There’s a saying going around, “People trust real people, not brands.” But appealing to customers in a way that gets them talking about your business isn’t as simple as it used to be. So what do you do when prospective customers only want to hear from people who have firsthand experience with your product or service? This is where user-generated content (UGC) comes in.
Recent surveys show that 85% of consumers find UGC more influential than photos or product videos. The data supporting UGC doesn’t stop there. According to Stackla, 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. Only 12% say branded content and 9% say influencer content is impactful. That’s why brands ranging from powerhouses like Duolingo to your local bakery put a lot of thought into using UGC to help their audience feel connected and understood.
These numbers make a compelling case for using UGC as a basis to build trust and loyalty with customers. Think of it as a transition from business to brand. A brand is the emotion and impression people associate with your business and extends beyond your products and services.
You can leverage this need for connection by taking advantage of UGC.
What is user-generated content?
UGC is content made by your customers for your customers. This includes content—such as reviews, photos, videos or social media posts— showcasing actual experiences with a product or service.
UGC is so effective because it gives customers insight into the inner workings of your brand. Sometimes, it’s something you request from customers, like asking them to use a specific hashtag when posting photos of your product. Other times, UGC is completely unsolicited. Someone leaves a glowing review. They go live on social media, sharing how your brand is part of their daily routine. They recommend you in a social media comment and tell everyone what they love (and didn’t) about working with you.
The person in this Instagram reel shared their exceptional customer service experience with a bespoke footwear brand. The customer ordered a product without noticing the delivery period of six to 10 weeks (we’ve all been there). When they reached out, the level of support they received was so good that they had to post about it.
Notice how others took to the comments to share their own experiences with the brand. This is the power of UGC—one person plants a seed, and suddenly there’s an orchard of advocates to help potential customers form a positive opinion about your brand.
When real people talk about their experiences with your product on social media, they remove the potential for artificiality in marketing. This reduces the suspicion that usually comes with marketing and advertising. Authenticity is key, and 90% of consumers say it’s a major factor when deciding what brands to support.
UGC wins are hard-won but worth the wait
A local Michigan bakery, Kookys and Cream, accidentally got TikTok famous after sending cookies as a thank you to a TikToker who kept the bakery owner’s spirits up during the COVID-19 lockdown. The TikToker posted a video when they received the cookies and it went viral, boosting sales during a challenging time. The comments on the video show people discovering the bakery for the first time, all from one person’s account of the kindness of the bakery's owner.
If these types of results are something you want for your brand, be aware that the process of gathering, managing, monitoring, and sharing UGC takes planning. Here are three useful tools to consider as you get started.
TINT
TINT helps brands gather and display content created by users of the brand or product. With TINT, you can tag products directly in posts to make them shoppable. The tool also helps you incorporate UGC into engaging marketing campaigns. It allows you to gather various types of content, including posts, comments, videos and reviews–all managed using TINT’s advanced filtering and moderation tools.
TINT also uses AI to analyze and organize content, helping you sort and use the most relevant posts by automatically detecting and tagging objects.
Yotpo
Yotpo is designed for e-commerce platforms to organize and distribute content. It uses advanced algorithms to filter out the most valuable UGC, based on relevance. Yotpo lets you showcase customer photos on your website, product pages, checkout pages and more.
One of Yotpo’s best features is its ability to collect reviews and make it easy for customers to ask questions. This allows you to display real customer experiences to enhance your brand’s credibility.
Nosto
Nosto is a comprehensive platform for managing UGC, is a comprehensive platform for managing UGC. It allows you to collect, organize and publish UGC across various digital channels.
This tool helps you present the customer journey authentically. It collects different types of content from real customers and highlights important moments that match each step of the journey. From the first time someone hears about your product to when they finally make a purchase, the tool uses real stories to guide them. Instead of organizing the content by stages, it naturally shows real experiences that cover each part of the journey, to make it feel more genuine and easy to follow.
Nosto also has features like content rights management, which protects creators’ rights. It’s perfect for influencer marketing campaigns too, making it easy to include actual content from real people in your marketing efforts.
Building brand trust doesn’t happen overnight; it takes hard work, consistency and a strategic approach.
To truly benefit from UGC, be selective about the content you collect and share. It should align with your brand, but it should also be a genuine representation of the experiences real people have with your brand.
When people see others having positive experiences with your product or service, it boosts their confidence and also creates a sense of connection. Over time, this feeling of connection leads to loyalty.
UGC serves as an effective marketing tool and as a bridge to building meaningful relationships with your audience. Genuine customer stories offer more than just social proof; they invite others into a community where they can feel like they’re part of something bigger. When you showcase these authentic experiences, it’s easier to build lasting trust and nurture a loyal customer base who feel connected to your brand.