What Is User-Generated Content (UGC), And How Is It Reshaping The Content Marketing Industry?

Billions of pieces of content are posted every day. With over 40,000 Instagram photos posted every minute, businesses have to fight to get their name out there and make sure that their audience sees and engages with their content. 

However, much of the content that users interact with is user-generated content (UGC), spending around 5.4 hours per day looking at and engaging with it. With UGC, brands can get their name out there and form a more authentic connection with their audience.

By learning more about user-generated content, why it’s important and how to get UGC for your brand, you’ll be able to increase engagement and awareness in no time. 

In this article, you’ll learn:

• What user-generated content is

• What user-generated content looks like

• Why brands are shifting to user-generated content

• How influencer marketing affects user-generated content

• How brands consistently get user-generated content

• What paid user-generated content is

• How to find user-generated content creators

  
  

What Is User-Generated Content?

User-generated content is content created by consumers about a brand or product shared on social media. UGC, also known as “consumer-generated content,” is especially important among younger audiences like Gen Z. 

User generated content creators, or UGC creators, post UGC in the following forms:

• Photos: In photo UGC, consumers can share photos of their recent purchases, like their dog’s new harness or most recent takeout order. Brands can then repost this content to their own page if they wish.

• Videos: UGC videos are also a great way to show products in action. #Haul on TikTok has over 16 million posts and counting, with videos of users sharing what they bought on their last shopping trip and where it’s from. Brands can also repost this content as well.

• Blog posts and guest columns: With these posts, newspapers and websites receive content from their readers and post it to their own websites, increasing their post diversity and community engagement while decreasing the burden on their own writers and editorial staff.

• Reviews: This is one of the most popular forms of UGC, with millions posted every day. Since consumers are voluntarily sharing their experience with a product or brand, other consumers are more likely to trust these reviews as opposed to content directly from the brand. 

User generated content can also be a combination of the above forms. For example, a video demonstration of a product can have a review in the caption, or a lengthy review can have photos to accompany it. 

UGC Examples

With all the different types of UGC out there and pieces of content posted every day, it can be overwhelming trying to find examples. While UGC can be found anywhere, popular hashtags include #GRWM and #OOTD, where users show off their morning routine or the outfit they’re wearing and where it’s from respectively.

Source: Natalie on Instagram

In this post on Instagram, the user tagged the brands she wore in the photo. As a result, followers who like the outfit can find it on the brand’s website and buy it for themselves. The brand can also see the content and potentially use it on their own social media platforms. 

In this TikTok video, the user tells viewers about the food she received and how excited she is to try it. Because the post is from a “real” person and not a celebrity, viewers feel more connected to the content and are more likely to engage with it or even sign up for a Home Chef subscription.

Why Brands Are Shifting To UGC

More and more brands are turning to user-generated content, with 87% of businesses repurposing UGC to share with their own audience. Brands are turning away from traditional branded content and toward UGC for the following reasons:

Higher Engagement With Gen Z

Gen Z engages with user-generated content the most, with 61% preferring UGC over other forms of content, like music, gaming and television. As a result, UGC also plays a role in Gen Z’s purchasing decisions, with 70% using it to find and purchase products.

More Authentic And Cost-Effective Than Traditional Content

Because UGC is created by fellow shoppers, consumers prefer UGC over posts directly from brands. 63% of shoppers believe that UGC creates a more authentic shopping experience, as it allows shoppers to hear from “real” people that look and shop like them. 

Not only is UGC more authentic, but it is also more cost-effective than traditional brand content. Social media campaigns can be expensive in terms of time, money and resources, even if they run for a short period of time. 

However, with UGC, users essentially create the content for brands that can then share it to their own platforms, reducing the time spent in creating content and the money associated with that time. Users also want to see themselves on their favorite brand’s social media pages or just receive a comment from them, making them more likely to tag these brands in a post. 

Valuable Form Of Word-Of-Mouth

Word-of-mouth marketing, where consumers share about their experience with other consumers, is an important form of UGC marketing and the main way consumers learn about brands. When sharing positive, brand-related UGC, consumers are endorsing the brand, even if that wasn’t their main intention.

Increase In Purchase Confidence

Photos of a product from brands can help consumers learn more about the product, but they aren’t always accurate to what consumers receive. After all, when was the last time your McDonald’s order actually looked as delicious as their commercials? 

However, user-generated content can bridge the gap between products and consumers by allowing potential buyers to see photos and videos taken by past purchasers. This is a popular practice among consumers, with 60% of potential buyers searching for visual UGC to get a better idea of others’ experiences before committing to a product.  

