What is UGC? Discover How It Can Grow Your Brand
- Rebekah Reed
- Apr 14
- 5 min read
Information for this blog post was obtained from Bussiness.com, Forbes, Social Media Examiner, and Nosto.
What is UGC?
Have you ever visited your favorite brand’s social media page and seen a video made by a smaller account posted on their feed? You click the video, and it shows someone promoting their latest product or service. It does not make sense. How did someone with no social media presence get featured to promote your favorite brand’s product? Well, my friend, your favorite company just posted user-generated content.
If you are unfamiliar with this term, let us break it down for you. User-generated content (UGC) is content related to your brand that your customers create! If you see content like an unboxing video that shows off products, you have witnessed user-generated content. It comes in several forms. According to Business.com, there are three forms of user-generated content: written content, visual content, and audio content.
Written content can include reviews, articles, and blogs where customers write feedback and experiences with a brand.
Visual content is a photo or video taken by customers. The photo or video shows the customer using the product.
Audio content refers to third-party mentions and reviews where customers talk about their experience.
Why is UGC important?
The world has entered the digital age. Consumers have access to more information about brands and the standards consumers have for brands are higher than they once were. Transparency and authenticity are important to consumers when purchasing from a brand. UGC content gives your audience just that: authenticity and transparency.
How Can It Grow My Brand?
Let’s break down some advantages of user-generated content and why UGC is important for your brand:
First, UGC offers a genuine approach. This is the greatest advantage of user-generated content. Forbes’s blog describes UGC as a “modern form of word-of-mouth advertising.” When customers create content for your brand, they will give honest reviews and feedback. This will appeal to other consumers. It is typical for consumers to be skeptical of traditional advertisements. Traditional advertisements are scripted and can feel pushy. UGC gives your customers confidence in your product because they see average people, like them, using your brand and giving sincere unscripted feedback.
The second benefit of UGC is it increases customer engagement. Click-through and conversion rates are two key performance indicators (KPI) that UGC can have a positive impact on. Brands that use advertising-based see a 400% increase in click-through rates and an 8.5% increase in conversion rates. This goes hand in hand with the fact that consumers are drawn to authenticity.
Third, UGC builds trust with its customers. Nosto conducted a survey that examined content created and shared to determine what influences consumers purchasing decisions. The results were insightful. The results show that 86% of consumers say authenticity is an important factor when deciding what brands they like and support. Friends and family influence 60% of consumers’ purchase decisions. Trust is important to consumers. If they do not trust your brand, it will be difficult to convince potential customers to take a specific action. Sharing UGC, which features real people using your product, is a great way to establish and build trust with your audience.
The fourth benefit of UGC is it builds community between your brand and your consumers. Think of athletic brands like Lululemon or Gymshark. They have a large, loyal consumer base. Why? A lot of it is due to their focus on brand community. Lululemon and Gymshark may foster a community differently than with UGC, but the outcome is the same. It is human nature that we desire to be a part of something. User-generated content allows your customers to be a part of your brand—which will make them feel like it’s theirs, resulting in loyalty. Creating content for your favorite brand is an exciting and unique thing to do. Think of the excitement of seeing your photo, video, or blog being featured by your favorite brand. It tells the consumer their opinion is valuable and they are an important voice for your brand. Allowing your consumers to contribute, rather than just being spectators to your brand strengthens the mutual relationship, and increases growth, and brand loyalty.
UGC is cost-effective. Whether you are a billion-dollar company or a startup, being cost-effective is important. UGC content is done quicker and at a lower cost than producing in-house content (sometimes no cost at all). Rates for UGC typically run lower than hiring a professional graphic designer, writer, or videographer. Social Media Examiner says it best, “Instead of constantly producing new content in-house, you can curate and share high-quality content from your community.” Why not include your customers and allow them to creatively curate content for your brand? User-generated content can save your brand money so you can relocate those resources elsewhere.
Lastly, UGC saves time. It is not only cost-effective but time-efficient. Internal content can take time. It involves planning, producing, editing, and promoting. Whereas user-generated content is created by your customers. They do the content planning, producing, and editing. It is important to have an active digital presence so UGC can aid your brand to be able to achieve that.
All of these benefits circle back to the fact that UGC Marketing produces authentic, genuine content that is attractive to consumers. The benefits of UGC not only benefit your business’s relationship with your customers, but it can also benefit you financially!
Conclusion
Digital presence is becoming more important than ever as technology continues to improve. Consumers have access to more information about brands. Establishing an authentic and strong relationship with consumers is more important than ever before. It has several customer-relation and financial benefits for brands that use it. User-generated content allows companies to gain genuine, cost-effective content that will improve click-through rates and conversion rates, build community for their customers, and save time and money. User-generated content is becoming essential to marketing efforts as it has proven to be a powerful tool. The presence and need for User-generated content will continue to grow. Start incorporating user-generated content into your market strategy and watch your brand excel!
Check out my colleague Brianna’s blog here, so you can share user-generated content and other social media posts strategically!
Resources
Duke, D. (2023 March). Forbes. Why User-Generated Content is Winning. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/03/13/why-user-generated-content-is-winning/
Farlie, M. (2024 June) Business.com. User-Generated Content: More than Customer Reviews. Business.com. Retrieved April 2, 2025, from https://www.business.com/articles/user-generated-content/
Stelzner, M. (2024 July). SocialMedia Examiner. UGC Strategy: Boosting Visibility and Sales With Customer Content. Retrieved April 5, 2025 from https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/ugc-strategy-boosting-visibility-and-sales-with-customer-content/
The Consumer Content Report: Influence in the Digital Age. (n.d). Nosto. Retrieved August 2, 2025 from https://www.nosto.com/blog/consumer-content-report-influence-in-the-digital-age-2/
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