5 User-Generated Content Examples & Video Ideas (With templates!)
Consumers are savvier than ever. They can tell when an influencer is disinterested in the product they were paid to market, and they see when a photo has been retouched. Today, the key to effective marketing is authenticity and user-generated content (UGC) is your golden ticket.
User-generated content is consistently rated as more trustworthy than professionally-shot and influencer-generated content. And trust pays off! Around 82% of consumers said they are more likely to make a purchase from a brand which uses user-generated content than those who don’t. Actually, most consumers specifically look for user-generated content before they even make a purchase!
So what is user generated content and what makes it so special? We'll answer those questions and set you up to create a winning UGC strategy in the article below.
What is user generated content?
User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by users (or customers) rather than your brand. Photos, videos, reviews, testimonials, social media posts, and even blog comments are all sources for UGC. Essentially, it's authentic content generated by real people about a product, service, or brand.
UGC is different from traditional marketing because it comes directly from the consumer, offering a genuine perspective that resonates with other potential customers. It's akin to a testimonial or review but today it can include photos, video clips, audio, and more.
Why user generated content is important
What makes UGC so much more compelling than a regular ad? Your customers have credibility and they're not beholden to your brand to leave a good review. So when other potential buyers come across content that your customers went out of their way to create, it says a lot about the quality of your brand the community you've built.
Here's the secret sauce that makes UGC such a treasure for your marketing team:
- Authenticity: UGC is inherently genuine, as it comes directly from real people.
- Trust and credibility: People trust recommendations from friends and peers more than brand-produced content, including influencer content.
- Cost-effective: Instead of spending on professional content creation and influencer partnerships, you can use the content that has already been created by your customers.
- Increased engagement: UGC often has higher engagement rates compared to branded content because it sparks conversation and creates a sense of community around your brand. They’re not just responding to you – they are starting a conversation with others in the comments section.
- Valuable insights: UGC provides authentic and valuable insights into customer preferences, and experiences that you might not be able to get otherwise. Then, you can use this feedback to improve your products, services, and marketing efforts.
- Building strong brand communities: When people see others sharing their experiences, they feel a connection. This shared experience creates a sense of community, where individuals feel like they belong to a group with similar interests. Think about brands like Ring and Airbnb that frequently share heartwarming and hilarious footage from their customers to show their product in action. A marketer would be hard-pressed to create a more perfect ad!
User generated content examples: Brands doing it right
So why you should share user-generated content on social media?
Social media platforms are primed for authentic and relatable videos and photos. Whenever your audience is scrolling, they’ll be more likely to stay and watch a video made by another everyday person rather than an overproduced video that screams “I’m an ad!”
These brands seem to have captured the magic of this type of content. Take inspiration from these real user generated content examples and think about how you can do the same for your brand! Then, use our templates to turn this content into a secret weapon for your brand.
Crocs
Why we love it: Crocs leveraged the creativity of their community with this video! It’s a shining example of a crocs superfan and invites others to join in on the fun and share their crocs creations.
Vrbo
Why we love it: This video is stunning, simple, and easy to recreate! Vrbo makes it simple for their audience to participate and encourages them to create similar videos that capture the beauty of vacation rentals through Vrbo.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Why we love it: UGC is a major component of Abercrombie and Fitch’s rebrand. This post is a great example of why it works for them! This post features UGC from a variety of micro and small influencers. The photos are high quality but not overly posed or produced, making them the perfect fit for both the brand and influencers' feeds.
Calm
Why we love it: It builds community! In this post, Calm used a familiar face to share helpful content about mindfulness. It fits into their users’ feed and doesn't come across as an ad. There are no asks – just support to help boost the brand's reputation and strengthen their community.
Hismile
Why we love it: Hismile used screen recordings and screenshots to show the dedication of their fan base and the positive impact their product has made. Then, they compiled it into one video to showcase the virality and craze behind their products!
Want to make your own video just like it? Drag and drop your content into a video template with lots of media frames, like this one!
How to Create a UGC Strategy:
Collecting user generated content is easier for brands with widespread recognition and strong communities. But engaged and enthusiastic audiences don’t appear out of nowhere. Those communities need trust, engagement, and support in order to grow... and that takes time.
With these tips, you can create a solid UGC strategy that incentivizes your customers to contribute their own content. With a group of key genuine and trustworthy creators by your side, you'll be able to expand your online presence and bring more UGC your way.
Identify the right channels
Accumulating UGC is easier on certain platforms that others, but that doesn’t necessarily make them a better fit for your brand. When deciding where you want to focus your UGC efforts, keep these tips in mind:
- Align with your target audience: Understand where your customers spend their time online and focus your efforts there. Not sure where to start? Here’s a high-level summary of the user demographics of different social media platforms based on a 2024 Pew Research Center report:
- Analyze competitor strategies: See what channels your competitors are using effectively but not dominating. Go for the sweet spot!
