While scrolling on my Instagram feed, I saw a post about a gorgeous planter in my friend\u2019s post. I immediately inquired about the brand and ordered a couple of pots for myself.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a classic example of how user-generated content (UGC) works. It\u2019s an authentic post about a brand and its products on social media channels \u2014 created by real and relatable customers instead of the brand or influencers.<\/p>\n
In this article, I\u2019ll share the A-Z on user-generated content and how your brand can use it to improve your social media marketing efforts \u2014 with some examples to inspire you!<\/p>\n
What is user-generated content (UGC)?<\/h2>\n
User-generated content<\/u><\/a> (UGC) is brand-specific content created by customers. Brands usually reshare this customer content on their own social media channels (with permission!). For example, at Buffer, we shared this customer review as an Instagram post<\/u><\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s the perfect example of user-generated content. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you really think about it, user-generated content is a digital term for word-of-mouth marketing. However, UGC isn\u2019t as straightforward.<\/p>\n For starters, UGC isn\u2019t as out of your control as word-of-mouth marketing. It\u2019s not reliant on organic content alone to do the work. As a brand, you can bake user-generated content (UGC) into your marketing strategy to attract potential customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can even hire UGC creators to create authentic and relatable content for you when you\u2019re new in business and don\u2019t have many customers or customer feedback. Let\u2019s cover these two types of user-generated content (UGC) in the next section.<\/p>\n There are two main types of user-generated content: organic and paid.<\/p>\n Cirkul wanted 2 core UGC videos \u2014 but instead of just delivering 2, we tested 3 unique hooks for each one to maximize performance \u26a1\ufe0f That\u2019s 6 total videos for the brand to test and learn from.<\/p>\n This kind of creative variation helps brands figure out what actually gets clicks,\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Jx99nMxXYK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jenna | UGC Creator & Creative Strategist (@jennamediaco) May 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n The core difference between organic UGC and paid UGC is the incentive. But isn\u2019t paid UGC the same as influencer-generated content?<\/p>\n You\u2019d be forgiven for thinking that \u2014 but not quite.<\/p>\n While these are the two main types of user-generated content, you can also divide UGC based on content type. The brand Lili Origin<\/u><\/a> often uses all these types \u2014 I\u2019ll share their examples to help you understand how your company can layer various types of UGC content in your marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n Customer testimonials are a powerful form of user-generated content. They aren\u2019t just original, they also signal social proof<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n With customer permission, you can convert testimonials to visual content by taking a screenshot of online reviews and posting them on social platforms \u2014 like Lili Origin did in their Instagram Stories.<\/p>\n You can also embed these customer feedback snippets across your product pages.<\/p>\n Photos are a type of UGC when a customer uses your product and snaps a picture with it. You can reshare these UGC images as social media posts across multiple platforms and also add them on product pages (so potential customers can see how your product looks on an actual customer).<\/p>\n A pro tip<\/strong>: add some context to the photo and use the UGC content to increase brand awareness.<\/p>\n Lili Origin often reshares its customers\u2019 Instagram Stories flaunting the brand\u2019s products \u2014 and they also add a link to the product in the picture so their target audience can find it easily (instead of scouring their website).<\/p>\n Video UGC content is video related to your product \u2014 whether that\u2019s a detailed review, walkthrough, or a haul. Lili Origin shared a creator\u2019s haul of multiple products on their website in their own account. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Blog posts about your product or comments from users are similar to reviews. You can screenshot mentions across the web (whether that\u2019s in a blog post, Reddit, or in an online community) and share them as UGC content on social media platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n Be sure to get permission to reshare reviews, especially when you\u2019re screenshotting content from a private community. Be specific about where you plan to reshare their comment\u00a0<\/p>\n All of the above types of UGC content can be organic and paid \u2014 it depends on how your UGC strategy fits into your overall marketing campaigns. Before I talk about how you can integrate user-generated content into your marketing campaigns, let\u2019s address why UGC content is excellent in the first place.