TL;DR
- Organic UGC comes from unpaid customers; influencer content is paid and posted on the influencer's channel; UGC creators are paid to make UGC-style content for the brand's own ads.
- Tagging a brand or using a campaign hashtag does not grant ad-usage rights: get written permission stating channels and duration, and PDPA applies to faces and names.
- UGC ads are usually tested as several cuts (different 3-second hooks, captions, lengths) on equal budgets, then refreshed when creative fatigue sets in.
- rel="ugc" is a separate thing: an HTML link attribute telling Google a link sits in comments or forum posts.
UGC stands for user-generated content: content that users or customers create themselves rather than the brand, such as product reviews, photos customers take while using a product, unboxing videos on TikTok, or posts describing an experience with a service. Brands reuse UGC in ads, on product pages and on social media, because people tend to trust what other users say more than copy the brand writes itself.
This article covers what UGC is, how it differs from influencer content and "UGC creators", common examples, how to use it in ads and on product pages, and how to get permission before reusing customer content.
A note on terms: in SEO there is also rel="ugc", a link attribute that tells Google a link sits inside user-generated content such as a comment section or forum thread. That is a technical website matter. This article is about UGC in the marketing sense.
What is UGC (user-generated content)?
User-generated content is any content ordinary people create and publish about a product, service or brand, where the brand did not produce it. Common formats:
- Written reviews and star ratings on marketplaces, Google Maps or the brand's own website
- Photos customers take of the real product, such as a dish they ordered, a hotel room, or clothes they are wearing
- Short videos on TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, such as unboxings, first tries or before-and-after comparisons
- Posts and comments in Facebook groups or on Pantip describing an experience
- Buyer questions and answers on product pages
What makes UGC valuable is the point of view of someone who actually uses the product. The lighting is not polished like an ad, but viewers see what the product looks like in real life, how big it is in a hand, or how it performs. That answers the questions buyers have before they decide.
How UGC differs from influencer content and UGC creators
These three terms often get mixed up, but the differences matter because they affect credibility, cost and what you have to disclose to viewers.
Organic UGC
This is content real customers create without being paid. It may appear on its own or because the brand invited it, for example with a hashtag or a post-purchase review request. Its strength is sincerity. Its weakness is that the brand cannot control quality, volume or content, and has to get permission before reusing it.
Influencer content
This is content an influencer creates and posts on their own channel, with the brand paying money or giving product in exchange for access to their followers. The brand is buying both the content and the audience. This is advertising and should be disclosed as a paid collaboration, through platform labels such as paid partnership or a statement in the caption. See the influencer marketing service for how that work is run.
UGC creators
A UGC creator is someone a brand hires to produce "UGC-style" content that looks natural, as if a customer shot it, such as a selfie-style video talking about a product. The content is delivered to the brand for use in ads or brand channels. It does not have to be posted on the creator's own account, and the creator does not need a large following.
To be plain about it, UGC creator content is not UGC in the original sense, because it is commissioned rather than volunteered by customers. It is still useful: the brand can control the brief, produce many versions to test in ads, and get usage rights through a contract. It should not be presented in a way that makes viewers think it is an independent review from a real customer.
| Type | