Think about scrolling by means of Instagram, catching up together with your favourite manufacturers, micro-influencers, household and mates. Then you definitely see a photograph of a pal exhibiting off their newest sneakers. You shortly look the model up as a result of if they appear good in your pal, why not on you?
That’s user-generated content material (UGC)—an genuine snapshot of real model love that has change into the heartbeat of social media.
UGC isn’t only a nice-to-have on your model—it’s important—particularly when 66% of shoppers speak to family and friends to maintain up with developments. Shoppers need unfiltered, natural and genuine insights from the individuals they know—whether or not that’s a pal or a creator they love. Let’s face it: All of us belief a pal’s advice over a elegant advert, particularly in an AI-driven panorama the place authenticity is vanishing and shoppers crave neighborhood.
On this information, we’ll dive into the basics of UGC—the what, why and the way—so you should use all forms of social media content material, like candid snapshots, rave evaluations and spontaneous movies, to spice up your model’s relatability.
What’s UGC?
UGC is unpaid or unsponsored content material your clients create about your model—assume evaluations, pictures, movies and social posts. It’s real, genuine and priceless for credibility.
Sharing and resharing UGC multiplies a content material asset’s attain and attracts extra eyes to your model. For instance, Biteable’s Progress Advertising and marketing Supervisor, Haily Moulton (@hailymoulton), created a reel answering individuals’s burning questions on utilizing AI as a social media supervisor:
Haily can also be a Sprout Ambassador and swears by our all-in-one social media device. By reposting her Reel, Haily will get new eyes on her video—and we get invaluable content material.
Your staff can establish and measure UGC interactions utilizing social media analytics and reporting options by means of platforms like Sprout Social. Learn the way to make use of Sprout for social listening so you possibly can seize and share these moments, too.
Schedule a customized demo
Sorts of UGC
UGC is available in all sizes and shapes, together with:
Under is an in depth breakdown of every UGC sort:
Buyer evaluations and testimonials
Customers present their love on your model by means of posts and tales.
Mission administration device Trello, for instance, reposted this X (previously often known as Twitter) put up from Tony Lango, the world’s first engagement relationship supervisor:
Posts like Tony’s are private endorsements on platforms like Instagram and X. Content material like this from an skilled individuals belief generates optimistic buzz and attracts plenty of consideration to your model.
Pictures
Prospects’ pictures of your model or merchandise construct credibility and social proof. In addition they entice potential clients who wish to see your product in motion.
Gymshark’s Instagram feed, for instance, is filled with health influencers posting high-quality pictures of themselves sporting the model’s activewear:
A gentle stream of UGC showcases the product in use and demonstrates influencers’ loyalty and belief within the model.
Movies
When your viewers posts movies that includes your product, it’s like digital word-of-mouth. Profit, for instance, reposted this TikTok from make-up artist Colleen (@colleen.makeupp):
This well timed Halloween make-up put up utilizing Profit’s merchandise is a wonderful instance of UGC that showcases a model’s merchandise in motion. It additionally highlights its clients’ creativity and expertise, making it relatable and aspirational for potential clients.
Blogs
Generally, clients write detailed experiences or tales about your merchandise on their blogs.
Hostinger, for instance, featured Grammarly as one of the best grammar assistant in a roundup article:
Grammarly can reshare this weblog, characteristic a snippet from the evaluate or collaborate with the blogger on future content material. Collaboration can construct a optimistic relationship and introduce Grammarly to new audiences.
Feedback are a treasure trove of opinions and insights. Glassdoor created this Fb put up from present responses in its Interview Suggestions Bowl, a social media sequence that includes interview suggestions from its viewers:
Feedback supply two key advantages that drive progress: They’re proof that different customers actively interact together with your model and supply invaluable viewers insights.
Why is UGC necessary for manufacturers?
UGC turns your clients into your greatest followers and your most genuine spokespeople. Right here’s the way it impacts your model:
Offers a constant supply of inspiration
Combating content material concepts? You’re not alone.
The typical model goals to publish 10 social posts per day, in line with the 2024 Content material Benchmarks Report. Fortunately, UGC is a goldmine for inspiration, filled with buyer posts, evaluations and tales.
