How to use user generated content (UGC) in your marketing

User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by your customers - like photos, reviews, or social posts - about your brand. Why is it so effective? 92% of consumers trust UGC more than traditional ads. It also boosts engagement, conversion rates, and even sales. For example, featuring UGC on product pages can increase conversion rates by 161%.

Here’s how to make UGC work for you:

• Social Proof: Showcase customer reviews and photos to build trust.

• Campaigns: Use branded hashtags or contests to encourage content creation.

• Post-Purchase Requests: Ask customers to share their experiences after buying.

• Automation Tools: Platforms like TwinTone simplify finding, organizing, and managing UGC.

UGC outperforms traditional marketing by delivering higher engagement and conversions. Whether it’s a social media post or a product page feature, real customer stories drive real results.

UGC Marketing Performance Statistics and Impact on Conversions

Why UGC Works Better Than Brand-Created Content

How UGC Creates Real Connections with Customers

When people scroll through their social feeds, they’ve become experts at tuning out obvious ads. Slick, polished brand content often comes across as staged and self-serving. User-generated content (UGC), on the other hand, feels personal and authentic - like advice from a friend, not a sales pitch.

This authenticity is what makes UGC so effective. 72% of consumers trust peer reviews and customer testimonials more than a brand’s own advertising. A great example comes from Carhartt Inc., which showcased real customers wearing their gear in UGC galleries on their website. The result? A 27% conversion rate and $150,000 in direct revenue. Kaleena Ocasio, D2C Digital Content Specialist at Carhartt, explained why this approach resonates:

"Our customers don't just wear Carhartt – they live in it. And they want to see that reflected back at them. That's why UGC is so powerful: it's their world, their reality, their stories."

But UGC does more than build trust - it strengthens emotional bonds. When brands highlight their customers’ stories, they turn buyers into active members of a community. Take Nutrisense, for instance. By sharing real user experiences and data, the health tech company grew its social media engagement by 45% and expanded its follower base from 25,000 to over 130,000 - a staggering 496% increase - between July 2021 and late 2022. These genuine connections don’t just feel good - they deliver measurable results.

The Numbers Behind UGC Performance

The difference in performance between UGC and traditional brand content isn’t minor - it’s huge. 93% of marketers say UGC outperforms branded content, and the data proves it.

For example, UGC can drive a 400% increase in click-through rates and boost web conversions by 29%, making it a powerhouse at every stage of the customer journey. On e-commerce product pages, the impact is even more dramatic - conversion rates soar by 161% when UGC is featured.

Radio Flyer’s use of 117 live UGC galleries shows just how effective this strategy can be. By incorporating real customer photos and videos, they increased their average order value by 12% and made customers 7 times more likely to complete a purchase.

The benefits don’t stop there. UGC also enhances search visibility and long-term engagement. Brands leveraging customer-generated content report a 15% to 25% boost in search traffic. Meanwhile, Jones Soda saw a 69% engagement rate and a 55% increase in website dwell time by featuring customer stories in over 50 galleries and their "REEL LABELS" initiative.

UGC isn’t just a trend - it’s a proven strategy for building trust, fostering connections, and driving results.

How to Collect UGC from Your Audience

Running Campaigns That Get Users to Create Content

One of the best ways to collect user-generated content (UGC) is by offering clear incentives for sharing. A simple yet effective approach is creating branded hashtags. For example, tags like #thesweatlife or #ShotoniPhone not only encourage participation but also make it easy to find and organize content shared by your audience. Pairing these hashtags with contests or giveaways can further boost engagement and submissions.

Take Dunkin’s 2021 campaign as an example. The brand partnered with TikTok influencer Charli D’Amelio to launch a signature drink. Fans jumped on the trend, recreating the drink and sharing their creations online. This resulted in thousands of UGC posts and a massive 57% spike in Dunkin’ app downloads on the launch day alone. The secret? They made the campaign fun, engaging, and rewarding for participants.

