How to use User-Generated Content (UGC) for your brand

People talk about the products they buy, the services they use and the events they attend every day. They leave reviews, post photographs, upload videos and answer questions from other customers. User-generated content marketing helps you make better use of these conversations.

UGC shows potential customers what it’s really like to use your product or service. It can also help your brand reach new audiences, bring more varied voices into its content, build credibility and learn what matters to your customers.

But an effective UGC strategy involves more than occasionally reposting a photograph. You need clear objectives, a straightforward way for people to take part and a system for finding, approving and managing the content.

Below, we explain what UGC is, the benefits it offers, the different formats available and how it can form part of your wider content marketing strategies.

What is user-generated content?

UGC stands for user-generated content. It means brand-related content created by customers, fans or other members of your online community rather than by the brand itself.

UGC content can include:

• Ratings and reviews
• Photographs
• Short-form videos and reels
• Social media posts
• Testimonials
• Blog posts
• Live streams
• Questions and answers
• Case studies

For example, a customer might upload a photograph of themselves using your product or film an unboxing video. They could leave a detailed review, answer another buyer’s question or demonstrate an unexpected use for the product. Someone attending your event might post footage of the day and share what they learned with their followers.

Customer-generated content works in a similar way to word-of-mouth recommendations. Instead of an organisation telling people why they should choose its product or service, existing customers share their opinions.

 

Who creates UGC content?

Most user-generated content comes from customers who choose to share their experiences. Some may post spontaneously because they’ve enjoyed a product or service, while others may want to help fellow customers, take part in a campaign or simply show their followers something they found interesting.

Other sources of UGC can include:

• Regular customers: People sharing their everyday experiences.
• Brand advocates: Loyal customers who regularly and talk positively about your organisation.
• Social media creators: People who enjoy producing images, videos and other online content.
• Employees: Staff who provide a personal view of your organisation, its values and workplace.

Content produced by employees isn’t always classed as user-generated content in the strictest sense, but it can serve a similar purpose by offering a more informal, behind-the-scenes perspective.

 

What is a UGC creator?

The term “UGC creator” is often used for someone commissioned by a brand to produce informal, customer-style content. A creator might produce a demonstration, review, tutorial, photograph or short video for the brand to publish on its own channels.

UGC can be organic or paid. Organic UGC is shared voluntarily by customers, although brands may encourage it by requesting reviews, creating campaign hashtags or inviting people to submit photographs and videos. Paid UGC is commissioned by a brand, with a creator receiving payment or another benefit, such as a product or service, in return for producing content.

Unlike an influencer, a paid UGC creator is usually hired for the content they produce rather than access to their followers. Expensive equipment and a large audience therefore aren’t essential. The value lies in content that feels authentic and useful.

This distinguishes UGC from traditional brand advertising, which is usually produced by professional copywriters, designers, photographers or videographers. UGC adds a different voice, helping audiences see how a product or service fits into real life.

 

Types of user-generated content

User-generated content can generally be divided into written, photographic and video content. Each format has different strengths and can support your marketing in different ways.

Ratings and reviews

Reviews allow customers to explain what they liked, how they used a product, whether it met their expectations and if they would recommend it. They can help potential customers answer questions and make more informed decisions.

Short ratings require little effort from the customer, while longer reviews can provide more detailed feedback. Reviews can appear on product pages, social media, emails and other marketing content.

 

Customer photographs

Customer photographs show products, services and experiences in real-world settings. They might feature clothing being worn, furniture in a customer’s home, food served at a venue or guests enjoying an event.

 

Videos

Videos can include product demonstrations, unboxings, reviews, social media reels, event footage and live streams.

Video allows customers to show a product in action or explain their experience in more detail. Short-form videos can also be easy for other users to watch and share on social media.

 

Social media posts

People may mention your organisation, tag your account or use a campaign hashtag when posting on social media. These posts can help your brand become part of wider online conversations.

Responding to and sharing relevant posts can also show customers that you are paying attention to what they say.

 

Questions and answers

Q&As on product pages or online forums allow existing customers to help prospective buyers.

 

What are the benefits of UGC?

The main benefits of UGC come from putting genuine customer experiences at the heart of your marketing.

It builds trust

User-generated content provides social proof. Potential customers can see other people using a product, attending an event or recommending a service rather than relying only on what the brand says about itself.

 

It helps people make decisions

Customer content can answer practical questions about appearance, sizing, set-up and performance. This information gives potential customers greater reassurance before they invest.

 

It increases the range of content available

Opening content creation to your customers introduces perspectives that an in-house team may not have considered. They may use your product differently, highlight an overlooked benefit or explain a specialist use

A regular flow of UGC can support your wider content marketing activity without replacing the need for professionally produced material.

 

It can strengthen customer relationships

Recognising and crediting customers who create content shows that you value their contribution. Being featured by a brand can also encourage other customers to take part and become advocates for your organisation.

 

It provides useful audience insight

Reviews, questions, videos and social media posts can reveal what customers value. They can also expose common points of confusion, unmet needs and aspects of a product or service that could be improved.

 

How to build a user-generated content engine

A successful UGC campaign shouldn’t depend entirely on finding occasional posts. A more consistent approach will help you generate and use relevant content over time.

