What is UGC (user-generated content)
Also known as: user-generated content, customer generated content
UGC, short for user-generated content, is content created by customers and users rather than by the brand: reviews, photos, usage videos, comments and forum answers. It works as social proof because it shows real people using the product. The term is also used for videos made by hired creators in a customer style; in that case, it is advertising and must be disclosed.
A clothing store starts asking, after each delivery, for a photo of the customer wearing the item, with an option to authorize its use on the site. Within a few months, the best sellers' product pages have photos of people of many sizes and styles.
Customer photos sit next to studio shots and answer the question a professional photo cannot: how does it look on someone like me? The store also starts testing ads with these images, always with the permission of the people shown.
Types of UGC
| Where it appears | |
|---|---|
| Reviews | Online store, Google Business Profile, marketplaces |
| Usage photos and videos | Social media, product pages |
| Testimonials | Website, proposals, ads, with permission |
| Questions and answers | Product pages, forums, communities |
| Videos by hired creators | Ads; in that case it is advertising and must be disclosed |
How to encourage it without manipulating
- Ask for a review at the right moment, after delivery or use.
- Make it easy: a direct link, few fields, optional photo.
- Reply to reviews, good and bad, politely.
- Never buy reviews or publish only the positive ones.
- If you offer a gift or discount in exchange for content, say so, because it becomes a commercial relationship.
Rights, permission and privacy
Photos and videos of an identifiable person are personal data and involve image rights. Before using a customer's content on the site or in ads, ask for permission, ideally recorded, stating where and for how long it will be used. Crediting the author, when they want it, also works in the brand's favor.
UGC on your site and Google
Comments, forums and reviews published on your own site attract spam. Google recommends marking links posted by users with the ugc attribute and moderating what gets published. Well moderated customer content, with real questions and answers, also helps a page address doubts the company's own text did not anticipate.
When UGC becomes advertising
If the brand paid, gave the product or has any commercial relationship with whoever created the content, it is no longer spontaneous. The FTC includes free products among the relationships that must be disclosed, and Brazil's Consumer Defense Code requires advertising to be identifiable as such.
Frequently asked questions
What is UGC?
Content created by customers and users rather than the brand, such as reviews, photos, usage videos and comments.
Why does UGC work?
Because it is social proof: it shows real people using the product and answers questions the brand's own content does not.
Can I use a customer's photo in my ad?
Only with their permission, ideally recorded, stating where and for how long the image will be used.
Is a hired UGC creator an influencer?
It is a creator hired to produce customer style content. Because there is a commercial relationship, the content is advertising and must be disclosed.
Can I offer a discount in exchange for a review?
Yes, as long as it is disclosed and reviews are not filtered. An undisclosed incentive turns the review into disguised advertising.
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Rodrigo Fávaro
Founder of ROO3, a marketing and technology agency in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil. Builds AI products running in production (Tobia, gerar.app, Pense Mercado) and maintains the AI Benchmark, a public ranking of AI models.
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