What is UGC (User-Generated Content)?
Content created by customers or creators rather than the brand itself.
Definition
UGC is content — photos, videos, reviews, testimonials — created by real customers or paid creators rather than the brand's in-house team. UGC ads are among the highest-performing ad formats because they feel authentic and relatable. There are two types: organic UGC (real customers sharing voluntarily) and paid UGC (creators hired to produce authentic-looking content). UGC-style video ads consistently outperform polished studio ads on Meta and TikTok, with up to 4x higher engagement rates.
Example
A beauty brand hires 5 UGC creators to film "get ready with me" videos featuring their products. The authentic, phone-shot content outperforms studio ads with 60% lower CPA and 3x higher engagement.
Related Terms
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