Today, its role extends far beyond that. UGC is widely used in advertising across Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms because authentic content created by real people often builds more trust and delivers better results than traditional ad creatives.
In this article, we’ll explain what User-Generated Content is, how it differs from influencer marketing, explore the main types of UGC, and show how brands use it in advertising. We’ll also look at effective ways to encourage customers to create content about your products or brand.
What Is User-Generated Content (UGC)?
User-Generated Content (UGC) is any content about a brand, product, or service that is created by users rather than the company itself. It can include photos, videos, reviews, product testimonials, social media posts, comments, stories, or any other content based on real customer experiences.
The greatest value of UGC lies in its authenticity. People tend to trust recommendations from other consumers more than traditional advertising, making user-generated content an effective way to build brand credibility, influence purchase decisions, and increase audience engagement.
Today, the term User-Generated Content is commonly used in two different contexts.
Organic UGC
Organic UGC is content that customers create on their own initiative. For example, they may post photos of a product, record video reviews, leave written feedback, or share their experience with a brand on social media. Brands can repost and use this content (with the creator’s permission), but its creation is not sponsored or paid.
UGC Creatives for Advertising
In recent years, another popular format has emerged: UGC creatives. In this case, the content is produced by UGC creators — people who create authentic-looking videos or photos designed to resemble organic user-generated content. Unlike influencers, they don’t need a large following or even have to publish the content on their own social media accounts. Their primary role is to produce natural, relatable content that brands can use in advertising campaigns.
As a result, when people talk about UGC today, they may be referring either to authentic content created by real customers or to professionally produced UGC-style creatives made specifically for advertising. Both formats help brands communicate more naturally and build greater trust with potential customers.
Why UGC Works
The growing popularity of User-Generated Content goes beyond its authenticity. Today, UGC is one of the most effective content formats in digital marketing because it aligns with how people consume content on social media.
It Feels Less Like Advertising
Traditional ads are increasingly perceived as intrusive, with many users skipping them within the first few seconds. UGC, on the other hand, blends naturally into social media feeds and recommendation algorithms. Because it looks and feels like regular user content, it captures attention more organically and is less likely to trigger the feeling that someone is trying to sell something.
Builds Greater Trust
People are far more likely to trust the genuine experiences of other customers than a brand’s marketing claims. Reviews, product demonstrations, unboxing videos, and real-life testimonials help potential buyers better understand a product before making a purchase, reducing uncertainty and building confidence.
Improves Advertising Performance
Authentic UGC creatives often generate higher engagement than traditional ads. They can improve click-through rates (CTR), increase video views, and drive better conversion rates — especially when the content feels natural and aligns with the audience’s expectations.
Performs Well in Short-Form Video
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have reshaped the way people consume content. Users are drawn to fast-paced, engaging, and highly authentic videos, which is why UGC creatives often hold attention longer than professionally produced advertisements.
Fits Naturally into Social Media Algorithms
The algorithms behind Meta, TikTok, and other social platforms prioritize user engagement. Content that generates more views, comments, shares, and watch time is more likely to reach a wider audience. As a result, native-looking UGC creatives often perform better in both organic distribution and paid advertising campaigns.
Easier to Scale and Test
UGC makes it easy to produce multiple creative variations without the cost of large-scale studio productions. Brands can quickly test different concepts, creators, storytelling approaches, or opening hooks to identify the creatives that resonate best with their target audience. This is especially valuable in performance marketing, where continuous creative testing is one of the key drivers of campaign success.
Types of User-Generated Content
User-Generated Content comes in many different formats depending on the platform, the product, and the brand’s marketing goals. Some types of UGC help build trust in a product, while others are better suited for attracting new audiences or improving advertising performance.