These types of campaigns not only generate buzz but also transform happy customers into active content creators.

Requesting Content After Purchases

Another great opportunity to collect UGC is right after a purchase. Customers are often most excited about your brand when they’ve just received their product. This makes it the perfect time to ask them to share their experiences. Use post-purchase emails, SMS messages, or even QR codes on your packaging to invite them to submit content like unboxing videos, product photos, or reviews. Be specific about what you’re looking for - clear requests tend to yield better-quality submissions.

Adding a little incentive can go a long way. For instance, offering a 10% discount on the next order, loyalty points, or a chance to be featured on your social media can motivate customers to contribute. And here’s why it works: 90% of consumers trust UGC more than traditional ads. Plus, products with at least five reviews are 270% more likely to be purchased than those without. A simple follow-up email can turn a satisfied customer into a powerful advocate for your brand.

Using Tools to Manage UGC at Scale

As your UGC efforts grow, managing it all manually becomes nearly impossible. That’s where automation tools come in - they help streamline the entire process, from finding content to securing usage rights and organizing submissions.

For example, platforms like TwinTone can automatically discover UGC across social media, request legal permissions, and catalog everything efficiently. In 2022, Wahl Professional, a grooming brand, used social listening tools to track hashtags like #Wahl and #WahlPro. By curating and sharing user content, their @wahlpro Instagram account saw a staggering 4,307% increase in engagement and gained 84,788 new followers. Similarly, Loews Hotel used AI-powered tools to sift through customer photos, which led to a 62% rise in social engagement, an 85% boost in time spent on booking pages, and a 4× increase in revenue from direct bookings.

"Emplifi has been a great solution for our team to help cut down the time and resources used, and to help spread this awesome user-generated content we receive from our families across multiple channels."
– Mindy Schanzle, PR & Communications Manager, Radio Flyer

The right tools not only save time but also help uncover high-quality content you might otherwise miss. They simplify legal permissions and track which UGC performs best in driving conversions. For brands scaling their UGC strategy, automation isn’t just helpful - it’s essential.

What Is User Generated Content (UGC) & How to Use It

Where to Use UGC in Your Marketing

Once you’ve built a collection of user-generated content (UGC), the next step is integrating it into your marketing strategy. Each platform has its own strengths and audience expectations, so it’s essential to match the right type of UGC to the right channel. Let’s dive into how you can make the most of UGC across social media, email, and your website.

Social Media Posts and Paid Advertising

Social media is the ideal playground for UGC. Each platform thrives on a specific style of content: TikTok loves raw, high-energy videos; Instagram excels with polished lifestyle shots and Reels; YouTube is perfect for detailed tutorials; and X (formerly Twitter) works well for quick snippets of customer praise.

Here’s why UGC is so effective on social media: it drives up to 4× higher engagement compared to branded content. Plus, more than half of social media users (51%) say they’re more likely to buy a product when they see posts featuring people like themselves. For paid ads, incorporating customer videos and photos can make your campaigns feel more authentic, boosting both credibility and click-through rates. Remember to always get permission before sharing someone’s content and encourage UGC by using branded hashtags like Apple’s #ShotOniPhone.

Email Campaigns and Newsletters

Adding UGC to your email campaigns can make them far more effective. Did you know that 79% of consumers say UGC strongly influences their buying decisions?. Including customer photos, reviews, or videos in emails - like abandoned cart reminders or post-purchase follow-ups - provides the social proof that nudges prospects toward a purchase.

Here are a few ideas for using UGC in email:

• Include customer reviews or photos in abandoned cart emails.

• Use dynamic content to display UGC from customers with similar demographics or preferences.

• Add a “Community Spotlight” section to newsletters.

• Create shoppable UGC galleries directly within your email templates.

This strategy doesn’t just work for emails - it also enhances engagement on your website.

Product Pages and Website Content

Your product pages are prime real estate for UGC. Why? Products with at least five reviews are 270% more likely to sell than those without. And 77% of shoppers say they’re more inclined to purchase a product they discovered through UGC. By featuring customer photos, videos, and reviews prominently - often above the fold - you can build trust and convert visitors into buyers.

