Brands that commission user-generated content (UGC) alongside their Influencer Marketing strategy can gain a competitive edge by engaging everyday consumers to drive brand engagement and build trust among their audiences.
UGC features products from a brand but is created by real users rather than the brand itself. This type of content resonates with consumers because it comes from peers rather than marketers, making it a powerful way to build brand trust.
UGC differs from influencer-generated content (IGC). UGC is typically created by everyday consumers who genuinely enjoy a product or service. This often makes UGC blend more seamlessly into the feed than branded content, or content marked as an ad. However, due to being produced by consumers who don’t create content for a living, it is less polished than influencer content and brands have less control over talking points and how their product is showcased.
Influencer-generated content (IGC), on the other hand, refers to content created by influencers as part of a paid brand collaboration. This content is labeled as an ad and typically appears as native content on influencers' own channels. In the case that an influencer is being contracted and paid to produce sponsored content for a brand, this means the brand has more control over the content and can approve it before it goes live.
IGC is extremely valuable for brands. When the content is posted on an influencer's own channel, it reaches their established and engaged audience, and when approached with a clear strategy, will feel authentic to the influencer's usual content.
To maximize the impact of both UGC and IGC, you can boost organic content with paid ads to expand reach, repurpose content into ads for your brand-owned channels, or commission influencers to create custom assets for use across multiple channels, this is known as Creator Paid Ads.
Here is an example of a great piece of UGC that was produced following the gifting phase of our campaign with HexClad. We then commissioned influencers to produce content that enabled brands to include essential talking points in the brief:
To maximize your content output and reach new audiences, you may consider a UGC strategy to run alongside your UGC strategy. There are many forms that UGC can take and understanding these can help you tailor your strategy to maximize impact:
Introducing branded hashtags encourages users to share content featuring your products as it increases the chances of their favorite brand seeing how they’re enjoying what you have to offer. This creates a collection of user-generated posts that can be repurposed across social media and marketing campaigns. You will need to gain explicit permission from the original poster to do this.
Giveaway campaigns encourage users to engage with your brand in exchange for a chance to win prizes. These campaigns boost organic reach, boost follower count if this is a condition of the giveaway, and therefore increase visibility.
Social media users love participating in trending challenges. Brands can initiate challenges that require users to create and share content featuring their products. A great example is Chipotle’s #ChipotleLidFlip challenge, which inspired users to showcase their skills in a fun user-friendly way.
TikTok’s duet feature allows users to create side-by-side content with original brand videos, enhancing engagement and interaction, and recognition from the brand.
Educational content is highly valuable on social media, especially as so many users are turning to social platforms rather than traditional search engines to answer their queries. UGC tutorials, such as makeup applications or fitness routines, showcase products in action while providing useful insights to viewers.
Positive customer reviews and testimonials serve as social proof and can be shared across brand platforms in the form of text, graphics, or videos.
Many bloggers and content creators review products or mention them in their articles, providing valuable UGC that brands can highlight in their marketing. Make sure you’re resharing all positive PR!
To create a high-impact marketing strategy, you can utilize both user-generated content (UGC) and influencer-generated content (IGC) cohesively.
While influencers provide credibility, reach, and creative storytelling, UGC has more raw authenticity and audience relatability. When used together, these content types amplify brand awareness, build trust, and ultimately drive conversions.
To effectively blend UGC and IGC, consider a structured campaign approach. For example, launch a branded hashtag or challenge where influencers kick-start participation, encouraging their followers to contribute their own content. This approach creates an initial buzz thanks to the influencer’s authority while encouraging organic community engagement to flood the feed.
You can also maximize impact by repurposing high-performing UGC and IGC across multiple platforms. Paid usage rights are typically negotiated during the contracting stage with an influencer, and with UGC, you can seek permission to license the organic content for usage in paid placements.
User-generated content can be beneficial for brands looking to build trust, drive engagement, and connect with their customer community. By shaping a UGC strategy alongside influencer-generated content, brands can create a well-rounded marketing strategy that resonates with their audience.
If you want to learn more about UGC, reach out to us at hello@digitalvoices.com.
