User generated content (UGC) has been part of our digital lives for years.
Every time someone posts a review, shares a photo of a product or describes their experience with a company, they are creating content that can be useful to other consumers.
For a brand, this kind of post is not just a way to get visibility. It can also show how a product is used in real situations, answer questions before purchase and build a closer relationship with an audience.
So let us look at what UGC means, what types of content exist, and how a company can use these posts within its communication and advertising strategy.
What does UGC mean?
UGC stands for user generated content. It is any content created and published by someone who is not part of the company behind the brand, product or service.
It can be a written opinion, a photo, a video, a forum answer or a social media post. What matters is that the content comes from a user's own participation and is shared somewhere other people can see it.
Do you have an account on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit or any other social network? If you have ever posted a photo of a restaurant, recommended a product or explained how you use a service, you have probably already created UGC.
The growth of social media and how easy it has become to film and publish have made this accessible to almost anyone. No advanced technical knowledge is required. In many cases, a phone, a camera and an experience worth telling are enough.
What separates UGC from other online content?
Not everything published online counts as user generated content. To identify it, look for several characteristics:
It is published somewhere other people can access. A private conversation, or a message sent directly to a brand, is not usually considered public UGC.
It was made by a user, customer or consumer. It is not a piece produced by the company's own team.
It carries an experience, an opinion or a point of view. The content can be positive, negative or neutral.
It has some degree of originality. Copying someone else's post does not automatically make that material your own UGC.
It can be about a brand, product, service or experience. It can equally answer a question, explain a process or help other people.
There is an important difference between organic UGC and content made by a UGC creator for a brand. The first is usually published spontaneously by a customer. The second is produced through a professional collaboration, normally with a brief, a fee and agreed usage terms.
In both cases the content can look natural and close, but the company needs permission before reusing it on its own channels or in ads.
What types of user generated content are there?
UGC turns up in many formats and on many platforms. It is not limited to TikTok or Instagram videos, even if those are the best-known examples in marketing.
Q&A sites and forums
Questions and answers written by users are a common form of community-generated content. On general and specialist forums such as Reddit and Quora, people raise questions and others answer from their own knowledge or experience.
This content helps solve specific problems, compare options and surface information that does not always appear on a corporate page. It also reveals the questions that keep coming up around a product or service.
For a company, reading these conversations is a useful way to understand customer doubts and spot topics worth addressing in its own content.
Video tutorials
Tutorials show how to use a product, install it, set it up or get more out of it. They can be made by a customer, an enthusiast or a specialist creator.
Think of someone looking for how to use a vacuum cleaner, configure a device or apply a cosmetic product properly. They may find a video from the manufacturer, but they may equally find an explanation from someone who has already been through the process.
UGC tutorials have value because they show the product in use and answer concrete questions. They also tend to reveal small details of the experience that never appear on a product page.
Posts on X and other social networks
User posts on X, formerly Twitter, are also user generated content. Someone might share an opinion about a brand, comment on a purchase, recommend a service or describe an experience with a company.
The same happens on other networks, where users publish comments, videos, images and replies that can reach a great many people.
Here the brand does not fully control the message. That is why it should listen, respond where necessary, and never present a paid collaboration as though it were spontaneous.
Instagram and TikTok videos
Short videos are one of the most-used formats in UGC strategies today. Reels, TikToks and Stories can show a product, explain its features, document an experience or present a result.
Some common examples:
unboxing videos;
product demonstrations;
short reviews;
comparisons;
tutorials;
problem-and-solution videos;
personal recommendations;
testimonials;
lifestyle content;
posts showing a purchase or an experience.
Someone can film at home, in a restaurant, on a trip or while using a service. That variety of contexts is exactly what lets an audience see how a brand fits into real situations.
When a company needs to produce this kind of piece in a planned way, it can work with UGC creators. They produce the content for the brand, though they do not always publish it on their own profiles. It can then be used on social media, on websites or in advertising campaigns, according to the rights agreed.
Photographs shared on social media
A photo published on Instagram, Facebook or any other network can also be UGC. It might show a product, the inside of a venue, a plate of food, a hotel room or the result of using a service.
Photographs let you show a product in everyday settings and help prospective customers picture their own experience.
