by: Matthew Solan
In the last decade, marketing has been constantly changing, and new forms of advertising and content creation have been introduced into the industry. One form of marketing that has taken over the way brands expand their online presence is through user generated content, also known as UGC. Whether it be a product review on TikTok, a reposted photo taken by a famous influencer, or a customer sharing their experience on platforms such as X or Instagram, UGC has become one of the most valuable tools to use in today’s marketing industry.
Why audiences prefer UGC
As Gen Z and Millennials continue to take over the new target market for brands, companies are beginning to realize that the audience doesn’t just want to hear from them — they also want to hear from other consumers to see how they experience the product. This new style has drastically changed how companies market their products. Short-form style content is only getting bigger and bigger, and social influencers, content creators, and brand ambassadors are becoming extremely important because of this.
What counts as user-generated content?
Now some people may ask, what is considered to be user generated content? With that being said, it involves the brand’s customers actively engaging with their products itself, and consists of a variety of different styles, including:
- Product reviews
- Product unboxings
- Ambassador partnerships
- Customer stories
- Ambassadors tagging brands
UGC drives trust and authenticity
User generated content allows the brand’s audience to actively see how other people interact with the product. This helps the audience get a better idea of what the product is really like, and gives them another honest opinion whether to purchase the product or not. Because this tactic resides so close with the customers, it’s often a go-to marketing strategy — the best bang for their buck.
Additionally, the core reason why UGC is so successful is because of its simple qualities. People trust information from other people, rather than coming directly from brands. According to Forbes, 84% of people trust brands more when they use UGC, and 79% of customers say they are more influenced to purchase that product if UGC is used for advertising. UGC offers authenticity, relatability, community, and more, which all reside closely with the customer. The biggest thing is that it can be difficult for brands to earn the trust of their audience, but through the help of UGC, it brings their audience much closer together.
GoPro: a UGC-first brand example
Many top companies around the world are starting to use UGC; one company that comes to mind is GoPro. This company is a strong example of building a brand solely around their consumers’ experiences. Instead of spending millions of dollars on standard advertising, the brand encourages their audience to send photos and videos of them using their products while skiing, mountain biking, skydiving, and more. Their entire brand strategy revolves around people capturing memories with their products.
Some ways GoPro conducts UGC are hashtags such as #GoPro and #GoProAdventure on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. From there, this strategy helps link extreme adventures and storytelling back to the brand so consumers can associate where the content is coming from. Another tactic is the GoPro rewards program, which allows customers to submit footage for chances to win cash, free products, or a feature on social platforms. Finally, GoPro features ambassador and customer videos on their own social channels and YouTube, often resulting in millions of views and significant traction.
These strategies are successful because they allow the brand to tell many different stories from across the world, based solely on consumers’ experiences. Capturing extreme sports and travel shows the camera’s versatility, and the marketing feels authentic while inspiring consumers to create and join a tight-knit community.
UGC benefits for brand strategy
Now shifting into the facts as to why UGC can benefit a brand’s marketing strategy:
- Higher engagement: Consumers engage more with brands when advertising real stories that resonate.
- Boosted conversions: UGC resonates with audiences and influences purchase decisions because viewers want similar experiences.
- Lower production costs: Large-scale productions are expensive and time-consuming; UGC costs little to nothing, which is a huge win for companies.
Implementation challenges and necessary strategies
Although UGC is a huge benefit in today’s marketing industry, it requires much more work behind the scenes to be successful. Brands must create opportunities for users to actively engage with the product through social platforms. Developing memorable hashtags (like #GoProAdventure) creates community and recall. Other strategies include contests, reward programs, and brand partnerships that encourage content creation. Successful UGC often requires coordination across multiple marketing departments, but when executed well, the payoff can be substantial.
The future of marketing and UGC
Looking at the future of marketing, short-form content and social media will continue to grow. Brands must keep finding creative ways to sell their products. With user-generated content, brands can continuously obtain fresh and engaging material to market their products, save on production costs, and communicate more authentically with customers.
AMA University of New Hampshire 
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