 

1. Set clear objectives

Start by deciding what you want UGC to achieve. You might want to:

• Increase awareness of a product or service
• Generate reviews for a new product
• Show how customers use an existing product
• Increase social media interaction
• Attract more website traffic
• Support registrations or sales
• Learn more about customer experiences

Your objectives will determine the content you request, how you invite people to contribute, the channels you use, the permissions required and the measures of success you choose.

 

2. Decide what content you need

Be specific about what would be most useful. Do you need short video reviews, photographs from an event, written testimonials, product demonstrations, detailed ratings or answers to common customer questions?

Think about where the content will appear. A vertical video may suit a social media reel, while a detailed review can be more valuable on a product page. Clear requirements make it easier for people to create useful content.

 

3. Ask your audience to take part

Don’t assume customers will know that you want them to contribute. Invite them to leave a review, post a photograph, answer a question or share their experience.

You could encourage user-generated content through:

• Branded hashtags
• Social media prompts
• Competitions and giveaways
• Requests following a purchase
• Product sampling
• Event activities
• Opportunities to be featured on your channels

The request should be easy to understand and easy to complete. If people need to fill out a complicated form or follow several instructions, they may decide not to take part.

 

4. Give clear guidance

Explain what you would like people to cover and which formats you accept. Include any campaign hashtag, closing date, technical requirements or accessibility advice that participants need. If you’re running a competition, make the entry rules and incentive clear.

Guidance should help people understand what you need without scripting every word or removing the personal quality that makes UGC valuable.

It’s also worth explaining where you may use submitted content, particularly if you plan to feature it beyond the social media platform on which it first appeared.

 

5. Manage permission and credit

A customer mentioning or tagging your brand doesn’t automatically give you ownership of their content.

If you want to download, edit, republish or use a customer’s content in paid promotion, ask for permission and keep a record of their response. Explain where it will appear on and how long you expect to use it.

Credit the original creator when you publish it. This recognises their contribution and can encourage more customers to share their own experiences.

 

6. Organise and moderate your content

As the amount of UGC increases, you’ll need a consistent way to review and store it.

Set criteria covering relevance, quality, accuracy and suitability for your audiences. Not every mention needs to be shared and the content you select should still be appropriate for your brand.

Store approved material in a central location with the creator’s details, the permission received, any agreed credit, usage restrictions and relevant expiry dates. This helps different members of your team find suitable assets without relying on individual folders or spreadsheets.

 

7. Measure and improve

Review how different types of UGC perform against your objectives. Depending on the campaign, you might measure:

• The number of submissions
• Reviews or ratings received
• Reach and social media interaction
• Website visits
• Click-through rates
• Registrations or sales
• Performance on product pages
• The type of content customers respond to

Use what you learn to improve future requests and decide which formats and channels deserve more attention.

 

How to integrate UGC into your marketing

UGC is often associated with social media, but it can add value across several marketing channels.

Social media

Your social media channels provide a natural place to respond to customers and share relevant posts. UGC can add variety to your planned content and show your products, services or events from a customer’s point of view.

Include it within a wider social media marketing strategy rather than treating it as a separate activity. Your audience, messages, channel choices and organisational objectives should still guide what you publish.

 

Website and product pages

Reviews, ratings, customer photographs and questions can help website visitors understand what to expect.

Place relevant UGC close to the point at which someone is making a decision. A photograph of a product being used, for example, may be more helpful on the product page than in a separate gallery that visitors may not see. 

 

Email marketing

Customer testimonials, reviews and photographs can support email campaigns by showing what other people think of a product or service.

Match the content to the purpose of the email. A product review could support a sales message, while photographs from a previous event could help promote the next one.

 

Digital advertising

Approved UGC can be used in digital advertising to bring a more personal quality to campaign content. Test it alongside brand-created images and videos to understand what works best with your audience.

Make sure you have the necessary permission before using customer content in paid advertising.

 

Tools and platforms for UGC content

You may be able to manage a small UGC campaign with the tools your team already uses. As submission numbers rise and more colleagues need access, a specialist UGC content platform can make the process easier to control.

A user-generated content platform can help you:

• Request content directly from customers
• Collect submissions in one place
• Record usage permission
• Organise and search approved assets
• Give different teams access to content
• Publish UGC across websites and social channels
• Measure performance

Choose tools based on what your team actually needs. A platform should simplify the process of finding and using content rather than adding unnecessary stages.

 

UGC examples from major brands

Apple’s Shot on iPhone

Apple’s Shot on iPhone campaign uses photographs created with its products across social media, billboards, television and printed advertising.

The idea connects the content directly to the product’s capabilities. Customers aren’t simply talking about the phone; their photographs demonstrate what it can do.

 

Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke

Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke campaign encourages people to create and share personalised content celebrating friendships.

Personalisation gives customers a reason to take part, while the campaign provides a simple idea that can be understood and shared widely.

 

GoPro’s video challenges

GoPro has invited customers to submit footage filmed using its cameras through competitions and awards. The resulting videos show the products being used in real situations by people around the world.

 

 

Rare Beauty’s #rareroutine

Rare Beauty encourages customers to share informal videos showing their routines and how they apply its products, allowing potential customers to see products being used by different people.

 

Make UGC part of your wider content strategy

The most effective user-generated content marketing is planned around your audiences and goals. Freshwater helps organisations develop content marketing and social media strategies. If you need help making UGC part of your marketing, get in touch via hello@freshwater.co.uk or call 029 20 30 40 50.