User-generated content (UGC): Everything you need to know

Key points

• User-generated content (UGC) refers to any content, photos, videos, reviews, or testimonials. created and shared by customers, fans, or creators rather than the brand itself.

• UGC helps brands build authenticity and trust by showing real people using or engaging with products and services.

• UGC can boost social media engagement, improve ad performance, and increase website conversion by offering relatable, credible content.

• Implementing a strategy to collect, curate, and manage UGC is essential for scaling its impact while ensuring proper usage rights and consistency.

User-generated content (UGC) has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital engagement, transforming how brands interact with their audiences and share social proof across their customer journey.

Whether you’re a brand looking to harness the power of UGC or a creator eager to make your mark with the right UGC content platform, we’ll show you how to leverage authentic user contributions to foster trust, enhance engagement, and drive success with the right partnership.

What does UGC stand for?

UGC is an acronym for «user-generated content.» Originating from the early days of the internet, UGC has democratized content creation, enabling users to become active participants in shaping online conversations and communities. Its influence spans various industries, from social marketing and advertising to journalism and entertainment.

What is UGC?

UGC encompasses any content created and shared by a brand’s consumers rather than the brand itself. For consumer brands, UGC can include:

• Photos
• Videos
• Ratings and reviews
• Testimonials
• Social media posts
• Blog articles

This content is voluntarily produced by customers who engage with the brand’s products or services and then share their experiences, opinions, or creative expressions online.

Overall, UGC is a powerful tool for consumer brands to leverage the creativity, advocacy, and trust of their customers to enhance brand visibility, credibility, and engagement in the digital age.

What is a UGC creator?

A UGC creator is an individual who actively produces content related to brands, products, or services and shares it on various online platforms. Unlike influencers, who often have large followings and may collaborate with brands for sponsored content, UGC creators primarily focus on creating content that reflects their genuine experiences, opinions, and interests without direct financial incentives from brands.

They may share a passion for a particular product, industry, hobby, or lifestyle, motivating them to create content that resonates with their audience.

UGC creators engage in various activities such as:

• Writing reviews
• Sharing photos or videos of product usage
• Offering tips and tutorials
• Participating in online discussions

In terms of engagement with brands, UGC creators may interact with brands organically, sharing their experiences with products or services without direct collaboration. However, brands can also engage with UGC creators by acknowledging their content, featuring it on official brand channels, or even partnering with them for collaborative campaigns.

Why is UGC important in social media marketing?

UGC holds immense importance in social media marketing due to its potential to significantly enhance brand visibility, engagement, and credibility.

Here are some of its key benefits:

• Builds authenticity quickly: UGC is inherently authentic because it comes directly from real users rather than being curated or created by the brand itself. This authenticity resonates strongly with audiences, as they perceive UGC as genuine and trustworthy recommendations from their peers.
• Enhances customer loyalty: When brands showcase UGC on their social media channels, they demonstrate appreciation for their customers and foster a sense of community.
• Increases engagement and conversion: UGC has the power to drive higher levels of engagement on social media platforms. When users see brands sharing or featuring their content, they’re more likely to interact with it, whether by liking, commenting, or sharing.
• Offers valuable insights: UGC often includes reviews, comments, and discussions about products or services. By analyzing this feedback, brands can gain valuable insights into what customers like or dislike about their offerings.
• Improves SEO: UGC can contribute to a website’s SEO efforts. User reviews, comments, and questions add fresh, relevant content, which search engines favor. Moreover, UGC can increase the number of keywords your site ranks for, driving more organic traffic.
• Cost-effective content creation: UGC provides brands with a potential steady stream of content at little to no cost. Brands can leverage this content across their marketing channels, reducing the need for expensive content production resources while maintaining a fresh and updated content library.

What are some examples of UGC?

