My private social media is filled with 4 major issues: circle of relatives, buddies, meals, and UGC. And as I kind this, I pay attention the previous announcing, “Uh, what’s UGC?”
For over a decade, I’ve been developing social media content material for manufacturers, typically in trade for complimentary merchandise, starting from skin care and make-up to highly spiced snacks or even water pitchers. That is an instance of UGC or user-generated content material, which may also be an especially treasured technique for companies of a wide variety.
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Don’t consider me? Within the 2025 State of Advertising and marketing, user-generated content material used to be named one of the vital most sensible 3 spaces entrepreneurs plan on expanding their funding this yr. Let’s dive into why and the way you’ll use it for your merit.
Desk of Contents
What does UGC imply?
Consumer-generated content material (UGC) is content material at first created by means of shoppers a few explicit emblem or product this is then used for advertising functions.
This content material can take any shape (symbol, video, overview, testimonial, and many others.) and seem on various platforms, although social media is the most typical nowadays. It’s typically now not one thing manufacturers pay for, however with the upward thrust of content material creators and influencers and the confirmed effectiveness of UGC, this isn’t at all times the case anymore.
Forms of UGC in Advertising and marketing
Social Media
My wager is social media is the kind of UGC you’re maximum acquainted with, despite the fact that you didn’t name it that identify.
It’s the classy product picture to your Instagram feed, the TikTok a few new eating place, the cooking video reviewing a kitchen equipment, the YouTube instructional on a brand new design app, and the night time regimen Reel to your Discover tab.
It may be a video (like my eating place spotlight beneath), symbol (like my submit for Eddy’s ice cream above), and even feedback on a emblem’s content material.
Many patrons discuss merchandise on social media just because they wish to, however manufacturers can inspire it by means of asking their audiences to make use of explicit hashtags or tag their emblem, like Ulta Good looks.
Nowadays, numerous manufacturers can even collaborate with creators or influencers for “subsidized” or “talented” user-generated content material. I’ve created numerous TikTok and Instagram posts for all these campaigns.
Product Opinions
In line with a find out about by means of BrightLocal, round 98% of shoppers learn evaluations prior to making a purchase order.
I imply, take into consideration your Amazon buying groceries. Should you’re anything else like me, you at all times test the ones evaluations prior to including to cart. And let’s now not fail to remember web pages like G2 (noticed beneath), Yelp, Trustpilot, and TripAdvisor, simply to call a couple of. Opinions are an highly regarded and strong type of UGC.
Like social media UGC, many patrons submit product evaluations unprompted as a result of they wish to unfold the phrase about their enjoy (excellent or dangerous), however manufacturers too can solicit them by means of providing incentives/repayment to contemporary consumers or different participants in their target audience.
I’ve additionally accomplished those campaigns, writing product evaluations on retail websites like Sephora and Ulta and a few third-party product-discovery apps in trade for complimentary merchandise.
Whilst product evaluations may also be nice social evidence, there’s no ensure they’ll be certain. In my enjoy, manufacturers ask you to “give your fair overview,” and, for my part, I don’t grasp again, however now not everybody does.
Shopper agree with within the authenticity of evaluations is usually a primary fear in UGC campaigns like those.
Testimonials
Testimonials, like product evaluations, are one of those UGC the place actual other people proportion their enjoy together with your services or products. The adaptation this is {that a} testimonial is at all times a advice.
Testimonials also are typically discovered on a emblem’s personal site (like on HubSpot’s beneath), now not 1/3 events’ like maximum evaluations. Some companies proportion or distribute testimonials in emails or social media as a part of their gross sales efforts, too.
Advantages of UGC
So why is UGC in advertising well worth the hype? 3 large causes are evoked.
Loose or Low Value
One of the crucial direct and interesting advantage of UGC is that manufacturers don’t need to do a lot paintings. These days, everybody and somebody is developing content material and is typically keen to do it totally free or a lot lower than it could value manufacturers to do it themselves.
Just right content material introduction is labor-intensive, so getting any individual else to do it with little to no carry or finances is a big win.
Construct Consciousness
When actual other people submit about you on their social media or third-party websites, it may well reveal new audiences for your emblem or providing. In different phrases, it builds emblem consciousness.
Perhaps a few of your audience forget about emblem content material or by no means test their discover feeds. In the event that they see a pal or a author they agree with posting a few product on their very own platforms, it should get their consideration in some way content material printed without delay from a emblem by no means would.
Construct Accept as true with
Along with being low effort, UGC is robust social evidence, or proof from fellow customers, that what you assert or display about your product is correct.
