User-Generated Content: Turning Customers into Your Best Marketers

Customers trust other customers. Photos, videos and reviews created by real people who use your product often feel more believable than anything a brand can produce. That’s the power of user-generated content (UGC) — and it can become one of your most effective marketing assets.

What counts as UGC?

• Customer photos and videos on social media.
• Reviews and ratings.
• Unboxing and “first impressions” videos.
• Testimonials and success stories.
• Content made by creators paid to produce authentic-style videos (often called creator or UGC-style content).

Why it works

UGC provides social proof — evidence that people like you have bought and enjoyed something. It answers practical questions (how does it look in real life? how big is it?) and feels native on social platforms, where polished ads can feel out of place.

How to encourage it

• Ask: include a friendly request in packaging, post-purchase emails and thank-you messages.
• Make it easy: suggest a hashtag and tell people to tag you.
• Make the product shareable: great packaging and memorable moments get photographed.
• Celebrate customers: feature their content (with permission) so others want to be featured too.
• Run campaigns: challenges or themes that give people a reason to create.

Always get permission

Before using someone’s content on your website or in ads, ask for permission and credit them. For paid ads, get clear written approval. Respecting creators protects your reputation.

Where to use UGC

• Product pages: customer photos near reviews help shoppers decide.
• Social media: reposts and compilations keep your feed real and fresh.
• Ads: UGC-style videos often perform well as ads because they look native to the feed.
• Email: real customer stories add credibility to campaigns.

Keep it authentic

Don’t over-edit customer content or script it until it sounds like an ad. The imperfections are part of what makes it believable.

Measure the impact

Compare engagement and conversion rates for pages and ads with UGC against those without. Many brands find customer content becomes their best-performing creative.

We help brands turn customers and creators into a steady stream of authentic content. Explore content marketing.