Right here’s why a wealthy content material financial institution is necessary: The Index™ discovered that customers imagine the bedrock of standout social media content material is the standard of a model’s product or companies.
Repurposing UGC content material is a good way to authentically showcase the standard of your services and products with out being salesy. Plus, UGC is authentic. The identical analysis exhibits that customers additionally imagine authentic content material—not trending matters—makes manufacturers stand out on social media.
A constant social presence retains your model top-of-mind. Every buyer interplay is a possible put up that retains your feed energetic and your viewers engaged.
Provides social proof and drives buy intent
Consumer-generated content material turns clients into your most credible salespeople—each photograph, evaluate or testimonial is an genuine endorsement. Why does that matter? Folks belief individuals.
Once they see others—actual customers, not actors—having fun with your product, it’s nearly as good as a advice from somebody they know. Social proof faucets into the “observe the herd” intuition individuals have. If everybody’s shopping for this, it should be good, proper? This validation makes potential clients really feel extra snug and assured in selecting you. They want reassurance to make the leap from to invested.
Now, contemplate this: The Content material Benchmarks Report additionally exhibits that greater than one-third (37%) of shoppers assume probably the most memorable manufacturers prioritize direct viewers engagement over publishing. Meaning clients wish to interact and change into a part of your story. By commenting on and reposting UGC, you construct private connections and a neighborhood together with your viewers, making your model extra plausible.
Generates model consciousness
UGC places your model on the radars of latest audiences. Each share, tag and point out extends your attain and spreads your model’s message.
Model consciousness is step one within the advertising funnel. Familiarity breeds belief—when individuals acknowledge your model, they’re extra more likely to contemplate you after they’re prepared to purchase.
Every consumer’s content material is a private shout-out to your model, and their followers are all ears. It’s a community impact—each put up introduces your model to a brand new viewers. And since it’s coming from somebody they belief, it makes a long-lasting impression.
Creates authenticity
UGC places your model on the map in a means that feels natural, not intrusive. Tapping into real-time content material from actual individuals gives the authenticity shoppers need. And so long as you get a consumer’s permission, manufacturers can deepen their real reference to audiences by thoughtfully integrating UGC into paid social media adverts.
In response to the Index, shoppers rank authenticity and relatability as the highest two traits in model content material.
Manufacturers have a chance to bridge this hole and curate content material that resonates on a private stage and builds belief by specializing in these key traits.
Whenever you showcase UGC, you’re doing greater than including content material to your feed. You’re constructing a neighborhood round your model. You’re telling your clients, “We see you, we hear you and we worth what it’s a must to say.” This recognition motivates them to interact extra and contribute content material.
Builds model loyalty
In our Index, we discovered that 73% of social customers will purchase from a competitor if a model doesn’t reply to them on social media.
Whenever you actively showcase consumer content material, you acknowledge and have fun your clients. This validation makes individuals really feel linked to your model, like they’re part of one thing.
Every bit of UGC is an opportunity to spice up belief and construct model loyalty. Your most loyal clients are your greatest cheerleaders. Constructing a relationship with them and acknowledging their efforts encourages them to take a position extra in your model—with cash and UGC.
Contributes to your backside line
UGC is one other type of word-of-mouth advertising, and it’s one of the potent methods to attach together with your audience and make them a purchase order. In response to the Index, 81% of shoppers will make a number of purchases a yr due to social media. When you possibly can measure and develop your UGC technique, you’re extra more likely to develop your backside line.
With Sprout, you possibly can measure put up impressions, engagements and even message click on hyperlinks. These insights enable you monitor the efficiency of UGC reposts to grasp what’s resonating together with your viewers and getting them to interact instantly with you.
5 actual UGC creation examples
These UGC examples present how manufacturers can use buyer content material to drive engagement and authenticity to construct model loyalty:
1. Nutrisense sparks glucose experiments
Well being and expertise firm Nutrisense gives personalised vitamin recommendation primarily based on steady glucose monitoring knowledge. Customers put on a tool that tracks their blood glucose ranges in actual time, offering insights into how their physique responds to totally different meals.
Nutrisense’s platform analyzes this knowledge and pairs customers with registered dietitians to optimize metabolic well being, enhance weight-reduction plan and assist weight reduction.