It’s no secret that numerous other people don’t agree with entrepreneurs and advertisers. They suspect we’ll say anything else to make a sale, so it speaks volumes when actual customers vouch for the claims.
Why is content material moderation necessary for user-generated campaigns?
Even with its large advantages, UGC isn’t simple or with out its issues.
When content material is being created externally about your emblem or providing, you don’t have keep an eye on over the messaging or what the overall product seems like. This may end up in problems like unfavourable observation, incorrect information about your product, or even simply inauthentic content material — all of which is able to paint a foul image of you to consumers.
Content material moderation can assist navigate and reduce those problems, however let’s unpack them a little bit extra.
Destructive Statement
While you create content material on your emblem internally, you gained’t bash it, proper? You’ll put your perfect foot ahead and spotlight its perfect qualities.
With UGC, particularly if created organically, with out collaboration together with your workforce, there’s no be sure that this will likely occur. Actual individuals are loose to speak about any shortcomings, issues, or problems they’ve together with your services or products. And, truthfully, that’s in part what your target audience likes about it. It’s unfiltered and candid.
In fact, you need to consider everybody will love and feature the most productive enjoy with you, but when they don’t, not anything stops other people from together with that of their movies, posts, evaluations, and many others.
Incorrect information
With its unfiltered nature additionally comes the chance that creators may ship misguided data.
No person is aware of your product or trade higher than you. When any individual creates UGC, they discuss from their point of view and may rather well proportion one thing that’s not true. I’m now not announcing that is accomplished maliciously, however there’s an excellent chance they simply didn’t know.
For instance, if any individual mentioned the HubSpot can’t combine with PandaDoc. A snappy look at our integration library will inform you that’s now not true, but when any individual posts a video with out doing a lot analysis, they may misspeak.
Authenticity
Now, this factor is exclusive to subsidized UGC. As I discussed, with natural user-generated content material, you’ll’t keep an eye on what other people say or do, however while you sponsor or solicit the content material, it’s possible you’ll determine pointers about what you need to be mentioned.
That is nice for you as a emblem however censors the content material and makes it a little bit much less devoted and unique. If a work is subsidized, how can your target audience know needless to say that the opinion shared is correct? Trendy customers are turning into extra acutely aware of this, which is able to indubitably affect how a lot they agree with your emblem.
UGC Technique
Easy methods to Get UGC for Your Emblem
Listed below are some attempted and true guidelines you’ll use to assemble user-generated content material on your emblem.
1. Create a hashtag.
Growing and selling a “branded” hashtag is most likely probably the most well known option to inspire other people to create UGC on your emblem.
Plus, it’s simple and establishes a pleasing, central position the place you and customers can see the entire content material. Other folks can seek your hashtag and spot what others like them have skilled or shared and in addition get their content material discovered.
It creates a way of neighborhood and gathers content material to unfold phrase of your emblem. REI’s #OptOutside is a smart instance of this:
The outside store highlights UGC the usage of its hashtag on its site and social media.
2. Upload an incentive.
Once more, many of us submit UGC with out being requested, however if you happen to’re now not getting up to you prefer, sweeten the care for an incentive.
You could be offering a cut price or freebie for posting a overview. Or perhaps you’ll give other people the risk to get reposted to your social media, like GoPro or iPhone.
Give your target audience a explanation why instead of “it could be great” to submit UGC, they usually’ll be a lot more most likely to take action.
3. Hyperlink it to a competition or giveaway.
Some other sensible and thrilling option to advertise UGC is linking it to a competition or giveaway.
We already know incentives paintings, however fairly than constantly giving one thing small away, you’ll additionally imagine internet hosting a giveaway or contest for a big, pricey prize, the place customers create content material to go into.
Nationwide Geographic did this for a couple of years with its #WanderlustContest on Instagram. Within the marketing campaign, their target audience submitted authentic images the usage of the hashtag and had been entered to win a Nationwide Geographic Picture Expedition to Yosemite Nationwide Park.
4. Automate “the ask.”
Due to AI and automation, asking your audiences to submit content material is simple.
After other people make a purchase order to your site, for instance, you’ll ship them an e-mail asking them to submit UGC or come with the guidelines of their order affirmation. When you’ve got a bodily product, come with your hashtag and “ask” at the packing slip, like I do with my D2C emblem.
You’ll be able to additionally use gear like ManyChat to ship customers computerized direct messages or social media responses together with your request.
5. Get your workforce concerned.
Whilst now not “customers” or shoppers in line with se, participants of your workforce may also be a few of your most efficient content material creators and emblem advocates. In truth, this may also be extraordinarily treasured in relation to hiring and attracting ability.
“Zappi workers are our emblem’s greatest champions,” stocks Roshni Patel, Director of Social Media at Zappi, calling making an investment in worker advocacy a no brainer.
