UGC stands for user-generated content: photos, videos or reviews created by your own customers, not your marketing team. And in many cases, that content convinces more than any professional ad, precisely because it doesn't feel like advertising.
Why UGC builds more trust
A video filmed on a phone by a real customer, with no professional editing, conveys an honesty a polished ad can't match. People reasonably assume that customer has no financial interest in lying about the product, unlike the brand itself.
How to get this kind of content
Asking for it directly after purchase, with a simple incentive (a discount on the next purchase, entry into a giveaway), usually generates more results than waiting for it to happen spontaneously. Making the process easy (a specific hashtag, clear instructions on what to show) also increases the amount of content received.
How to use it without getting permission wrong
Even if the content is public on social media, it's good practice (and in some cases a legal requirement) to ask explicit permission before reusing it on your own website or ad campaigns, even if it's just resharing it with credit to whoever created it.
Where it works best
Product pages that include real customer photos alongside the catalogue's professional photos tend to convert better than ones showing only studio shots. It also works very well in ads: formats that imitate the style of a home video usually perform better than ads that clearly look like advertising.
Frequently asked questions
Can any business get user-generated content?
Yes, though the volume varies by product type: visual or emotionally engaging products (fashion, travel, food) tend to naturally generate more UGC than less visual services, though the latter can also get it with the right incentive.
Do customers need to be paid for their content?
Not always; often a token incentive (discount, social media mention) is enough. For creators with a sizeable audience of their own, it's worth considering more formal compensation.
Does UGC completely replace professional brand content?
No, they work better combined: professional content conveys the brand's quality and personality, and UGC provides the social proof and trust that brand content, however well made, can't generate on its own.