In July 2021, Nutrisense had about 25,000 followers throughout its social media profiles. The model needed to amplify its presence, so it began posting UGC and pairing it with Sprout’s insights.
Sprout’s experiences highlighted the content material that resonated with Nutrisense’s audience. By the top of 2022, Nutrisense’s social media engagement had grown by 45%, and its neighborhood had grown to greater than 130,000—a 496% improve.
2. Taylor Swift followers share tour outfits
Taylor Swift isn’t only a music famous person—she’s a grasp at making followers the guts of her model. Her Instagram account, Taylor Nation, is a part of her PR and advertising muscle and acts as her official fan membership. It additionally pumps life into UGC campaigns that followers adore.
For the Eras Tour, Taylor Nation requested followers to put up their tour outfits utilizing #TSTheErasTour. Followers went all out, showcasing their Swift-inspired appears to be like with glitter and friendship bracelets.
However Taylor Nation didn’t cease there—the account additionally reposted its favourite photos. Followers obtained to be the celebrities in each metropolis on the tour.
UGC is one tactic in an in depth buyer advertising technique, and it exhibits how Taylor and her staff create a tight-knit neighborhood. Followers don’t simply purchase a ticket—they purchase right into a shared story and an immersive expertise.
3. Starbucks Purple Cup Day
Prospects already put up photos of their stylish coffees, however what occurs when a model organizes a yearly occasion? The Starbucks Purple Cup contest encourages customers to put up photos of their holiday-themed cups after they buy espresso.
The competition encourages clients to strive new vacation drinks and is a good way to spark viral moments throughout totally different platforms.
The competition’s launch on an marketed day, like November 14, 2024, amplifies its affect. Customers generate content material by means of a number of platforms to unfold the phrase and share their experiences as pleasure builds as much as this present day. The picture under exhibits how the “purple cup” buzz spiked to the highest of searches that day:
4. Wahl Skilled faucets into present communities
Wahl Skilled produces and sells skilled grooming tools, together with hair clippers and trimmers. Skilled barbers and stylists belief Wahl for its sturdy, dependable and exact instruments.
Wahl has been round for almost 100 years, so it wanted a contemporary technique to focus on and attraction to new clients. Since June 2015, Wahl has pivoted its method to energetic engagement, utilizing Sprout to handle and monitor conversations throughout a number of Instagram accounts, significantly @wahlpro. This shift led to a curated technique of sharing UGC content material.
Wahl’s audience—a vibrant neighborhood of stylists and barbers—was already sharing their work with the hashtags #Wahl and #WahlPro. Wahl monitored these model key phrases with Sprout and reworked its social feed right into a showcase {of professional} expertise and genuine consumer experiences.
In solely a short while, @wahlpro boosted its Instagram engagement by 4,307%. The account’s followers elevated by 84,788 with Sprout.
5. Papa Johns leverages user-generated content material with social listening
What occurs when a celeb sparks user-generated content material? Magic.
A spontaneous second of NFL middle Jason Kelce having fun with Papa Johns pizza throughout an Amazon documentary sparked natural social media buzz. The model caught on to the rising pattern utilizing Sprout for social listening.
Kelce’s point out sparked UGC—fan feedback and posts—in regards to the pizza, permitting Papa Johns to leverage the natural connection and collaborate with Kelce. Josh Martin, Director of Social Media and Model Engagement at Papa Johns, mentioned, “The insights gained by means of Sprout Social have empowered us to innovate our model engagement approaches.”
UGC moments like these—mixed with Papa Johns utilizing Sprout to enhance its response price on social media channels—have elevated buyer satisfaction, loyalty and model consciousness throughout social networks.
The best way to discover and curate UGC
Recognizing the precise content material is a vital a part of your UGC technique, and discovering the precise content material to spend money on requires social listening. Under, we’ll discover how one can establish promising UGC by means of social listening and the totally different strategies to search out content material on every platform.
What makes good UGC?
Efficient UGC ought to begin with genuine, natural interactions. For instance, when customers share one thing distinctive about your services or products, you possibly can dig deeper to find out whether or not there’s a connection inside your model’s neighborhood.
If the content material you’ve discovered gives the genuine consumer response you want and your audience connects with it, you possibly can promote extra of this type of UGC by means of sharing, campaigns or partnerships.
