What Is UGC and How Brands Use User-Generated Content
Basics4 minInnovialabs editorial team
In short
UGC is reviews, photos and videos created by customers or by hired creators speaking as a customer; brands collect it, get permission to use it and place it in ads, on product pages and on social media because people trust it more than brand advertising.
What UGC is
UGC (user-generated content) is content created not by the brand but by people: customers, followers, product users. A review on a website, a photo of a purchase in stories, a video review, a post mentioning the company.
Why brands use it: people tend to trust another buyer's words more than the company's own advertising. UGC shows the product in real life, not in a perfect studio shoot.
Types of UGC
- Reviews and ratings. Text reviews on the website, maps, marketplaces and the company's Google profile.
- Photos. Customers show the product in use: clothes being worn, a dish on the table, an interior after renovation.
- Videos. Unboxings, reviews, "before and after", short clips for Reels, Shorts and TikTok.
- Posts and mentions on social media, brand tags in stories.
- Questions and answers on product pages, community discussions.
- Content from UGC creators. A separate format: the brand pays a creator to film a video in the style of an ordinary customer. Technically it is commissioned content, but it looks user-made. These videos are mostly used in ads.
How to collect UGC
- Ask at the right moment. Right after the order arrives or the service is completed — a messenger message or email with a direct link to the review form.
- Make it easy. One link, minimal fields, the option to upload a photo straight from a phone.
- Suggest a format. Instead of "leave a review", ask a couple of questions: "What problem were you solving?", "What did you like most?".
- Offer a hashtag or tag. It makes social posts easier to find.
- Incentivize honestly. You can reward a review with a photo, but never a positive rating. Buying good reviews misleads people and may break platform rules and advertising laws.
- Reply to reviews. Including negative ones: a calm reply that solves the problem works better than deletion.
- Brief your creators. Describe the product, key messages, things to avoid and technical video requirements.
Usage rights
This is the part that often gets skipped. A customer tagging your brand in a post does not mean you may use the photo in ads.
- Ask the author for permission, preferably in writing: in a comment or direct message with explicit consent.
- Specify where and for how long you will use the content: brand social accounts, website, paid ads.
- For paid ads and creator work, sign a contract covering channels, term, editing rights and payment.
- Credit the author if you agreed to.
- Consider other people in the frame. If others, especially children, appear in a photo, you need their consent or their parents'.
- Follow platform rules on labeling ads and sponsored posts.
Exact requirements depend on your country's laws and the platform's policies, so check with a lawyer before running ad campaigns.
Where UGC works best
| Place | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Product and service pages | Reviews, customer photos and ratings next to the buy or request button |
| Ads | Creator videos and real reviews as creatives; worth testing against studio content |
| Social media | Reposting customer photos and stories, review roundups, answering questions |
| Email and messengers | Reviews in abandoned cart emails or before a repeat purchase |
| Landing pages | A video review block right where customers tend to hesitate |
UGC works best where a person has doubts: before paying, while comparing options, when first meeting the brand.
Common mistakes
- Using someone's content without permission.
- Showing only perfect reviews. A wall of pure praise looks suspicious.
- Editing reviews in a way that changes their meaning.
- Hiding payment. A creator video without an ad label undermines trust and may break platform rules.
- Not updating. Year-old reviews on the home page suggest the business is standing still.