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Video Review | A customer shares their personal experience with a product, for example: “I’ve been using this smartphone for a week — here are my thoughts.” |
| Unboxing | A video showing the product being unpacked, highlighting its packaging, design, included accessories, and first impressions. |
| Before & After | A comparison of results before and after using a product. Commonly used in beauty, healthcare, home improvement, fitness, and professional services. |
| Customer Reviews | Written, photo, or video testimonials published on a website, marketplace, or social media platform. |
| Customer Photos | Photos of customers using or showcasing a product, which brands can repost on their own social media channels. |
| Stories | Brand mentions in Instagram Stories or Facebook Stories, often including a tagged account, location, or branded hashtag. |
| TikTok & Instagram Reels | Short vertical videos featuring product demonstrations, personal recommendations, trends, or challenges. |
| YouTube Shorts | Short-form videos featuring product reviews, unboxing videos, demonstrations, or real-life use cases. |
| FAQ Videos | Videos where real customers answer common questions about a product or service, helping potential buyers make informed decisions. |
Today, short-form vertical video is the most popular UGC format. It is widely used both as organic content and as UGC creatives for advertising campaigns across platforms such as Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, YouTube, and other digital advertising channels.
Organic UGC vs. Paid UGC: What’s the Difference?
Today, the term User-Generated Content refers not only to content created naturally by customers but also to a specialized category of advertising content. As a result, many marketers confuse organic UGC with paid UGC creatives, even though they serve different purposes.
Organic UGC is created naturally by customers who choose to share their experiences with a product or brand. This may include reviews, photos, videos, social media posts, or testimonials created without any direct request or payment from the brand.
Paid UGC, on the other hand, is content commissioned by a company and created by UGC creators. Its primary goal is not to generate engagement on the creator’s personal social media accounts, but to produce authentic-looking ad creatives that brands can use in their advertising campaigns.
| Organic UGC | Paid UGC |
|---|---|
| Created voluntarily by customers. | Created on behalf of a brand. |
| Reflects the creator’s genuine experience with a product. | Produced according to a creative brief or brand guidelines. |
| Brands can repost or reuse the content only with the creator’s permission. | Brands receive usage rights based on the terms of the collaboration. |
| Primarily valued for authentic customer recommendations. | Primarily valued for creating high-performing advertising creatives. |
| Shared through customers’ personal social media accounts. | Most commonly used in Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, YouTube Ads, and other advertising platforms. |
It’s also important to understand that a UGC creator is not the same as an influencer. Creating effective UGC content does not require a large audience or a popular social media presence. In fact, many UGC creators don’t focus on building their own personal brands at all—they specialize in producing authentic content specifically for brands.
That’s why more and more companies are using paid UGC as an alternative to traditional commercial productions. These videos feel more natural, blend seamlessly into social media feeds, and often deliver stronger performance in performance marketing campaigns.
UGC vs. Influencer Marketing: What’s the Difference?
User-Generated Content (UGC) and influencer marketing are often mentioned together, but they are two distinct approaches to brand promotion. While both may feature a person talking about a product on camera, they serve different purposes within a marketing strategy and are used in different ways.
With UGC, the primary value lies in the content itself. Brands receive authentic photos or videos that they can repurpose across advertising campaigns, websites, and social media channels.
With influencer marketing, the creator’s audience is the key asset. Brands collaborate with influencers primarily to reach their followers and leverage the trust and credibility the influencer has already built within their community.
| UGC | Influencer Marketing |
|---|---|
| Does not require the creator to have a large audience. | Relies on the influencer’s existing audience. |
| The primary value is the content itself. | The primary value is the influencer’s reach and credibility. |
| Typically more cost-effective. | Usually requires a larger budget. |
| Used as ad creative across Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, YouTube Ads, and other advertising platforms. | Most commonly used for sponsored posts, brand partnerships, or dedicated influencer campaigns. |
| The creator may not actively manage a personal social media presence. | Influencers consistently create content and build their personal brand. |
That said, these two approaches shouldn’t be viewed as competing strategies. Many brands successfully combine both. Influencers help expand brand awareness and reach new audiences, while UGC creatives are used to scale advertising campaigns and improve their performance. Together, they allow brands to maximize both reach and campaign effectiveness.
Where Is UGC Used?
Today, User-Generated Content is used far beyond social media. Authentic content has become an essential part of digital marketing, helping brands build trust, improve advertising performance, and increase conversions at different stages of the customer journey.