<\/p>\n Running UGC campaigns sounds like a lot of effort: track all user-generated content, interact with your audience, reshare it with added context, etc. Why do all that when you can just create branded content or partner with influencers? Here are five reasons that show the value of user-generated content:<\/p>\n Authenticity has become somewhat of a buzzword online. But the fact is, consumers are more marketing-aware than ever before. They will often tune out of your traditional ads \u2014 whether that\u2019s high-resolution branded content or paid sponsorships.<\/p>\n In this marketing fog, user-generated posts shine because of their authenticity. They don\u2019t appear salesy. Why else would 85% of consumers<\/u><\/a> say they rely on user-generated content before making a purchase?<\/p>\n \ud83d\udca1<\/p>\n Note<\/strong><\/b>: Don\u2019t strip your user-generated content of its authenticity when resharing user-generated content (UGC). Keep it real and relatable by relying on creators and customers who are true brand loyalists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n User-generated content is a trust builder because it comes from your existing customers. It\u2019s powerful when someone buys your product and likes it enough to create social media posts about it \u2014 it tips the purchasing decisions of your potential customers in your favor.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just me who believes it: Massive\u2019s research<\/u><\/a> has found 81% of consumers find user-generated content more trustworthy than professionally created branded content or content from influencers.<\/p>\n When people see someone like them using your products and speaking in its favor \u2014 the very core of user-generated content \u2014 your social proof and positive brand sentiment soars.<\/p>\n Tint\u2019s latest report<\/u><\/a> found 77% of consumers wish their favorite brands had a community.<\/p>\n And user-generated content is like a mini community-building exercise: It increases customer engagement because you interact with your buyers and share their user-generated posts.<\/p>\n This further strengthens your connection and lays the foundation of a strong social media community<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n The best part? When you use user-generated content to deepen your relationships for community engagement, you also lay seeds for gaining more<\/em> user-generated content (UGC) and<\/em> sales.<\/p>\n Talk about a win-win.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no better way to gain more content ideas<\/u><\/a> than by listening to your customers. And customer content in the form of UGC is like buyer research \u2014 with additional benefits.<\/p>\n You can not only share user-generated content to fill your content calendar<\/u><\/a> (with relevant content!) and meet the ideal posts\u2019 frequency<\/u><\/a> across social media channels, but also use the customer content as a treasure trove of ideas and product feedback.<\/p>\n Do buyers often share a use case you don\u2019t speak to in your content marketing efforts? Are reviews frequently highlighting a feature that should be more prominent in your landing page copy? All these are audience insights you can use from an impeccable source: true brand loyalists.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re relying on your brand ambassadors or current buyers for creating UGC, you don\u2019t (usually) have to pay them anything to post about your brand.<\/p>\n And even if you have to share some incentives (like an exclusive discount code, free product, etc.), it\u2019s little compared to traditional advertising costs.<\/p>\n This is an A+ benefit \u2014 regardless of whether you\u2019re a small business or an enterprise company \u2014 because you get more authentic content at less cost. What\u2019s not to like (read: love)?<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019re convinced of the value of user-generated content, the next section will help you formulate a UGC strategy to collect, organize, and use it.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re looking to layer a UGC strategy into your social media strategy<\/u><\/a>, you need systems for three things:<\/p>\n 1. Encouraging your target audience to share UGC<\/p>\n 2. Collecting and organizing user-generated content within your marketing systems<\/p>\n 3. Using user-generated content effectively<\/p>\n Let\u2019s cover each one by one.<\/p>\n It\u2019d be so easy if customers could just come to you with relevant content at your digital doorstep. But that\u2019s not how it works \u2014 your target audience needs some encouragement and incentives to share user-generated content with you. Here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n Your customers might not think about posting about your brand unless you plant the idea in their heads.<\/p>\n Nudge customers to share how they use your product in your order delivery or marketing emails \u2014 be as specific as possible and share exactly what kind of content you expect.