What Is User Generated Content? Definition & Guide

User-generated content (UGC) is any content -- text, images, videos, reviews, testimonials, or social posts -- created by customers, fans, or users rather than by the brand itself. It is organic, authentic content that reflects real people's genuine experiences with a product or service. UGC has become one of the most powerful trust signals in modern marketing because it represents what customers actually think -- not what a brand says about itself.

Why User-Generated Content Matters

Buyers trust other buyers far more than they trust brands. Studies consistently show that consumers find UGC significantly more influential than branded content when making purchase decisions. A real customer review or social post from someone who has used a product carries weight that no marketing copy can replicate.

UGC also reduces content creation costs. When customers are generating reviews, photos, videos, and social posts about your brand, you have a stream of authentic content that can be curated, amplified, and repurposed -- without the production investment of creating it yourself. This makes UGC one of the highest-ROI content inputs available to marketing teams.

At scale, UGC builds community. When a brand actively collects and celebrates customer-created content, it signals that it values its community and sees customers as collaborators, not just buyers. This sense of community drives loyalty, repeat purchases, and word-of-mouth referrals.

How It Works

The most passive form of UGC collection is monitoring -- setting up alerts for brand mentions and reviews so you can find and respond to customer content as it naturally appears. Review platforms, social media, community forums, and G2 or Trustpilot for B2B brands are common sources.

Active UGC programs go further by prompting and incentivizing customers to create content. Post-purchase email sequences asking for reviews, branded hashtag campaigns, customer story programs, and community challenges all generate UGC with specific prompts and incentives. The key is making it easy and rewarding for customers to share.

Once collected, UGC can be repurposed across channels: customer quotes in ad copy, product reviews on landing pages, customer photos in email campaigns, and social posts in website carousels. Averi helps brands build systems for collecting, organizing, and deploying UGC as part of a broader content strategy -- turning customer voices into a sustainable content asset.

User-Generated Content Best Practices

• Make it easy for customers to share feedback -- reduce friction in the review and sharing process
• Ask at the right moment: post-purchase or after a successful outcome is when customers are most likely to say something positive
• Always get permission before using customer content in branded marketing materials
• Curate UGC for quality -- not all customer content will be on-brand or accurate
• Feature UGC prominently on high-conversion pages like product pages and landing pages
• Respond to UGC publicly -- acknowledging customer content encourages more of it

Related Resources

• UGC Strategy Template
• Brand Awareness Guide
• Content Distribution Guide