Someone who shares a photo of a garment, tags the brand and explains how they styled it is generating content connected to that company. The same goes for someone posting an image of a piece of homeware in their living room, or a meal in a restaurant.
Reviews and testimonials
Reviews are among the best-known and most-consulted forms of UGC before a purchase. People write about their experience on Google, TripAdvisor, Trustpilot, marketplaces, social networks and other public spaces.
A review can explain what someone liked, what problems they had, how long delivery took or whether the service met expectations. So it does more than rate a company — it gives future customers real information.
Brands can ask customers to share an opinion, but they must not manipulate the content or demand only positive ratings. Trust depends on the published experience being credible and not reading like advertising in disguise.
Wikipedia and collaborative projects
Wikipedia and other collaborative projects also rest on user participation. People create, expand and correct content about history, biography, places, science and much else.
Although this kind of content has a different purpose from a brand's UGC campaign, it shares the same idea: a community creates and organises information that other people then use.
The difference between a UGC creator and an influencer
Both make content for brands, but a UGC creator and an influencer do not do the same job.
A UGC creator makes photos, videos, reviews or demonstrations for the brand to use on its own channels, website, product pages or ad campaigns. Their value lies chiefly in the ability to produce natural, clear content suited to each platform's format. They need neither a large community nor to publish the content on their personal profile.
An influencer, by contrast, works with a brand to communicate a message to their own audience. Here the main value is the reach, the trust and the relationship they have built with their followers. The brand pays not only for producing the piece but for publishing it and for the exposure to that community.
Aspect | UGC creator | Influencer |
|---|---|---|
Main function | Create content for the brand's channels | Recommend or promote a brand to their audience |
Own audience | Not essential | One of their main assets |
Where it is published | Normally on the brand's channels or in its ads | Usually on the influencer's own profile |
What the brand is buying | Reusable pieces of content | Reach, awareness, engagement and credibility with a community |
Usage rights | Must be agreed per channel and campaign | Must be negotiated, especially if the brand wants to reuse the content in advertising |
The same person can be both a UGC creator and an influencer, but it is worth defining what you are hiring in each collaboration. If a brand needs videos for its ads or social channels, it can work with a UGC creator. If it wants to reach a particular audience through a published recommendation, it can work with an influencer.
How do you use UGC in a marketing strategy?
User generated content can be built into different points of the buying journey. The key is not to collect posts aimlessly but to decide first what you want them to achieve.
A brand can use UGC to:
show a product working;
build trust before a purchase;
explain a specific feature;
answer an objection;
increase engagement on social media;
source material for an ad campaign;
enrich product pages;
give visibility to customer experiences;
build a content library for different channels.
1. Define which product or service you want to promote
Before looking for creators or asking customers for posts, decide what you want to communicate. It might be a new product, a particular feature, a buying experience or a service that needs more visibility.
Be clear too about the benefits you want to highlight, the problem it solves and the action you expect from the viewer. Making a video to drive sales is not the same as gathering a review to build confidence on a product page.
The clearer the objective, the easier the brief becomes — and the easier it is to judge whether the content did its job.
2. Decide what format you need
The format should follow the objective. Some possibilities:
an unboxing video to show the product arriving;
a demonstration to explain how it works;
a testimonial to present an experience;
a review to answer doubts;
a problem-and-solution video to show a benefit;
a lifestyle photograph to place the product in an everyday context.
Think about where the content will be published too. A video for TikTok may need a different pace and structure from a piece for a website or a Meta ad.
3. Choose between organic content and working with UGC creators
If you already have an active community, you can encourage customers to share their experiences and mention the brand. This can produce spontaneous content, though it does not let you control volume, format or delivery dates.
When you need specific pieces, with particular characteristics and on a particular date, you can hire UGC creators. They work to a brief and create content tailored to what the company needs.
To find creators and manage collaborations yourself, you can use Huuk, a self-service UGC platform connecting brands with UGC creators. The brand keeps control of the search, the selection and the coordination inside the platform.
If you would rather delegate the strategy, the selection and the running of a campaign, byCreators is a UGC agency that helps brands create and manage campaigns with creators. Choosing between a platform and an agency comes down mainly to how much of the process you want to handle in house.