“We’re launching an advocacy software to make sharing content material simple and a laugh — entire with ready-to-use visuals, contests to power engagement or unfold emblem consciousness, and celebrating wins alongside the best way.”
“I’m additionally eager about instructing and empowering our workers to construct their private manufacturers whilst sharing their unique reports. Our function is to foster a tradition the place workers really feel assured the usage of their voices to proportion their unique reports on social media.”
Worker advocacy is one thing we use at HubSpot, the usage of our hashtag #hubspotlife and @hubspotlife take care of on Instagram.
6. Collaborate with related influencers.
69% of shoppers agree with data from influencers and their friends and family over manufacturers. That implies teaming up with related influencers or creators for your area to provide UGC can do wonders on your succeed in and emblem consciousness.
However once more, don’t select any outdated influencer. Be certain they’re related for your providing and will discuss authentically to its price.
As we discussed, customers may also be skeptical about subsidized or collaborative content material. They may be able to’t make sure if the reward shared is authentic, however operating with the best influencers who’re depended on voices for your trade can assist struggle this.
Be informed extra about your choices for influencer advertising.
Professional tip: Lean into area of interest influencers. In line with the State of Advertising and marketing 2025, smaller influencers can be offering manufacturers extra agree with with their fans, get right of entry to to tight-knit communities, and extra affordability.
In truth, just about 45% of entrepreneurs reported seeing probably the most good fortune with micro-influencers, the most important of any crew, adopted by means of macro and nano-influencers. Mega-influencers (the ones with over 1,000,000) got here in closing.
7. Discover platforms instead of social media.
No longer all customers are energetic and even comfy the usage of social media. Figuring out this, give them choices. Ask for content material on your site like testimonials or evaluations on third-party websites. Social media could be the flashiest form of user-generated content material, however that doesn’t imply the others don’t have price.
8. Be offering one thing uniquely share-worthy.
Above the rest, the easiest way to inspire UGC is to present your shoppers one thing particular they need to proportion and discuss. Assume eating place plating that’s like paintings or one-of-a-kind personalised content material like Spotify Wrapped.
When shoppers have a memorable enjoy or be informed/see one thing attention-grabbing, they wish to inform other people about it. In case your emblem can create the ones, the UGC will come naturally.
Examples of UGC
Now that some savvy tactics to generate person content material, listed here are some examples of manufacturers already doing it neatly. Take a look at much more right here: 10 Consumer-Generated Content material Campaigns That In reality Labored [+Expert Insights]
1. Liquid Dying: #MurderYourThirst
Liquid Dying needs to be one of the vital coolest water manufacturers in the market, and it’s now not since the product is exclusive — I imply, it’s water, in spite of everything.
The logo provides its shoppers that distinctive, shareworthy enjoy and tradition they wish to proportion and, in flip, has banked on nice UGC.
The corporate encourages its fan base to proportion content material the usage of #MurderYourThirst and #DeathToPlastic (because the product is available in recyclable aluminum cans) on Instagram and ceaselessly reshares some to its feed.
It’s easy, however efficient.
2. Dunkin: Charlie D’Melio Collaboration
In 2021, Dunkin Donuts collaborated with Charli D’amelio to extend app downloads and recognition amongst more youthful customers.
D’amelio is a well-liked Gen Z influencer who’s often noticed ingesting Dunkin’s iced espresso in her movies (aka developing UGC content material with out even being requested).
Being attentive to this, the eating place teamed up with D’amelio, launching a drink named after her that her 143 million TikTok fans had been keen to take a look at. The app’s obtain larger by means of 57% when Dunkin Donuts launched the drink and impressed hundreds of extra UGC posts on social media.
3. Specific: Product Opinions
Specific does a super activity producing and showcasing product evaluations on its retail site. Each and every product has in depth evaluations entire with a numerical score, pictures, in addition to main points on have compatibility, high quality, and luxury.
How do they supply those evaluations? Specific emails shoppers after their purchases, asking them to proportion their ideas at the site. It additionally incentivizes reviewing for its “Insider” participants, providing praise issues and money as a thanks.
Flip your target audience into advocates.
Consumer-generated content material isn‘t only a development—it’s an impressive technique that builds agree with, amplifies emblem consciousness, and drives engagement at a fragment of the price of conventional advertising. Whether or not thru social media posts, product evaluations, or testimonials, UGC lets in actual shoppers to grow to be your maximum unique emblem advocates.
As UGC continues to form advertising methods in 2025 and past, something is apparent: probably the most influential voices for your emblem tale aren’t essentially your individual — they’re your shoppers.