The next traits sum up invaluable UGC:
Customers naturally put up in regards to the matter.
There’s traction inside your neighborhood.
Your model can share the put up or add worth to the dialog.
Social listening helps you discover, examine and strategize primarily based on these traits.
Learn to apply social listening, as proven with these examples:
Discover new content material alternatives and UGC marketing campaign concepts: Uncover what customers and types focus on inside your trade.
Determine developments within the trade: Determine what’s buzzing in your market so you possibly can replicate it on your clients and change into a related model on socials. For instance, Frequent Grounds Brew & Roastery posted an image that includes purple milk with out explicitly mentioning it. A consumer shortly asks about it and learns that it’s cherry-infused milk.
Promote merchandise in related methods: Hop into your neighborhood’s conversations to search out methods so as to add relevancy to your model. A fantastic instance is when a TikTok consumer went viral vibing to Fleetwood Mac’s “Goals” whereas chugging cranberry juice and skateboarding. Tons of customers and types engaged with the content material—even Mick Fleetwood jumped in and earned 2.7 million likes.
You possibly can automate the social listening course of so that you don’t miss a beat. With Sprout’s listening capabilities, you possibly can entry viewers insights, trendspot and gauge sentiment to search out out what your audience is speaking about.
Discovering UGC content material with Sprout
Utilizing Instagram for example, listed below are methods for locating related content material from customers:
1. Create a Subject to tell your question
Begin constructing out your Listening question by selecting a subject title, description and the kind of question you want.
Subjects are pushed by queries you set as much as hearken to conversations on social media which might be related to the topic of your Subject.
For instance, let’s think about we wish to arrange social listening for Sprout Espresso Co. to search out out what individuals are saying about vacation drinks.
2. Select the platform you need for UGC
Decide the platforms and sources most related to the UGC interactions and digital advertising campaigns you wish to create. On this instance, we’ll choose Instagram.
With Sprout’s Question Builder, you possibly can enter a hashtag your audience is speaking about, primarily based on present developments and wishes—no boolean required.
3. Search key phrases for UGC
Subsequent, you possibly can add a proximity match, a hashtag and different inputs to hone in in your wants. You possibly can spot related user-generated content material through the use of key phrases and grouping.
You possibly can add a number of phrases and variations to refine your search on totally different items of content material and developments. You possibly can arrange outcomes and classes by means of groupings as you’re employed on these queries.
Since each platform is totally different, customers could expertise totally different parameters for Listening. For instance, it’s essential to use hashtags on your queries on Instagram.
4. Take heed to your individuals
When you seek for matters, the Dialog part of your Subject Insights reveals particulars about your key phrases and hashtags.
Sprout makes use of revealed messages out of your viewers to create a Phrase Cloud that offers you extra perception into what your viewers cares about. You’ll be taught all in regards to the individuals, locations and issues mentioned inside your chosen Subject.
Use this data to replace and refine your queries. Then, you should use Good Classes, a pure language processing (NLP) mannequin, to establish high individuals, locations and issues with a subject.
You’ll find particular messages to see what your viewers is saying by clicking on a key phrase throughout the Good Class.
For our espresso store instance, we’d accumulate and analyze related key phrases and viewers messages to find their pursuits in or adjoining to espresso or places.
5. Interact together with your viewers
Now that you’ve got a pulse on what your viewers is speaking about, use your search outcomes to search out related clients or audience members.
You possibly can interact with their posts, share content material and encourage related posts. Pairing your Listening insights with Sprout’s Good Inbox to trace mentions and tags makes it simple to proactively work together together with your clients.
On Instagram, for instance, you possibly can leverage insights like:
Acknowledge tagged pictures: See who’s tagging your model with the Good Inbox. It’s a good way to search out photos of shoppers interacting together with your product or experiencing your service. When customers tag you, you possibly can simply discover and repost the story by means of Good Inbox, sharing UGC immediately and inspiring others to put up.
Observe contests: With Listening, monitor related hashtags related to a contest to gauge the attain and engagement of their campaigns and establish user-generated content material. This additionally allows manufacturers to measure marketing campaign success by analyzing the quantity of mentions and the sentiment of the conversations across the contest hashtag.
