
User-generated content can pose risks like copyright violations, privacy issues, and misleading content, which may harm a brand’s reputation. Poor-quality posts, negative feedback, and lack of control can create challenges. Proper moderation, transparency, and ethical use help mitigate these risks.
Who needs UGC?
Brands, businesses, and marketers can greatly benefit from UGC. It helps build trust, boosts engagement, and increases conversions. Companies across industries, from retail to tech and travel, leverage UGC to connect with their audience authentically, enhance credibility, and create relatable content that resonates with potential customers.
Who is responsible for user-generated content?
UGC creators are legally and ethically responsible for what they post, including reviews, photos, or videos. They own their content and must follow platform rules and laws. Platforms moderate but aren’t liable. Harmful content can lead to consequences.
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