User-Generated Content: A Beginner’s Guide

What Is User-Generated Content (UGC)?

User-generated content (UGC) is any form of promotional content created and shared by unsolicited contributors or users of a brand rather than the brand itself.

Common types of UGC include customer reviews, social media posts, photos, videos, and blog posts relating to the brand or its products.

For example, a customer shared a picture of the latte they got from a coffee shop, Chalk Coffee, to Instagram, with a caption about how good it is.

This is user-generated content.

By tagging Chalk Coffee in their post, using the “#chalkcoffee” hashtag, and writing a positive review, the Instagram user @havingabrew_ promotes the coffee brand to their followers.

Chalk Coffee gets free exposure as a result.

Who Creates User-Generated Content?

UGC is free promotion that can help brands expand their reach.

Here’s a look at who creates user-generated content:

• Customers
• Social media followers
• Brand advocates

What about if employees create content about the brand they work for? This is called employee-generated content (EGC). It’s a subset of UGC as long as the posts are authentic and not solicited by the brand.

For example, a store worker showing off their company’s new products on a personal social media account would be considered EGC.

However, if someone is paid to create sponsored content (called a UGC creator) designed to look like authentic UGC but is promotional, this is not user-generated content.

Types of UGC

UGC comes in more forms...