UGC (user-generated content)
What is UGC?
UGC, short for user-generated content, is any content about a brand made by people outside it: customer reviews, unboxing videos, photos, forum posts and social posts. It includes content people make on their own and content brands pay UGC creators to make in a natural, customer-like style.
Brands reuse UGC in ads, product pages and social accounts, with the maker’s permission. Paid UGC is often made for the brand’s own channels rather than posted to the creator’s audience, which sets it apart from a sponsored post.
Why UGC matters
UGC looks and sounds like a real customer, which builds social proof. It is also cheaper to produce in volume than studio content, so brands can test many versions of an ad.
How to get UGC
- Ask happy customers for reviews, photos or short videos, and make it easy.
- Repost customer content with permission and credit.
- Hire UGC creators for ad-ready videos, with usage rights agreed in writing.
- Run a hashtag or challenge your audience can join.
UGC FAQ
Do I need permission to use UGC?
Yes. Content belongs to the person who made it. Get written permission, ideally a clear licence that says where you may use it and for how long, before putting it in ads or on your site.
Related marketing terms
A UGC creator makes natural, customer-style videos and photos that brands pay for and post on their own ads and channels.
Social proof is the tendency to trust what others do and say: reviews, testimonials, user counts and creator recommendations that reassure buyers.
Usage rights say where, how and for how long a brand may reuse a creator’s content, for example in ads, on its website or in email.
A testimonial is a short statement from a real customer about their experience with a product, shown to build trust with prospects.
Influencer whitelisting lets a brand run paid ads through a creator’s account, so ads show the creator’s name and content to new audiences.