In practical terms, UGC for consumer brands might manifest as customers posting photos of themselves using the brand’s products, sharing positive reviews on social media platforms, creating unboxing videos, or writing blog posts about their experiences. It essentially serves as authentic and organic content generated by real users, which can be incredibly valuable for brands in several ways.

Here are some broad examples of what UGC can look like, along with some of the industries most likely to find each example helpful in orchestrating their social marketing strategy:

These examples demonstrate the diverse forms that UGC can take across various industries, illustrating how brands can leverage UGC to enhance their marketing efforts, foster community engagement, and build brand authenticity.

Where can you use UGC?

UGC can be utilized across multiple platforms and channels to enhance brand engagement and trust. These include:

• Social media platforms
• Brand websites
• Email marketing campaigns
• Digital advertisements
• Product pages
• Digital displays at physical events or locations

Each platform serves a unique purpose, allowing brands to connect with their audience in different contexts. For example, incorporating UGC in email marketing can personalize the customer experience, while featuring it on product pages can directly influence purchase decisions by providing social proof.

To share UGC, most brands utilize a UGC platform that collects, manages, and publishes this type of content across social and digital marketing channels. It’s common to share UGC on-brand social media, and it can be very impactful to utilize it across eCommerce channels – like product pages – to inspire or inform customers during their buyer’s journey

What are the challenges and risks of UGC?

UGC must be evaluated carefully because it is sourced directly from other people. This means a review of the content and context of what was shared is just as important as asking permission to use it. Here are some of the challenges and risks associated with UGC.

• Quality control: Ensuring that UGC meets a brand’s quality standards can be challenging, as the content varies widely in terms of professionalism and relevance.
• Brand reputation: Negative or controversial UGC can harm a brand’s reputation if not managed properly or if the person the content was sourced from isn’t an ideal fit for the brand.
• Legal issues: Without proper permissions, using UGC can lead to copyright infringement or privacy violations.
• Moderation: Monitoring and moderating content to prevent harmful or offensive material from being associated with the brand is essential but resource-intensive

What are some UGC best practices?

Like any other form of marketing, UGC campaigns have to be executed strategically. Focus on long-term results; the best community-driven brands look to become a valuable addition and trusted resource in their customers’ lives, and that won’t happen overnight. From collection to publishing, here are some UGC best practices to help you ensure you’re getting the most value from your UGC campaigns.

• Plan before sharing UGC – Make sure the content aligns with your brand message, campaign goals, and visual style. Treat UGC like any other strategic marketing asset.
• Ask permission – Always secure explicit consent before reposting, even if the customer tagged you. Clear permissions protect your brand and build trust.
• Engage and encourage interaction – Prompt your audience to share their experiences and actively respond to their posts. Conversation fuels consistent, high-quality content.
• Define and measure KPIs – Track how specific creators and posts impact engagement, traffic, and revenue to prove UGC’s value and optimise performance.
• Encourage authenticity – Promote real, honest experiences through hashtags, contests, or direct prompts. Genuine content drives stronger trust and connection.
• Avoid shortcuts – Verify the original source before publishing to avoid reposting unauthorized or misleading content. Accuracy protects credibility.
• Don’t silo UGC to one channel – Repurpose strong content across email, ads, websites, and in-store to maximise reach and ROI.
• Look beyond large-scale influencers – Everyday customers and micro-influencers often generate more relatable, trusted, and consistently engaging content.

How do you collect UGC?

Collecting UGC effectively requires a strategic approach that encourages customers to share their content and makes it easy for them to do so. Here are several methods brands can use to collect UGC.