4. Design how users take part
If you want customers to create content, you have to explain clearly what they need to do. A campaign might ask them to post a photo, film a video, use a hashtag, tag the brand or answer a specific question.
The process has to be easy to follow. It is worth stating:
what kind of content you are looking for;
which channel it should be published on;
what the deadline is;
whether there is an incentive;
how posts will be selected;
where the content might be reused;
what terms and permissions apply.
There is no need for complicated mechanics. A simple action, related to the product and easy to share, is usually far more accessible to participants.
5. Define the incentives and the usage rights
Some UGC campaigns work because participants want to appear on the brand's channels, be part of a community or share an experience. Others offer a discount, a product, a prize or some form of recognition.
The incentive has to be clear and proportionate to the effort being asked for. If you are requesting a properly made video with specific conditions, vaguely suggesting it might get posted on the company profile is not enough.
You also need to agree the usage rights. Someone publishing a photo or a video does not mean the brand can download it, edit it and run it in ads without permission.
Before reusing a piece, put in writing:
which channels it will appear on;
how long it can be used for;
whether it will run in advertising;
whether it can be edited or adapted;
whether the creator will be credited;
what payment or incentive applies.
In a collaboration with a UGC creator, these terms belong in the agreement before production starts.
6. Promote the campaign on the right channels
A UGC campaign needs visibility to get participation. You can promote it by email, on social media, over WhatsApp, on your website, through packaging or via your own customer service team.
The message should say plainly what the user has to do and what they get in return. A brand might explain that it will select some posts to share on its social channels — provided that really is the arrangement.
It is just as important to respond to the people who take part, thank them for their posts and moderate comments where necessary. A campaign does not end when the first piece of content goes up; what happens afterwards is part of the experience too.
Well-known UGC campaign examples
Several brands have used participatory campaigns to gather content around their products. These examples show the different shapes a UGC strategy can take.
LEGO and Belkin
Belkin launched an iPhone case inspired by LEGO's familiar bricks and asked customers to share creative designs and customisations on Instagram.
The campaign encouraged users to add their own elements and post the result with a hashtag tied to the collaboration. The company ended up with a collection of customer-made images it could show as inspiration alongside the product.
GoPro
GoPro has spent years encouraging users to publish the videos they film. People share adventure, travel and sports experiences, and that content demonstrates directly what the cameras can do.
The product appears woven into the experience rather than as an isolated demo. Anyone watching understands what kind of footage they could get with one of the brand's cameras.
KFC
KFC asked customers to film themselves preparing some of its best-known dishes at home. The brand built a participatory format around it and selected content to fold into its own communication.
The example shows how a company can use a specific situation to get its audience creating content, especially where people already have a relationship with the product.
Ring
Ring, a home security device company, ran a competition inviting customers to share footage captured by their video doorbells.
The content stood out because it showed real situations and, in some cases, funny ones. The brand managed to demonstrate how the product works entirely through scenes created by its own users.
Starbucks and #RedCupArt
Starbucks invited customers to decorate its seasonal red cups and post photographs of their designs on social media. The brand picked some of the entries and shared them on its own profile.
The idea turned a recognisable brand element into a surface for customer creativity. Taking part was simple, and the content adapted easily to social media.
Nutella
Nutella has run campaigns putting people's names on its jar labels and encouraging shoppers to photograph themselves with the jar carrying their own name or someone else's.
Personalisation made it easy for people to identify with the product and gave them a concrete reason to share it. This kind of campaign also generates content around gifts, gatherings and everyday moments.
Why does UGC matter in marketing?
User generated content matters because it brings a different perspective from communication produced by the company itself. A brand can explain its features and advantages, but consumers also tend to look for evidence of how the product behaves in practice.
It gives a closer view of the experience
A review, a demonstration or a video of the product in use can answer questions a marketing description leaves open. The viewer sees the real size of the product, how it is handled, the result it gives and the situations it suits.
This is especially useful for products that need a visual explanation: cosmetics, technology, fashion, food, interiors or digital tools.
It strengthens social proof
Social proof appears when people see that others have bought, used or recommended a product. It does not guarantee a sale, but it can reduce uncertainty and help a prospective customer move forward.