The most common use cases for UGC include:
| Channel | How UGC Is Used |
|---|---|
| Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) | UGC creatives are used as ad videos or images that blend naturally into users’ feeds, helping improve click-through rates (CTR) and conversions. |
| TikTok Ads | Native vertical videos that match the platform’s style and feel less like traditional advertising. |
| YouTube Ads | Product reviews, demonstrations, testimonials, and YouTube Shorts are used as video ad creatives. |
| Google Demand Gen | UGC creatives can be used in Demand Gen campaigns across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail, where engaging visual content plays a key role in capturing attention. |
| Marketplaces & Amazon | Customer photos, videos, ratings, and reviews help potential buyers evaluate products and make purchasing decisions. |
| E-commerce Websites & Landing Pages | Customer photos, video testimonials, product use cases, and review sections build trust and can improve page conversion rates. |
| App Store & Google Play | User reviews, ratings, and app screenshots often play a significant role in influencing app installs. |
| Email Marketing | Customer testimonials, success stories, buyer photos, and curated UGC collections help strengthen trust and encourage repeat purchases. |
Today, UGC creatives for advertising have become the most widely adopted use of User-Generated Content. Brands actively use them across Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, YouTube Ads, and other advertising platforms because they feel more authentic than traditional commercials and often deliver stronger results in A/B testing.
Examples of UGC
Today, User-Generated Content is used by companies across virtually every industry—from technology brands and e-commerce businesses to service providers and mobile apps. Below are a few examples of how global and Ukrainian companies incorporate UGC into their marketing strategies.
GoPro
GoPro has built much of its brand around user-generated content. Many of its most compelling videos featuring extreme sports, travel, and outdoor adventures are created by GoPro users themselves. The company regularly reposts the best submissions, runs community contests, and incorporates customer-created content into its marketing campaigns, turning loyal customers into brand advocates.
Giveaway Posts
This Instagram campaign by Uklon is a great example of how User-Generated Content can be integrated into a marketing strategy. The brand encouraged customers to share photos of themselves wearing traditional Ukrainian vyshyvankas, inspiring users to create content that connected their rides with Ukrainian culture and national traditions.
The campaign not only strengthened Uklon’s relationship with its audience and increased customer loyalty, but also generated valuable organic content that the brand could amplify across its own social media channels.
Overall, it demonstrates how UGC can be used to boost audience engagement, reinforce a brand’s identity and values, and encourage participation through attractive incentives such as giveaways and discounts.
Customer Reviews & Reposts
The beauty industry is one of the strongest adopters of User-Generated Content. In the example above, a beauty brand runs a giveaway where participants are asked to repost the campaign and share their personal experience with the product. This encourages customers to spread awareness of the brand while contributing authentic content based on their own experiences.
Campaigns like this allow brands to quickly collect genuine customer testimonials and increase product visibility. They can also help attract new customers by showcasing positive feedback from real users.
Encouraging Comments and Engagement
For content creators, UGC is a core part of audience engagement. Phrases like “Don’t forget to like, leave a comment, and share this video with your friends” have become a standard call to action across platforms such as YouTube.
A good example is the Ukrainian YouTube channel Geek Journal, where the host regularly asks viewers what topics they would like to see in future videos. This simple but effective approach encourages audience participation, generates valuable user-generated content in the comments, and helps strengthen the connection between creators and their communities.
Another example comes from the Ukrainian YouTube show 20:23, which encourages viewers to engage with its content by promising to donate ₴1 to the Azov Brigade for every like the video receives. Campaigns like this motivate audiences to interact with content while supporting a meaningful cause, resulting in higher engagement and greater visibility.
Contests and Challenges
Some brands earn UGC simply because customers genuinely love their products, while others encourage participation by offering discounts or exclusive perks. Another popular approach is to reward users with more substantial prizes.
For example, the Council of Europe previously organized a visual arts competition focused on human rights. Participants were asked to publish their entries on social media using designated hashtags. Winners received an invitation to attend thematic events in Strasbourg.
Campaigns like these encourage people to create and share original content while significantly expanding the campaign’s organic reach through social media.
Reposting Customer Photos
The Ukrainian tote bag brand nik.sense is a great example of how brands can benefit from encouraging customers to create and share content featuring their products. Customer-generated photos feel more authentic and relatable than studio photography, helping to build trust with potential buyers.
By engaging with customers in the comments and reposting their content, the brand also strengthens its relationship with the community. At the same time, every customer post shared through personal social media accounts expands the brand’s organic reach and introduces it to new audiences with little or no additional advertising spend.