Leading brands have seen impressive results by integrating UGC into their product pages. For example, Jones Soda used over 50 UGC galleries and introduced AR "REEL LABELS" to showcase customer content, achieving a 69% engagement rate and a 55% increase in website dwell time.

"Our customers don't just wear Carhartt – they live in it. And they want to see that reflected back at them. That's why UGC is so powerful: it's their world, their reality, their stories."
– Kaleena Ocasio, D2C Digital Content Specialist, Carhartt Inc

To take it a step further, make UGC shoppable by linking featured photos directly to product pages. You can also add Q&A sections where customers can get real-time answers or run A/B tests to find the most effective formats for boosting conversions.

Using AI to Create More UGC

Building on earlier user-generated content (UGC) strategies, AI is bridging the gap between fast content creation and effective marketing. While genuine UGC remains impactful, it often comes with challenges like slow production, inconsistent quality, and limited output. AI tools are changing the game, enabling brands to create ready-to-use UGC videos in just minutes - a stark contrast to the weeks-long process of traditional creator campaigns. Plus, many AI platforms are more affordable than the cost of a single creator’s post per month, making them an efficient way to scale content production.

Advertising trends are shifting away from polished, high-budget commercials toward more relatable "day-in-the-life" style content. AI allows brands to produce this authentic-feeling content at scale while ensuring consistent messaging and alignment with brand values. However, it’s important to note that 73% of consumers can distinguish AI-generated content from original UGC, and they overwhelmingly prefer authentic experiences. A balanced approach works best: use AI-generated content as a supplement or variation, and combine it with real customer-created content to maintain credibility and trust. Below, we’ll explore how AI automates UGC creation and helps track its performance effectively.

How AI Generates UGC Automatically

AI tools can independently produce UGC videos, shoppable content, and even live shopping streams. Platforms like TwinTone take this a step further by creating AI Twins - digital avatars of real creators that replicate their tone, style, and personality. These AI Twins allow brands to generate endless variations of content, from product demos to social commerce ads, across platforms like TikTok, Shopify, Amazon, YouTube, and Meta.

Here’s how it works: tools like URL-to-video generators can create UGC-style ads instantly by pulling product details from a simple product link. These tools can also create multiple video variations, making it easy to A/B test hooks - the first three seconds of a video - to find the version that delivers the best return on ad spend before scaling. For brands aiming to reach a global audience, AI video translators can adapt a single video into 175+ languages, all while preserving the original speaker’s voice and syncing their lip movements.

TwinTone also supports AI livestreaming, enabling automated live shopping streams on platforms like TikTok, Amazon, YouTube, and Shopify. With support for 40+ languages and API integrations for automated content generation, brands can maintain a steady stream of content without overburdening creators. Pricing starts at $110/month, which includes 10 AI-generated UGC videos with real creator avatars and multilingual options - making it an accessible solution for businesses of any size.

Once you’ve generated content using AI, monitoring its performance becomes a key step to refining your strategy.

Tracking UGC Performance with Analytics

Creating content is just the beginning - tracking its performance is where AI truly shines. AI-powered analytics tools process UGC data across multiple channels to reveal actionable insights. For example, Natural Language Processing (NLP) can analyze audience reactions in real time, categorizing them as positive, neutral, or negative. This allows brands to quickly understand how their content resonates.

The results speak for themselves. UGC campaigns deliver 4× higher click-through rates and 50% lower cost-per-click compared to traditional ads. AI platforms use predictive analytics to study past performance data, helping brands fine-tune future campaigns for better results. They also offer cross-channel attribution, tracking a customer’s journey across various touchpoints to pinpoint which UGC assets drive conversions.