Reviews do this, and so do customer videos, product photographs and testimonials. Seeing a specific experience is usually more useful than reading a marketing promise.
It lets you reuse content across channels
With the right permissions, a company can use the same piece at different touchpoints. One video can appear on a social channel, a product page, a newsletter and an ad campaign.
Any adaptation has to respect the rights agreed and the original context of the collaboration. Not every piece suits every channel, so choose each one according to its purpose.
UGC made by professionals can also be used in short-format ads. There the creator might film a review, an unboxing, a demonstration or a problem-and-solution video following the brand's direction.
It gives you ideas for new content
User posts help you spot which topics generate interest, which questions keep recurring and which ways of presenting a product land most clearly.
If several people share videos explaining the same use of a product, the brand can identify that application as a topic worth covering. It can also watch which formats attract more replies, saves or comments, and use that to shape future pieces.
This does not mean copying a user's content. It means learning from the audience's questions and behaviour to communicate more usefully.
It can build trust before purchase
Consumers tend to distrust messages that are too polished, or promises that come without a demonstration. UGC can show the product in a context that feels less like a traditional ad and more like a recommendation.
Trust depends on several things: how clear the message is, how well it matches the real experience, how transparent the collaboration is, and the quality of the content. A video that looks spontaneous but hides the fact that it was paid for can have the opposite effect once the audience finds out.
It helps you make more natural ads
UGC is used frequently in ad campaigns because it fits the format of social media. A short vertical video focused on one specific problem sits far more comfortably inside normal use of TikTok, Instagram or Meta.
For it to work, asking for a nice-looking video is not enough. You have to define what it should communicate, who the audience is, what the call to action is, and what usage rights the company needs.
If a brand does not want to handle finding creators, briefs, revisions and deliveries separately, it can delegate the campaign to byCreators, a UGC agency that coordinates the process with UGC creators. If it would rather pick profiles and run collaborations directly, Huuk offers a self-service option built for that way of working.
How to build a UGC campaign for a business
A UGC campaign can revolve around a physical product, a service, a restaurant, a hotel, an app or a local business. What changes is the kind of experience you want people to share.
To organise one, follow this process:
Define the main objective. Decide whether you are after awareness, reviews, sales, content for advertising, engagement or insight into the customer experience.
Select the product or service. The more specific the proposition, the easier it is to explain what the user should show.
Choose the format. Work out whether you need photos, short videos, stories, written reviews, tutorials or testimonials.
Decide how you will source the content. You can activate your customer community, work with UGC creators, or combine both.
Prepare the instructions. Explain the message, the format, the approximate length, the delivery date, the channels and any mandatory requirements.
Agree payment and permissions. Do not leave usage rights to the end. They should be settled before anything is published or reused.
Promote the campaign. Use the channels where your audience actually is, and explain the process without adding unnecessary steps.
Review and select the content. Check that the pieces meet the requirements, that the message is right and that the permissions are in place.
Measure the results. Look at views, engagement, clicks, conversions, sales or whichever indicators relate to the original objective.
For a hotel or restaurant, a campaign might centre on photographs of the space, videos of the experience, customer reviews or posts about a particular dish. For an ecommerce business, it might focus on unboxings, demonstrations, comparisons or testimonials.
The idea is not to ask for content for its own sake. A good UGC campaign connects a real customer experience to a specific communication need.
What to check before reusing UGC
Before publishing someone else's photo, review or video on your channels, check the terms of use. Tagging the user or asking permission in a comment may not cover every use, particularly if you want to run the content in advertising.
Always check:
who holds the rights to the content;
whether there is permission to edit it;
which channels you can use it on;
for how long;
whether you can use it in ads;
whether you have to credit the creator;
whether the content includes other people or protected material;
what compensation was agreed, where applicable.
When you work with professional creators, put these terms in the contract or collaboration agreement. Being clear before you start avoids problems once the campaign is running.
User generated content can improve how a brand communicates, supply ideas and bring products closer to consumers' real lives. Getting there takes more than publishing a lot of pieces.
You have to choose the right format, work with the right people, respect their rights and measure whether the content is actually helping meet the objective.