“Unplanned” UGC
Not all user-generated content is created as part of a campaign. Sometimes customers create content completely on their own—including negative reviews or public complaints that no brand would intentionally encourage. In these situations, effective crisis communication becomes just as important as marketing.
A good example comes from Nova Poshta. While a customer’s negative experience might initially seem like damaging publicity, the company’s public response transformed it into an opportunity. By addressing the issue openly and offering a solution, Nova Poshta demonstrated its commitment to customer service.
As a result, future customers are more likely to remember that if something goes wrong with a shipment, the company is willing to resolve the problem. In this way, even negative UGC can strengthen a brand’s reputation when handled professionally.
These examples show that UGC has evolved far beyond customer photo reposts. Today, brands use it to build communities, create high-performing advertising creatives, strengthen their social media presence, and improve conversions throughout the customer journey.
How Brands Can Generate More UGC
High-quality User-Generated Content rarely appears on its own. In most cases, brands actively encourage customers to share their experiences by making the process simple and giving them a reason to create content.
Here are some effective ways to generate more UGC.
Encourage Customers to Showcase Your Product
Many customers are happy to share their experiences — they just don’t think about doing it. After a purchase, encourage them to post a photo or video featuring the product, leave a review, or talk about their experience. Even a simple call to action can significantly increase the amount of user-generated content your brand receives.
Create a Branded Hashtag
A branded hashtag makes it easier to collect and discover customer-created content in one place. It also encourages people to become part of your brand community and helps increase the visibility of UGC across social media platforms.
Run Challenges and Contests
Challenges are one of the most effective ways to encourage audiences to create content. This could be a photo contest, a video challenge, a campaign inviting customers to share how they use your product, or a themed social media challenge with simple participation rules and a clear reward.
Repost Customer Content
Regularly sharing customer photos and videos encourages others to create content as well. For many customers, being featured on a brand’s official social media account is a strong incentive to share their own experiences.
Include a Call to Action After Purchase
Asking customers to leave a review or share a photo doesn’t have to happen only on social media. Calls to action can also be placed on the order confirmation page, within a mobile app, on product packaging, or in printed inserts included with customer orders.
Send a Follow-Up Email After Delivery
A few days after a customer receives their order, send an automated email inviting them to rate their purchase, leave a review, or share a photo of the product. This approach often delivers higher conversion rates than asking immediately after checkout, as customers have already had time to use the product and form an opinion.
Offer Incentives and Rewards
Even small incentives can significantly increase the amount of user-generated content. Rewards might include loyalty points, discount codes, entry into a giveaway, a gift with the next purchase, or access to exclusive offers. At the same time, it’s important to encourage honest feedback rather than only positive reviews, as authenticity is what builds trust with future customers.
The most successful brands typically don’t rely on a single tactic. Instead, they combine several of these strategies to create a consistent flow of authentic User-Generated Content.
How to Use UGC in Advertising
Today, User-Generated Content is widely used not only in organic social media posts but also in performance marketing. UGC-style creatives make ads feel less like traditional advertising, helping capture users’ attention and often improving campaign performance.
Here are a few practical ways to use UGC in your advertising strategy.
Use UGC in Meta Ads
UGC creatives perform particularly well on Facebook and Instagram because they blend naturally into users’ feeds. Videos featuring customer reviews, product demonstrations, or personal experiences often attract more attention and generate stronger engagement than polished, studio-produced advertisements.
Run UGC Ads with TikTok Spark Ads
TikTok Spark Ads allow brands to promote existing TikTok posts while preserving all of their social proof, including views, likes, comments, and shares. Because the ads appear as native content from an existing account, they feel more authentic and less intrusive to users, often leading to stronger engagement.
Test Different Video Hooks
The first 2–3 seconds of a video largely determine whether viewers keep watching or scroll away. Create multiple versions of your opening by testing different hooks, such as a problem-solving question, an unexpected visual, a product result, or a short personal story. Testing these variations helps identify which opening captures attention and delivers the best performance.
Work with Multiple UGC Creators
Even when promoting the same product, different creators can resonate with different audiences. Testing several UGC creators with varying presentation styles, age groups, or communication styles helps identify the approach that performs best for your target audience.
