What is UGC (user generated content)?
UGC, or user generated content, is photo and video content created by everyday creators or customers that a brand uses in its own marketing, such as ads, social posts, and product pages.
Unlike influencer posts that go to the creator’s audience, UGC is usually licensed to the brand to run on the brand’s own channels. UGC creators are paid for the content itself, not for their following, so a large audience is not required.
UGC works because it looks authentic and native to the feed, which typically lifts ad performance versus studio-produced creative.
UGC is bought for ad performance, so it should be produced and judged like ad creative. That means several variations of hook, format, and angle rather than one polished hero video, because the point is to find the version that holds attention in the first three seconds. Brands that commission UGC in batches and rotate the winners into paid spend get more from it than those treating each video as a one-off asset.
Related terms
- UGC creator
- A UGC creator is a person paid by brands to produce authentic photo and video content for the brand to use in its own ads and social channels, rather than to post to a large personal following.
- Creator marketing
- Creator marketing is the practice of partnering with content creators to promote a brand, where creators make authentic content for their own audiences or for the brand to use in its channels.
- Content creator
- A content creator is someone who produces and shares photo, video, audio, or written content online, often building an audience and earning income through brand deals, UGC, and monetisation features.
- Usage rights
- Usage rights define how, where, and for how long a brand can use a creator’s content, such as on organic social only, in paid ads, or across all channels, and are priced separately from content creation.
More in Content
UGC (user generated content) sits in the content part of the glossary. These terms come up in the same conversations and are worth reading alongside it.