TwinTone includes built-in performance analytics that track engagement, conversions, and ROI in real time. Brands can run A/B tests with three different content variations at once and analyze performance within 48–72 hours to determine which creative works best. Additionally, NLP tools can monitor shifts in audience sentiment - if negative feedback spikes, brands can quickly adjust their messaging or address customer concerns.

With tools like these, AI not only simplifies content creation but also ensures that every piece of UGC contributes to a brand’s success.

Keeping UGC Campaigns Safe and On-Brand

Real customer content feels genuine, but it requires careful oversight. 60% of consumers see UGC as the most authentic and influential type of content. The challenge lies in striking the right balance: keeping the raw, relatable vibe of user-generated content while ensuring it aligns with your brand's standards.

Start by developing a clear content rulebook that spells out what’s acceptable. This could include rules like "no profanity", "no competitor products in the frame", "no health claims", or "no unsafe product usage." For industries with strict regulations, these guidelines are even more critical. For instance, a fitness brand might reject content showing improper form, while a food company would flag posts with unverified nutritional claims. Every piece of UGC should go through a manual review process to check captions, visuals, and backgrounds before it gets shared.

Take Carhartt Inc. as an example. In 2025, they implemented a structured UGC system using Emplifi, which led to a 27% conversion rate and $150,000 in revenue. Their success came from a meticulous review process. The team ensured every submission aligned with Carhartt's rugged, hardworking brand while retaining the authentic, unpolished feel that made the content relatable.

Let’s dive into how you can preserve your brand identity and meet legal requirements when using UGC.

Staying True to Your Brand While Using Real Content

Maintaining your brand’s visual identity is just as important as securing legal permissions. The appeal of UGC lies in its unfiltered, real quality - 65% of consumers trust customer content more than influencer posts. Over-editing these photos or videos can strip away the authenticity that makes them effective. Instead, focus on integrating UGC into your brand’s visual style. Use consistent colors, fonts, or framing when showcasing it on your website or social media.

To make this process smoother, provide creators with specific briefs or guidelines upfront. For example, an activewear brand might request "dynamic workout shots" instead of mirror selfies, while a home decor company could ask for "wide-angle room photos with natural lighting." This ensures the content fits your brand without needing heavy post-production tweaks.

Leverage automated moderation tools to filter out fake reviews, AI-generated submissions, or inappropriate content before it reaches your team. With the rise of AI-generated content, having fraud detection in place is key to maintaining authenticity. Store all approved assets in a DAM system that only your marketing team can access.

Getting Permission and Following Legal Rules

Just because someone uses your branded hashtag or tags your account doesn’t mean you automatically have the right to repurpose their content. You need explicit, trackable permission from the creator before using their photos, videos, or words in any marketing campaign. A common method involves sending a Direct Message (DM) asking the user to reply with a specific hashtag like #YesBrand or signing a formal UGC agreement.

When requesting permission, clearly define how you’ll use the content. Specify the platforms (social media, ads, website), geographic reach, and duration (e.g., 3 months, 1 year, or indefinitely). These details are crucial because creators retain copyright to their work - you’re only licensing it based on the agreed terms. Copyright infringement fines can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars per case, so proper documentation is non-negotiable.

Here’s a quick look at potential costs for different usage types:

Always credit the original creator by tagging their handle or mentioning their name when resharing their content. This small gesture builds goodwill and reinforces transparency while boosting social proof. Keep evidence of consent - like screenshots of DM permissions or signed agreements - in your DAM system for legal protection. If creators received free products or other incentives, ensure they disclose this to comply with FTC advertising laws.

In some regions, such as the EU, a person’s photo may be classified as personal data under GDPR. This means additional precautions are required, including adhering to privacy laws and data processing agreements. When in doubt, consult legal experts to ensure your campaign complies with local regulations.

Conclusion

User-Generated Content (UGC) has proven to be a powerful tool for building trust and boosting conversions. In fact, companies that incorporate UGC into their marketing strategies can see up to a 4.5% increase in conversion rates. The secret lies in a thoughtful approach: set clear objectives, source content from a variety of contributors (like customers, employees, and brand advocates), and always ensure you have explicit permission before repurposing any content. These steps lay the groundwork for a scalable and effective UGC strategy.

