User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by people outside a brand, such as customer photos, reviews, unboxing videos or tutorials, that features the brand’s products. Brands also hire creators to make content in this style for ads.
Why brands use UGC
It shows real people using a product, often feels more natural than studio content, and gives a brand far more material than it could shoot itself.
Using it properly
- Ask the creator for permission before you repost their content.
- Credit them in the post.
- Mark paid partnerships the way each platform and local advertising rules require.