User-Generated Content (UGC)
Content created by customers or fans rather than brands, including reviews, photos, videos, and social posts.
Definition
User-Generated Content (UGC) encompasses any content—photos, videos, reviews, testimonials, social posts—created by customers, fans, or users rather than the brand itself. It ranges from organic posts featuring products to content created through campaigns, contests, or creator partnerships.
UGC serves as powerful social proof because it comes from real people rather than marketing teams. Consumers trust peer recommendations over brand messaging, making authentic UGC highly influential in purchase decisions.
Why It Matters
UGC provides authentic content that resonates more than polished brand creative—studies show consumers find UGC 2.4x more authentic than brand-created content. It also reduces content production costs while increasing volume and variety.
Beyond marketing benefits, UGC builds community and strengthens customer relationships. People who create content about your brand become more invested advocates.
Examples in Practice
A fashion brand reposts customer photos wearing their products, generating higher engagement than professional shoots at zero production cost.
A software company features customer video testimonials in ads, achieving 4x higher click-through rates than brand creative.
A food brand's hashtag campaign generates 50,000 user photos, providing a year's worth of authentic social content.