Definition
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Also known as: User-Generated Content
Content created by customers rather than the brand — reviews, testimonials, photos, videos, and social media posts that serve as authentic social proof.
What does User-Generated Content (UGC) mean?
User-generated content is any content, reviews, photos, videos, or social posts, created by customers rather than by the brand itself. It differs from brand-produced marketing material because its independent origin is precisely what gives it credibility.
Why does User-Generated Content (UGC) matter?
It matters because visitors are increasingly aware of, and skeptical toward, polished brand messaging, while content that clearly came from an ordinary customer, imperfections included, reads as authentic and unbiased in a way brand copy structurally cannot replicate.
How is User-Generated Content (UGC) applied in practice?
It is collected through review requests, photo contests, social media monitoring, and direct submission tools, then curated and displayed on relevant pages, with its impact measured by testing pages featuring UGC against those relying solely on brand-authored content.
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Related terms
Where this fits
User-Generated Content (UGC) sits in the social proof part of the NotiProof resource network.
Read the Social Proof guide