• Launch social media hashtag campaigns – Create a branded hashtag and encourage customers to use it when posting about your products. Monitor and surface content using a social listening tool to discover and curate UGC at scale.
• Run contests and giveaways – Invite customers to submit photos or videos featuring your product to enter. Set clear guidelines and secure usage rights before republishing the content.
• Encourage reviews and testimonials – Prompt customers to leave reviews on your website and social platforms. Collect, moderate, and showcase visual reviews directly on product pages.
• Partner with brand ambassadors and influencers – Collaborate with creators who genuinely align with your audience. Manage partnerships and track performance through an influencer management tool.
• Request permission directly – When you find content you’d like to use, reach out and clearly explain how it will be featured. Centralize approvals and manage rights efficiently with a UGC management tool like Emplifi.
• Use a dedicated UGC platform – Streamline sourcing, moderation, and publishing through a UGC platform like Emplifi, designed to help brands scale authentic content across channels.
• Actively engage your community – Respond to posts, reshare approved content, and join conversations. Social listening tools help identify content opportunities in real time.
• Leverage email campaigns – Invite customers via email to submit photos, videos, or stories. Feed those submissions directly into your UGC management workflows for approval and distribution.
• Add on-site submission tools – Implement upload widgets on your website to collect content directly from customers and manage it centrally within your UGC platform.
• Use surveys and feedback requests – Gather customer insights through surveys and repurpose standout responses (with permission) into testimonials, case studies, or social proof.

Click the image for an interactive walk-through of Emplifi Listening

How do you measure the success of UGC campaigns?

The role of UGC depends on the channel it is featured within, and success can be measured through several KPIs specific to whether you’re focused on social media or social commerce.

• Engagement rate: Likes, comments, shares, and overall interaction with UGC posts.
• Conversion rate: Increases in sales or desired actions directly attributed to UGC.
• Brand sentiment: Changes in public perception and sentiment towards the brand as reflected in social media mentions and feedback.
• Reach and amplification: The extent to which UGC is shared and seen by a wider audience.
• Website traffic: UGC is a powerful tool to increase time on your website or product page or repeat visits from customers considering what you offer.

What are the legal considerations with UGC?

Legal considerations with UGC arise primarily because such content is created by individuals who are not officially affiliated with the brand or platform hosting their content. These considerations are important for several reasons:

• Copyright laws: Every piece of content, whether it’s a photo, video, or text, is protected by copyright the moment it is created. When users create content, they own the copyright to their work. Brands or platforms cannot use this content without permission from the copyright holder, as doing so could result in copyright infringement.
• Privacy and publicity rights: Using someone’s image, name, or personal information in marketing or commercial efforts without their consent can violate their privacy or publicity rights. This is particularly relevant when UGC includes identifiable individuals who have not provided explicit permission for their likeness to be used commercially.
• Accuracy and misrepresentation: UGC may sometimes contain false, misleading, or defamatory content. Using such content without verifying its accuracy can lead to legal challenges, especially if the content damages someone’s reputation or misleads consumers.
• Compliance with platform rules: Social media platforms and websites have their own terms of service and policies regarding the use of content posted on their platforms. Ignoring these policies when repurposing UGC can lead to legal issues or the removal of content.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines: In many countries, there are regulations governing endorsements and testimonials in advertising. The FTC in the United States, for example, requires transparency when brands use UGC as endorsements. If a brand incentivizes reviews or content creation, this relationship must be disclosed.

Given these complexities, it’s crucial for brands and platforms to navigate UGC with a clear understanding of legal boundaries to protect themselves from potential lawsuits, financial penalties, and damage to their reputation. Seeking permissions, respecting copyright and privacy laws, and adhering to regulatory guidelines are key steps in responsibly managing and leveraging UGC.

How do you choose the right UGC content platform for your brand?

Selecting the right UGC content platform is crucial for maximizing the impact of user-generated content. Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating different platforms:

• Integration capabilities: Ensure that the platform integrates seamlessly with your existing marketing tools and social media channels.
• User-friendly interface: A platform with an intuitive interface will make it easier for your team to manage and curate UGC.
• Advanced analytics: Look for a UGC content platform that offers robust social media analytics to track the performance of user-generated content and optimize your strategy accordingly.
• Customization options: The ability to customize how UGC is displayed on your website and social media can help maintain brand consistency and aesthetic.