Brand Loyalty

Consumers today want to be a part of something bigger. That’s why they engage with brands that appeal to their interests and passions. User-generated content opens up a line of communication between a brand and the consumer, making consumers more loyal to the brand.

How Are Brands Consistently Getting UGC For Their Brand?

Now that you know the benefits of UGC, you may be wondering how to get it for your brand. Traditionally, brands increase the amount of UGC from their consumers through the following:

• Contests: In 2024, CAVA launched a campaign centered around user-generated content, with CAVA fans posting their favorite recipes for the chance to win a spot on the menu and a $5,000 gift card. As a result, the hashtags associated with the campaign generated millions of views and increased awareness of the brand. 

• Direct Outreach To Consumers: Clothing brand Windsor also launched a UGC campaign, offering free products in exchange for Instagram and TikTok posts from consumers. It was a win-win for both consumers and Windsor, as the consumers received free products from the brand, and Windsor increased their brand awareness and content for future use. 

• Branded Hashtags: Branded hashtags are hashtags that businesses share with their customers and encourage them to use. With these hashtags, businesses have a consistent tag to track user-generated content, making it easier to find UGC.

  
  

Brands can also get user-generated content through influencer marketing platforms. These UGC platforms and influencer marketplaces, such as connectU, bridge the gap between brands and influencers by offering a space for brands to find influencers who are willing to post about a brand in exchange for cash or products.

Which Industries Utilize UGC The Most?

With all the user generated content out there, almost any industry can benefit from this form of content. However, the industries that utilize UGC the most include:

• Fashion

• Beauty

• Food

• Travel

• Retail

• And more!

  
  

How Can I Share UGC On My Brand’s Social Media?

With so many UGC platforms and types of content that can be posted on social media, there are so many ways to repurpose UGC for your own brand. This includes:

• Contests: Like CAVA’s campaign, you can design contests to ensure that your customers are engaged with your brand while also giving you user generated content to reshare on your page. CAVA designed their campaign so that users were excited to share about their favorite meals, and so can you! Design contests that get consumers to share their favorite thing about your brand, like their best outfit, meal or any other aspect of your brand. 

• Customer highlights: Customers love to see themselves on their favorite brands’ pages. Customers who post about or tag your brand often are more likely to tell the brands about themselves. By sharing these customers’ content, you engage with your target audience and encourage other customers to post about and tag your brand more often for a chance to see themselves highlighted on the page as well. 

• Examples of use: If your brand sells hands-on products that require instructions, there may be UGC videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok of customers explaining the product and how it works. Resharing customers’ videos about this will help your target audience see themselves in your brand while potentially helping customers share their own tips and tricks about the product. 

If you’re a small business, UGC creators in your area are also a great source for user generated content. Local influencers typically have less followers than other kinds of influencers, but their followers engage more with their posts. Re-sharing UGC from local content creators will encourage more people in your area to engage with your brand, driving even more brand awareness. 

What Is Paid UGC, And How Is It Different Than Unpaid UGC?

Paid user-generated content is exactly what it sounds like: content created by consumers in exchange for monetary payment or free products from the brand. Payment can be distributed per post or a set amount over a period of time.

While any business can hire a UGC creator, paid user-generated content is best for new brands and start-ups that don’t have a large following yet. When hiring content creators to create UGC, make sure the influencers you hire appeal to your target audience. 

Paid UGC typically involves more work for brands than unpaid UGC, as businesses have to reach out to specific creators or ask interested consumers to apply and then filter through applications. However, because brands can choose specific creators, they typically receive higher-quality content from these paid influencers.

How Does Influencer Marketing Affect UGC?

Influencer marketing, or working with influencers to promote your product or brand on social media, has a large effect on user-generated content. With over 50 million influencers posting online today, the amount of user-generated content published every day is high and will continue to grow. 

If your brand is interested in increasing your user-generated content but can’t rely on a contest campaign to organically drive UGC, look toward influencer marketing. Hiring influencers for paid UGC can help increase your brand awareness and expand your reach, helping you hit social media goals and maximizing your profit.

How connectU Brings Brands Real Creators

After all this, you may be wondering how to get UGC for your brand. If you’re ready to grow your business and increase local word-of-mouth from college students about your brand, turn to connectU! connectU is an influencer marketing platform that brings businesses and real college students content together to help grow their content. If your business is located in a college town or your target audience consists of college students, we can help. 

If your business is ready to start UGC campaigns, connectU is here for you. Sign up here and get started today!