UGC stands for "user-generated content": videos, photos and reviews made by a brand's customers, not by the brand itself. These days it also means something else: videos a brand commissions from a creator so they look like they were made by an ordinary customer.
The two meanings of UGC
The first is the original one: any content about your brand posted by someone who doesn't work for you. A customer posting a video trying on your trainers, a review with photos of your restaurant, someone showing how they use your app.
The second is newer: UGC as a service. A brand pays a creator to film videos that look like a real customer's (on a phone, talking to camera, at home), and the brand posts them on its own accounts or in ads. Those creators don't need lots of followers, because the video isn't posted on their profile.
What is a UGC creator?
It's someone who films that kind of video to order. They usually work with simple formats: talking to camera about an experience, an unboxing, a before and after or a short tutorial.
To land work, the usual approach is a portfolio of sample videos and a document with your details and rates; the guide to media kits for creators covers what to include. If you're starting out as a creator, UGC is a route that doesn't depend on having a big account, as how to become a content creator explains.
How do you use UGC if you run a business?
- Ask your customers to share their experience and tag you.
- When someone posts about you, ask permission before reposting it on your account, and credit them.
- If you commission videos from UGC creators, put in writing where you'll use them and for how long.
- Measure those videos like your own: against your normal video, not against what you were promised.
If a video is a paid commission and you post it as if it came from a spontaneous customer, you can mislead your audience. Check each platform's rules on branded content and advertising.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need lots of followers to be a UGC creator?
No. The brand pays for the video, not your audience, because it posts it on its own accounts.
Are UGC creators and influencers the same thing?
No. An influencer posts on their own profile and the brand pays to reach their audience. A UGC creator hands over the video and the brand decides where to post it.
Your next step: find the last three posts where customers mention you and ask permission to share the best one.