Combine UGC with Professional Production
UGC doesn’t have to replace professionally produced content entirely. In many cases, the best results come from combining different creative formats. Professionally produced videos help build brand image and consistency, while UGC drives stronger performance in performance marketing campaigns by making ads feel more authentic and relatable.
Scale Your Top-Performing Creatives
Once a campaign is live, regularly analyze performance and scale the UGC creatives that deliver the strongest results. High-performing videos can be repurposed across different advertising platforms, adapted into new formats, localized for additional markets, or used as the foundation for new creative variations.
Common Mistakes When Using UGC
User-Generated Content can be an incredibly powerful marketing asset — but only when it’s used correctly. Common mistakes can reduce campaign performance, damage customer trust, or even expose a brand to legal issues.
Using Content Without the Creator’s Permission
When it comes to organic UGC, photos, videos, and social media posts remain the intellectual property of their creators. Before using this content in advertising, on your website, or across social media, you should obtain the creator’s permission. With paid UGC, usage rights are typically defined in a contract that specifies how and where the content can be used.
Encouraging Only Positive Reviews
Trust is built on authenticity. If a brand focuses exclusively on collecting positive reviews or removes neutral and constructive feedback, it can undermine its credibility with potential customers. Instead, encourage people to share their genuine experiences — even when they include constructive criticism — as authentic feedback is far more valuable in building long-term trust.
Overediting UGC
One of the biggest strengths of User-Generated Content is its authenticity. If a video is edited so heavily that it looks like a traditional commercial, it loses the natural quality that makes UGC effective. Editing should enhance the content’s quality — not change its character or make it feel overly produced.
Hiding Negative Reviews
A feed filled with nothing but positive reviews often raises more suspicion than trust. Constructive criticism gives brands an opportunity to demonstrate excellent customer service, resolve issues quickly, and show that they are open to customer feedback.
Failing to Engage with Customer Feedback
UGC is more than just content — it’s an ongoing conversation with your audience. Responding to questions, thanking customers for their reviews, and addressing concerns shows that your brand values its community and is committed to maintaining meaningful customer relationships.
Using the Same Creative for Too Long
Like any other advertising creative, UGC is also affected by creative fatigue. When the same video is used for months without variation, its performance will often decline over time. That’s why it’s important to continuously produce fresh creatives, test different UGC creators, experiment with new opening hooks, and regularly refresh your advertising assets.
The best-performing brands treat UGC as an ongoing strategy rather than a one-time campaign. Consistently refreshing creatives, engaging with customers, and following ethical best practices when working with user-generated content helps maintain audience trust and deliver sustainable results across both organic marketing and paid advertising.
If you’re looking to incorporate User-Generated Content into your marketing strategy, the newage. team can help you develop a creative concept, select the most effective advertising formats, and launch high-performing campaigns across Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, YouTube Ads, Google Demand Gen, and other digital marketing channels.
Get in touch with us to create advertising that feels authentic—and earns your audience’s trust.
FAQ: Common Questions About User-Generated Content
Do I Need Permission to Use UGC?
Yes. If you plan to use customer photos, videos, or other user-generated content in advertising, on your website, or across social media, you should obtain the creator’s permission first. For paid UGC, content usage rights are typically defined in a contract between the brand and the UGC creator.
What’s the Difference Between UGC and Influencer Marketing?
UGC is focused on content creation, while influencer marketing is centered around promoting products through an influencer’s audience. A UGC creator doesn’t need a large following — their primary value lies in producing authentic, high-performing content that brands can use in their own marketing campaigns.
Can UGC Be Used in Paid Advertising?
Absolutely. User-Generated Content is widely used across Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, YouTube Ads, Google Demand Gen, and many other advertising platforms. Brands often test UGC alongside professionally produced creatives to identify the formats that perform best for specific audiences.
Which Types of UGC Perform Best?
Today, the highest-performing UGC formats are typically short-form vertical videos created for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Other highly effective formats include video testimonials, unboxing videos, product demonstrations, and before-and-after content, all of which help showcase products in an authentic and engaging way.
Is UGC Only for Large Brands?
No. User-Generated Content can be highly effective for businesses of any size — from local companies and startups to global brands. Even a small collection of genuine customer reviews, photos, or videos can significantly increase trust, add authenticity to marketing communications, and influence purchasing decisions.