In this user-generated content guide, we collected all you need to know about the different types of user-generated content, how it connects with ROI, how you can collect it and use it as a powerful content marketing tool. Read on and learn all you need to know about user-generated content.
What is user-generated content (UGC)?
User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by users rather than brands. Today, the term is most often used for content that fans intentionally create and share about a brand, which brands can then reuse in marketing and advertising.
UGC is powerful because people trust it more than branded content: 92% of consumers trust recommendations from other users over brand-created content (Hostinger).
UGC isn’t limited to photos or videos from campaigns. Reviews on Amazon, comments on social media, forum posts, tweets, and Instagram photos of products are all UGC. If a customer talks about your brand online, that’s user-generated content.
Start collecting valuable user-generated content today!
Collect and curate content from various social media channels on a social wall.
Common types of user-generated content
- Product reviews and testimonials
- Unboxing and tutorial videos
- Photos and videos shared on social media
- Hashtag and contest submissions
- GIFs, memes, and parody videos
- Fan-created content (e.g. fan fiction)
Negative reviews are also UGC, though they’re usually handled by customer support rather than marketing ,often with the help of tools like an AI Customer Support Agent that can assist teams in responding efficiently and consistently at scale.. Many brands rely on a structured ticketing system to track, prioritize, and respond to these interactions efficiently.
While UGC includes many formats, marketing teams typically focus on intentional, creative content that users actively produce to showcase a brand.
👉 Related: UGC Campaign Guide, Strategy and Examples
Customers create content for different reasons. Sometimes it’s incentives, such as cash prizes, free products, or the chance to win an experience.
More often, UGC isn’t about payment. Fans share content to get recognition from brands they like. When a brand reposts UGC, it gives creators visibility and validation.
People also share content to feel connected. The New York Times’ Psychology of Sharing study shows that connection —both with a brand and with other people— is a key driver. Campaigns that encourage interaction, such as submissions, voting, or sharing, perform better.
Strong UGC campaigns offer multiple ways to participate, for example:
- Submitting content
- Liking or reacting to submissions
- Sharing and promoting finalists
- Voting for a winner
Engagement comes from excitement. Not everyone wants to participate in the same way, so offer different levels of involvement, from creating content to voting or simply sharing.
The ROI of user-generated content is consumer trust
The ROI of user-generated content: trust
User-generated content delivers a strong return because it builds trust. While collecting and reviewing UGC takes effort, the payoff is credibility that traditional advertising cannot match.
Consumers no longer rely on ads to make buying decisions. They rely on other consumers. Before purchasing online, most people check reviews. UGC acts as social proof and shows potential customers that real people trust your brand.
Consumers trust other consumers most
People are more likely to engage with content shared by friends than with branded ads. In fact, 88% of U.S. consumers trust product recommendations from friends, and 90% say online reviews from other users strongly influence their purchase decisions.
UGC works because it feels authentic. It is the digital version of a friend recommending a product, and that carries weight. Many shoppers even prefer products with UGC over cheaper alternatives without it. 81% say they would pay more for a product backed by user-generated content.
👉Related: UGC SEO, The Secret To Organic Traffic
5 steps to turn user-generated content into marketing content
Social media and smartphones make it easy for users to create and share high-quality content. The challenge for brands is not creation, but collection.
Without a centralized solution like a social wall, user-generated content remains scattered across platforms, hashtags, and profiles. Valuable posts, photos, and videos are easy to miss, even when people actively talk about your brand.
A social wall helps brands collect, curate, and display UGC in one place, making it easier to turn organic content into usable marketing assets.
1. Actively discovering UGC
To collect relevant UGC, brands need to monitor social media for brand mentions, hashtags, and location tags. Well-promoted brand hashtags make it easier to find, collect, and reshare content, for example on a UGC gallery.
2. Define what you want
Not all UGC is suitable for marketing use. Quality matters, especially when content is reused across brand channels.
To improve quality, brands must clearly communicate what kind of content they want. Vague requests lead to unusable submissions. In fact, 50% of users say they want more guidance from brands, yet few brands provide it.
One way to generated branded user-generated content is by proving fans and costumers a branded photo booth, where they can add stickers, backgrounds and frames with your logo and style.
3. Reusing existing fan content responsibly
High-quality UGC already exists. Reposting content created by fans is often the most efficient approach.
This benefits both sides. Brands save on content production, while creators gain reach and recognition from a brand they support. Always ask for explicit permission before reposting, as some creators charge for usage or do not allow redistribution.
4. Use hashtag campaigns to guide participation
Hashtag campaigns are an effective way to clearly communicate content requirements. Strong campaigns are carefully planned and tailored to a specific audience, platform, and content format.
While hashtag submissions are low effort, participation increases when campaigns are simple and guidelines are easy to find. Clear requirements also make submitted content easier to reuse across marketing channels.
5. Remove friction and offer incentives
Even low-effort participation can benefit from motivation. According to the TurnTo Consumer Study, the main reasons people do not submit UGC are:
- 32% lack an incentive
- 28% say creating content takes too much time
- 26% prefer to consume rather than create
- 23% have privacy concerns
Many fans are happy to contribute for recognition alone. Sharing their content and giving credit builds loyalty.
For campaigns that require more effort, incentives help. Product prizes, vouchers, or discounts reward participation without shifting the focus entirely to winning.
Examples of automated user-generated content feeds
F1 Academy
The F1 Academy integrates a user-generated content feed directly into its website, curating posts from their official social media channels and fans. The sleek design matches the brand’s fast-paced aesthetic, showcasing drivers, races, and behind-the-scenes content.
ViVE Conference
The ViVE user-generated content feed brings together posts from exhibitors, speakers, and attendees at a major healthcare innovation conference. Shown on a large digital screen at the venue, it streams social media updates tagged with #viveevent.
How to use user-generated content across your brand
User-generated content does not lose value once a campaign ends. When used well, UGC continues to deliver long after it is collected. It is authentic, cost-effective content that showcases real customer trust.
UGC can be reused across marketing channels, from social media to websites, ads, and print. When showcasing user-generated content directly on a website, performance and reliability become important factors, especially during campaigns that generate high engagement. Many brands rely on solutions like ScalaHosting cloud services to ensure their websites remain fast, secure, and capable of handling increased traffic from social media campaigns. Replacing stock photos with real customer content makes your brand feel more credible and relatable. Unlike stock images, UGC reflects your actual products, customers, and brand voice.
Once you have collected high-quality UGC and secured the rights to use it, you can apply it across your marketing:
- Share and reshare it on social media
- Feature customer content on your website or campaign microsite
- Collect and display posts on a social media wall
- Use photos and videos in paid digital ads
- Add UGC to catalogues, newsletters, and magazines
- Use it in offline campaigns such as TV, print ads, or billboards
- Integrate it into ongoing content and promotion strategies
High-quality UGC helps your brand stand out, builds credibility, and gives potential customers the confidence to choose you over competitors.
Put your fans’ content center stage with Walls.io
One of the easiest ways to showcase user-generated content is with a social media wall. Walls.io lets you collect content from multiple sources, including Facebook pages and events, social media profiles, and hashtags from platforms like Instagram, X (Twitter), and Flickr.
With built-in moderation and customization settings, you control exactly which content appears on your wall. Once curated, your social wall can be embedded on your website using a simple embed code.
Start collecting valuable user generated content today!
Collect and curate content from various social media channels on a social wall.