User-generated content (UGC) is any photo, video, review, or post about a brand or product made by a customer, fan, or creator rather than by the brand itself. UGC includes everything from an unpaid customer review to content commissioned from a UGC creator specifically for the brand's marketing use.
UGC vs. Content Created by a UGC Creator
Not all UGC is paid or commissioned. Organic UGC comes from real customers posting about a product on their own, with no payment or brief involved. A UGC creator produces content in that same casual, unscripted style, but is paid by the brand and works from a brief, the content only looks user-generated.
Types of UGC
Customer reviews and testimonials, written or on video
Unboxing and product-in-use photos and videos
Social media mentions and tags
Contest and hashtag campaign submissions
Why UGC Performs Well
Audiences tend to trust content that looks like it came from a peer rather than a brand's marketing team. UGC-style content, whether organic or commissioned, often outperforms polished brand assets in ad placements because it matches the format audiences already scroll past on social platforms and it doesn't read as an ad at first glance.