<\/p>\n You can also guide your target audience on social media to create and submit user contributions while using your product.<\/p>\n The iconic #ShareACoke campaign<\/u><\/a>, for example, asks customers to share their personalized Coca-Cola cans and bottles. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guiding your customers on how to create UGC for your brand is helpful. But giving them a little treat for it is going the extra mile.<\/p>\n Incentivizing customers will not only boost the quantity of user-generated content you receive, but also increase brand loyalty.<\/p>\n You can run giveaways or challenges to encourage customers to participate and share user-generated content on social media.<\/p>\n Domino\u2019s old #PieceofthePieContest<\/u><\/a> is a classic example of how to run challenges to open the floodgates for user-generated content \u2014 but you don\u2019t have to offer a $10,000 cash prize.<\/p>\n You can offer exclusive access to new product lines, free merch, discounts, or anything your target audience would appreciate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Who knows your product better than the people who helped create it? Ask your team members to post authentic content about your product using their own social channels.<\/p>\n Like with your customers, be clear in your expectations and reward teammates for taking out the time to create user-generated content.<\/p>\n The best part about team-driven UGC is that your team members are your best brand advocates \u2014 they know the ins and outs of your company and what you stand for.<\/p>\n At Buffer, for example, our teammates often share snippets of how they use the product in their workflow. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to keep your UGC library organized when you\u2019re getting only a handful of pieces of content. But what happens when (hopefully!) your UGC library grows \u2014 with content from customers, brand ambassadors, teammates, and creators?<\/p>\n The good news: It\u2019s an excellent problem to have. The better news: you can easily solve it by setting up smooth systems to track, organize, and sort user-generated content (UGC).<\/p>\n Set up a form to collect user-generated content using tools like Airtable<\/u><\/a>, Notion<\/u><\/a>, or Typeform<\/u><\/a> for your team members, creators, and brand ambassadors.<\/p>\n You can even ask customers to fill out a form if you\u2019re running a contest. This will allow you to collect all user-generated content in one place rather than having it scattered across social channels.<\/p>\n What about customers freely sharing UGC? You don\u2019t want to make them go through the clunky process of filling out a form, too. Ask them to use a branded hashtag so you can collect all user-generated content easily.<\/p>\n You can take this a step further by using social listening tools<\/u><\/a> to spot content about your brand in the wild.<\/p>\n Integrations can be a lifesaver when it comes to saving time and reducing manual work. For example, if you use Buffer<\/u><\/a> for social media management<\/u><\/a>, you can automatically ensure all the posts submitted via the form show up in your Create space (as post ideas) or drafts.<\/p>\n You can then use tags to spot UGC posts easily in your Buffer account.<\/p>\n When you have all your UGC content automatically collected inside your marketing tool, it\u2019s easier to sort and use!<\/p>\n As soon as you mark a UGC post, reach out to the original creator and ask if you can use their content on your social channels (and credit them!).<\/p>\n Using someone\u2019s social posts without permission can not only have legal consequences, but also tarnish your brand reputation.<\/p>\n And it isn\u2019t as tedious as it sounds: Using Zapier, you could set up an integration between Buffer, Google Forms<\/u><\/a> (or your form tool of choice), and Gmail<\/a> (or your preferred email tool).<\/p>\n As soon as you receive a new form response, the integration will automatically create a new idea in your Create space in Buffer.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how the sequence might look:<\/strong><\/p>\n You\u2019ve encouraged your target audience to share brand-centric content. You\u2019ve even set up the systems to organize it. What next?<\/p>\n UGC is great for social integration, but they aren\u2019t limited to it.<\/p>\n You can use UGC content in multiple places within your marketing strategy \u2014 such as product pages, company newsletters, content marketing, and even ads.<\/p>\n Instead of simply resharing content created by your customers, add more context to it for future buyers.<\/p>\n This could be mentioning the product links your customer is flaunting or explaining \u201csee how ABC customer uses this product\u201d in your landing pages.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re running dedicated UGC campaigns (like branded hashtags, contests, giveaways), measure their performance over influencer marketing and branded content.