UGC (user-generated content) is the photos, videos, reviews and posts customers create about your brand themselves. A photo of a dish taken in your restaurant and shared in a story, or a customer video about your product, is UGC.
People trust other customers’ experiences more than a brand’s own ads, so UGC is one of the strongest ways to build trust on social media and in ads.
In recent years brands have also used natural, authentic-looking UGC-style videos as ads, and they often get more engagement than studio shoots.
EXAMPLE
A café shares coffee photos customers tagged it in on its own account, with permission, and uses them in its ads.
PRACTICAL TIPS
- 01Encourage customers to tag you.
- 02Ask the creator for permission before sharing.
- 03Test short UGC-style videos in your ads.