Find out about your viewers: With Listening, you possibly can uncover developments inside your audience’s pursuits and bounce in by interacting with their Tales.
Within the instance under, 100 Montaditos, a restaurant primarily based in Spain, found and reposted a consumer’s image of her afternoon tapas:
6. Construct a neighborhood
Your Instagram UGC technique shouldn’t cease after you uncover the content material. Develop a course of to construct relationships, recruit model ambassadors and foster a neighborhood.
The conversations can begin within the feedback and DMs, however the subsequent crucial step is to create a neighborhood that unites the fan base that likes to put up about your model.
Finest practices for sharing UGC
Including UGC is about greater than hitting the reshare button every so often. It’s about listening to what your clients are sharing and seamlessly weaving it into your model’s narrative.
Listed here are some suggestions that can assist you make UGC a cornerstone of your content material technique:
1. Encourage your viewers to share UGC
Inspiring customers to put up content material about your model, services or products begins with encouragement and neighborhood constructing. Contemplate totally different methods to drive user-generated content material, together with:
Launch contests and challenges: Host a contest asking customers to put up pictures, experiences and different forms of content material to win prizes. Then, share the content material together with your viewers to immediate extra posts.
Begin a dialog: Publish a put up that asks for consumer enter, whether or not it’s a put up on X or an ask-me-anything (AMA) on Reddit. You possibly can share these concepts and feedback as reposts, screenshots or different compelling content material codecs.
Set up a UGC hashtag: Create and promote a branded hashtag that customers add to their posts, encouraging others to do the identical. Hashtags additionally make it simple to search out brand-specific UGC. One instance is Apple’s 2015 #ShotOniPhone marketing campaign, which customers proceed to make use of on Instagram and different networks as we speak.
Create an expertise value sharing: Add a enjoyable signal at your brick-and-mortar location or create a humorous e mail response when customers purchase your product to create shareable experiences. Add a novel contact that encourages customers to put up.
Whenever you use Sprout, you possibly can simply monitor your marketing campaign efficiency and social media advertising. With Sprout’s Good Inbox, you possibly can monitor UGC hashtags and replies to key conversations. It helps you unify all of your social channels to observe and reply to your messages in a single place.
Marketing campaign monitoring additionally lets you monitor key efficiency indicators, and perceive which forms of UGC content material your viewers resonates with.
2. Discover and repost UGC on related social networks
You should know the place your viewers lives on social media and the place potential influencers have probably the most affect. For instance, Instagram is a pure match for sharing visuals, however double-check that’s the place your audience needs to see these visuals.
To begin, contemplate your viewers and objectives when selecting a social community. Strategically select the precise community and create an interesting social surroundings to ship content material and nurture long-term relationships.
Determine the top-performing UGC codecs on every community and adapt their presentation primarily based on every app’s tradition. Use the next record to assist information you:
Fb: Use Fb to share full video content material and tales that increase engagement, particularly inside particular communities or places.
X: For those who host occasions, contemplate making a dwell X feed to seize and shortly reshare UGC in actual time. This tactic can also be a wonderful alternative to capitalize on hashtags.
Instagram: Instagram is a favourite for showcasing merchandise. Manufacturers are free to get inventive and join with those that assist their enterprise. You too can simply repost on Instagram to point out off buyer UGC and use hashtags to construct a neighborhood round your model.
TikTok: TikTok’s tradition thrives on genuine, scrappy movies, not refined evaluations or curated tales. You possibly can interact with a buyer of their feedback and ask permission to share their content material in your web page.
LinkedIn: Use LinkedIn to share UGC that aligns together with your employer model or, when you’re B2B, how your viewers makes use of your product at work.
3. At all times ask permission and credit score content material creators
You uncover a consumer put up that simply nails it. However earlier than you hit the share button, ask for permission. Earlier than reposting, evaluate the community’s content material coverage and any related native legal guidelines. This apply will make sure you keep compliant and sign your viewers that you just respect them.
Ship a fast message—it may be so simple as, “Hey, we love your put up! Can we characteristic it on our web page? We’ll make sure that to credit score you!” Including a easy “Picture by @username” or a tag within the caption (like skincare model La Roche-Posay) is usually sufficient. Giving credit score exhibits respect and retains issues clear—plus, it helps construct a way of neighborhood.