However, scaling UGC manually can be daunting, especially with the challenges of rights management, moderation, and distribution. This is where automation platforms, like TwinTone, come into play. These tools simplify the process by using AI Twins - digital representations of real creators - to produce authentic content on demand. From product demos to unboxings and performance-driven creatives, these platforms save time by eliminating the need for prolonged coordination with creators.

Leading brands treat UGC as a constant resource rather than a one-off tactic. By centralizing assets in a Digital Asset Management system, teams across email, social media, and web channels can easily access high-quality content whenever needed. Automation can also streamline processes, such as requesting reviews post-purchase, encouraging submissions through branded hashtags, or incentivizing participation with discounts or spotlight features.

Maintaining authenticity is crucial. Avoid heavy editing of customer-submitted content, clearly communicate your brand guidelines, vet contributors to ensure alignment with your values, and always credit creators while being transparent about any incentives offered.

With the right tools and strategies, UGC becomes a scalable way to enhance social proof, drive engagement, and increase revenue. Whether it’s through shoppable AI livestreams on TikTok or embedding customer reviews on product pages, the ultimate goal is to empower real customers to share their genuine experiences.

FAQs

How can brands make sure they have permission to use user-generated content (UGC)?

To legally and responsibly use user-generated content (UGC), brands must always secure explicit permission from the creator. This can be achieved through methods like signed release forms, written agreements via direct messages, or consent checkboxes for specific campaigns. Be upfront about how the content will be used, the timeframe for its use, and any details regarding compensation or attribution.

For campaigns like contests or hashtag promotions, standardize this process by including clear terms that grant the brand permission to use the content. Follow FTC guidelines by disclosing when UGC is part of paid promotions, and respect any requests to withdraw consent. It's also a good idea to regularly review your UGC library to ensure all content has proper documentation, removing anything that doesn’t meet these standards. To further minimize risks, consider using platform-specific tools to track usage rights and ensure compliance.

What’s the best way to include user-generated content (UGC) in email marketing?

To make the most out of user-generated content (UGC) in your email campaigns, start by securing explicit permission from customers to use their photos, videos, or reviews. Once you have the green light, feature this content front and center in your emails to establish trust and add a layer of social proof.

Keep the email design clean and simple, ensuring the UGC takes center stage. Pair it with a personalized call-to-action to encourage recipients to engage. Tools like AI-driven templates can help you create layouts that naturally highlight UGC, while audience segmentation ensures you’re targeting the most engaged subscribers.

Want to take it a step further? Add interactive elements - like a feature that lets recipients submit their own content directly from the email. This can spark a two-way conversation and deepen customer involvement. Don’t forget to test different subject lines, UGC placements, and personalization tactics. Use analytics to see what resonates most and fine-tune your strategy for even better results.

How can AI improve the use and management of user-generated content in marketing?

AI is revolutionizing how marketers manage and leverage user-generated content (UGC), making the entire process faster and more efficient. With AI-powered tools, raw customer photos, videos, and text can be transformed into polished, on-brand materials in just minutes. What used to take days can now be done in no time, allowing businesses to scale campaigns that feel genuine - without the need for extra resources.

AI also takes the guesswork out of organizing UGC. It can analyze content in real-time, pinpoint the most engaging pieces, and sort them by product or sentiment. Once approved, the content is automatically distributed to the right platforms, whether it’s social media, email, or product pages. This eliminates much of the manual effort while ensuring top-performing posts reach the ideal audience.

By delivering a constant stream of fresh, brand-safe content and providing actionable insights to refine future campaigns, AI empowers marketers to build trust, boost engagement, and get more impactful results from their UGC efforts.

Related Blog Posts

• How AR Enhances UGC Campaigns

• The impact of UGC on brands

• How UGC is like running Facebook ads in 2012

• How brands leverage UGC