<\/p>\n If they get better results (more engagement, higher click-through rates), it\u2019s a positive sign to double down on them. If they\u2019re performing below average, you can dissect why \u2014 maybe you\u2019re sharing them at the wrong time or need to add more context.<\/p>\n Now you\u2019ve learned the theoretical side of how to integrate UGC into your marketing strategy. But before you dive into the practical aspect, look at how other brands like yours run UGC campaigns successfully.<\/p>\n All types of businesses use UGC to generate buzz about their products and create more authentic content. Here are seven of our favorite examples:<\/p>\n This example is from inside the house! Our staff engineer at Buffer, Andy Yates<\/u><\/a>, worked on an app (among many others) called Alpenglow<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n The app allows users to check sunrise and sunset forecasts for the perfect light quality for shooting photos, and in 2021, it went viral on TikTok thanks to a user\u2019s video showing how the app works. <\/p>\n Espero no ser la unica mega friki de los atardecer as\u00ed que pls no me ignoreis #sunset<\/a> #atardecer<\/a> #espa\u00f1a<\/a> #spain<\/a> #lentejas<\/a><\/p>\n \u266c Into Your Arms (feat. Ava Max) – Witt Lowry<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n Andy also kindly allowed us to share some statistics about the effectiveness of the UGC through a graph that shows significant spikes around when the user first published the video in July of 2021.<\/p>\n The app also increased monthly recurring revenue (MRR) when the video went viral in July. The graph below shows that revenue rose sharply to just over $1,200 sometime in that month, up from $200 earlier that year.<\/p>\n Since then, over 2,000 user-created videos have been posted on the Alpenglow TikTok hashtag. \ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n Alpenglow was a side project for Andy, but that one user\u2019s video helped the app grow significantly. So if your business is your main project, UGC has the potential to deliver even more value for your brand.<\/p>\n Capable Method<\/u><\/a> is an online fitness studio founded by creator Adriana Blanc<\/u><\/a>. In her business\u2019 Instagram account<\/u><\/a>, Blanc often shares client transformations and stories as social proof of how her program changes the health of her customers. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This post alone had over 100+ likes (and a lovely comment from the client herself!). Blanc also frequently shares messages from her clients on her Instagram Stories<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a founder with a personal brand<\/u><\/a>, share UGC on your own account, too. This will increase their impact and spread the message wider.<\/p>\nTypes of user-generated content (UGC)<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
Customer testimonials<\/h4>\n
![\"Screenshots](\"https:\/\/buffer.com\/resources\/content\/images\/2025\/06\/UCG-examples.png\")
<\/figure>\nCustomer photos<\/h4>\n
![\"Screenshots](\"https:\/\/buffer.com\/resources\/content\/images\/2025\/06\/UCG-examples--2-.png\")
<\/figure>\nVideo UGC<\/strong><\/h4>\n
1. User-generated content is more authentic<\/h3>\n
2. User-generated content builds your social proof<\/h3>\n
3. User-generated content boosts brand loyalty<\/h3>\n
\n
4. User-generated content is a source of content ideas<\/h3>\n
5. User-generated content is cost-effective<\/h3>\n
How to integrate user-generated content into your marketing strategy<\/h2>\n
How to encourage your target audience to share user-generated content?<\/h3>\n
Actively guide customers to create user content<\/h4>\n
Reward customers for creating user-generated content<\/h4>\n
Encourage your team members to create user-generated content<\/h4>\n
How to collect and organize user-generated content<\/h3>\n
Ask everyone to submit UGC posts using a form<\/h4>\n
Set up an integration to store the saved UGC posts in your marketing tools<\/h4>\n
![\"an](\"https:\/\/buffer.com\/resources\/content\/images\/2025\/06\/buffer-tags.png\")
<\/figure>\nSeek permission as soon as you tag UGC<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcaN0R-54EMfVv1tIfeDMbIy6CkxU6n9t5T-ycG8dasQf_iRiXufSfYKN96dq3o-iPtkT0_FFEe-umqaLMpfbyyKH9R8Sb0uX_q_PB3B3ZIlNjde8JYrsFu-V156GAw28cLT7kKPg?key=ZdEAuBUxVRZinvZGhpPehg\")
\n
How to use UGC in your marketing strategy?<\/h3>\n
Use UGC across your marketing content<\/h4>\n
Add context to your UGC posts<\/h4>\n
Measure the impact of UGC content<\/h4>\n
7 great examples of user-generated content<\/h2>\n
1. Alpenglow<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeZNxv1gTNH80S1JLhg0K2lKWoEjqf5oPOPZT6BERtMZ9yakMQ6W_qoVWguC6RQAucXd4MCY7MM0RKHCmjrbyH-_fby72gG6W97OMoowLaJA8y54BeFZjE_Vwlx0SUXODFJhTYF7Q?key=ZdEAuBUxVRZinvZGhpPehg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXf-JpRx1L9-kW7Zrhmdmhi6coP9r1wLHGp6iRAE5GBrcla_O0J_B2JeV-L-f1MxXvUIeKDe8_8sxkRo5pjHLIdEdCmkDxUMX81ICwDviEAvfmFetcsRD9B9l7sfx-PFkqHuBoK6mw?key=ZdEAuBUxVRZinvZGhpPehg\")
2. Capable method<\/h3>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/buffer.com\/resources\/content\/images\/2025\/06\/UCG-examples--3-.png\")
<\/figure>\n3. Casely<\/h3>\n