← Glossary
Influencer Marketing
UGC (User-Generated Content)
Content made by a creator or customer that a brand can repurpose in its own marketing, sometimes without the creator posting it on their own channel.
What it means
UGC gets created specifically to feel authentic, often shot in a casual, phone-camera style, then licensed to a brand for its own ads, website, or social channels, instead of published on the creator's account. It costs less than a traditional sponsored post since it doesn't come with the creator's reach or audience, only the content and usage rights.
Examples
- •A brand pays a creator to film a testimonial-style video used only in the brand's own paid ads, never posted on the creator's account.
- •A creator ships product-in-use photos a brand puts on its website's product page.
- •An agency commissions a batch of UGC-style videos from several creators to test in ad creative.
Use cases
- •Sourcing authentic-feeling ad creative at lower cost than traditional influencer posts.
- •A/B testing multiple content styles in paid ad campaigns.
- •Filling out a brand's own content library without relying solely on in-house production.
Why it matters
UGC-style ads frequently outperform polished brand-produced ads in paid social, since they blend into a feed's normal content instead of announcing themselves as advertising.
Common questions
UGC usually gets created for the brand's own channels, not posted on the creator's account. The creator gets paid for the content and usage rights, not for their reach.