When creators see you treating others nicely, that may nudge them to take part. Tagging the creator additionally introduces your model to their viewers, rising consciousness.
You possibly can take the gratitude a step additional, too. Relationship-building makes UGC a everlasting a part of your content material technique. A fast DM saying “Thanks!” can flip a one-time poster right into a long-time model ambassador.
4. Use worker advocacy to amplify UGC
Flip your staff into model ambassadors with worker advocacy. Encourage them to share UGC on their channels. When workers share UGC, it amplifies your attain and offers your model a human face. A put up from an individual reasonably than a model usually will get extra traction, feels extra real and might unfold like wildfire.
Begin by making a tradition that shares celebrations. Supply pointers to strike the steadiness of authenticity whereas staying aligned to the model voice, create templates to provide workers a head begin and inspire them to put up.
Professional tip: Make posting enjoyable. Maintain a month-to-month contest or spotlight the highest employee-shared UGC to make your staff really feel linked to the model’s story.
Lastly, monitor your progress. Utilizing worker advocacy instruments, like Sprout’s, helps you acknowledge and distribute the content material that resonates most, improve worker participation with curated content material and improve social ROI.
An worker advocacy technique that covers all of the bases turns your staff right into a driver of genuine model promotion.
5. Monitor UGC’s affect with a devoted device
If you need your UGC technique to work, it’s a must to measure. It doesn’t matter what your objectives are, benchmarking is a should.
Our newest Index factors out that 81% of shoppers attribute social media to the real-time purchases they make a number of instances a yr. This discovering highlights the crucial function of measuring, reporting and optimizing your UGC technique for ongoing consciousness and conversion.
With Sprout, you get social media analytics instruments to trace your total engagement with UGC.
Whether or not you’re posting to Fb, X, LinkedIn or Instagram, you possibly can entry detailed viewers experiences that reveal which content material is driving probably the most engagement and progress in your profiles. You too can use our social listening instruments to research your social knowledge on the content material and conversations occurring round your model.
Understanding what your model is tagged in gives useful perception into your model’s UGC technique. Sprout’s Tag Report pinpoints how nicely your UGC is doing in comparison with your different content material. Use this knowledge to optimize your total social technique so all of your content material resonates.
6. Verify music copyright
When including UGC to your content material combine, you could account for copyright. It’s simple to get caught up within the visuals and overlook that music wants clearance, too. If there’s any music in user-submitted movies, you could confirm that it’s all above board and test that it’s licensed for business use.
Generally, it’s as easy as reaching out to the artist. Different instances, you’ll need to swap the monitor with a royalty-free choice. Backside line: Compliance will preserve your model on the precise facet of copyright legislation.
The best way to measure your UGC technique’s success
As you construct your UGC technique, you could measure your progress and outcomes. Use Sprout’s Put up Efficiency Report to trace the next social media KPIs:
Impression: Impressions inform you how many individuals see your put up or profile.
Put up attain: Attain exhibits what number of distinctive accounts noticed your put up, measuring the general publicity of your UGC shares earned.
Share of voice: Measure your on-line visibility in comparison with your opponents. With it, you possibly can measure the long-term affect of your social technique.
Likes, shares and feedback: These metrics enable you calculate how nicely your UGC shares resonate together with your viewers. The extra interactions you see, the stronger the sign that you just hit a related matter for potential campaigns.
Mentions: This metric sits on the coronary heart of UGC. When customers point out you in a put up or remark, you get an genuine piece of ready-to-post content material on your viewers. Monitor your model mentions for crucial insights into the natural progress generated by your community-building and engagement methods.
Add the facility of UGC to your workflow with Sprout
UGC is the key sauce that provides an genuine taste to your model’s social presence. But it surely isn’t only a one-off technique—it’s a gentle dialog. Preserve asking for that content material and preserve crediting these creators to maintain constructing and fascinating your neighborhood.
Sprout helps you streamline monitoring the UGC that resonates together with your viewers, serving to you monitor, curate and showcase the content material that tells your model’s story by means of your clients’ experiences.
Need to see the way it suits into your workflow? Strive a free trial of Sprout as we speak to see the way it can streamline and optimize your UGC technique.