- Consider content format: Keep in mind how customers will best demo and review your products or services -- videos, photos, demos, written reviews, tutorials, etc.
Encourage participation
Next up, a framework for your content.
Asking for “content” plain and simple is way too broad – your customers won’t know where to start and it probably won’t end up being what you want. And if you ask too much, you’re basically asking them to become unpaid brand influencers... good luck with that!
So to ensure that you audience is incentivized to create high-quality shareable content, use an internal framework like the one below.
- Set clear guidelines: Internally, define what type of content you're looking for and how it will be used. Consider what format you’d like, how long you’d like the video content to be, and what you’d like your audience to say or show.
Pro-tip: Need help coming up with UGC ideas? Follow the lead of your customers and see what they’re already posting! Creating a framework that already fits existing content will be a lot easier than asking them to start from scratch.
- Offer incentives: Rewards can motivate users to create and share content! Consider hosting a giveaway campaign or contest with a catchy hashtag that inspires people to participate.
- Make it easy to participate: We’ve all seen the giveaways and campaigns that make you jump through hoop after hoop just for the chance to win something. No one wants to do that! Instead, simplify the content submission process. Tell users to post a video or photo based with your hashtag to generate lots of UGC quickly. Pro-tip: Many users on Instagram are more willing to create content that is shared to their Stories rather than their feeds! If you go this route, just make sure that you screenshot and save the content so you can share it again later.
Moderate your content
Once the content starts flowing in, you’ll want somebody on standby to grab all the good stuff and moderate any questionable submissions.
- Establish clear moderation guidelines: Define what content is acceptable and how to handle inappropriate submissions.
- Respond promptly: Engage with users who share content, both positive and negative, as promptly as possible. Regular engagement and genuine appreciation shows that you value their submissions and encourages them to share more in the future.
- Curate a content library: Now that you have some content on your hands, create a shared folder to store and organize it. Make sure you include the original poster’s username somewhere handy so you can easily tag them when you reshare it.
Leverage UGC across different channels
You’ve done the hard part and created the strategy, warmed up your audience, and got users to create awesome content for you. Now it’s time to share it with the world and start building your brand’s credibility!
- Clean it up and make a video: Video performs better than photos on almost every platform so if you want to make the most out of user generated photos and short video clips, make them into a video! With Animoto you can just grab a template, drag and drop your content, and create a scroll-stopping compilation video.
- Integrate into social media: Share your shiny new UGC on your brand's social channels. You may want to reformat and optimize it for different platforms. No matter where you share, ensure that your campaign is all tied together with consistent hashtags.
- Utilize in advertising: Add your UGC into paid advertising campaigns to create compelling but subtle ads.
- Showcase on website: Display your UGC on your website to build trust and credibility! You can copy and paste reviews into a video or create a “Why Choose Us” video like the one below using real reviews and content from your customers.
What's next for UGC?
User-Generated Content (UGC) is rapidly evolving. Influencer marketing has become a cornerstone, with micro-influencers and niche creators gaining prominence. Meanwhile, AI is revolutionizing UGC analysis, enabling sentiment analysis, content moderation, trend identification, and personalized recommendations.
Looking ahead, UGC is poised to become even more immersive and influential. It will drive commerce, potentially be generated by AI, and thrive in the metaverse. To succeed, brands must prioritize authenticity, community building, ethical AI use, platform exploration, and continuous measurement and improvement.
Turn user generated content into professional videos with Animoto
Embrace the power of UGC to elevate your marketing strategy! With Animoto, you can transform photos, video clips, reviews, and more into polished, professional videos. Just choose a template and get started!
UGC video templates
Customer Testimonials
Online Testimonials
Product Testimonial
Service Testimonial
Service Testimonial
Customer Reviews
UGC FAQs
how user generated content impacts consumer engagement:
User-generated content (UGC) significantly boosts consumer engagement by fostering authenticity and trust. It allows consumers to connect with brands on a personal level, creating a sense of community and loyalty. Additionally, UGC serves as powerful social proof, influencing purchasing decisions and amplifying brand reach.
how does user generated content work?
User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by users, not the brand itself. This can include photos, videos, reviews, or social media posts. UGC empowers consumers to share their experiences, building trust and authenticity, while offering brands valuable insights and free marketing materials.
how to get user generated content:
Encourage customers to share their experiences through contests, challenges, or simply asking for feedback. Leverage social media platforms to find and engage with users. Additionally, partner with influencers to generate authentic content that resonates with their audience.
how to make user generated content:
User-generated content (UGC) is created by consumers, not the brand. It involves sharing personal experiences, opinions, or media related to a product or service. UGC can be encouraged through contests, social media campaigns, and customer reviews.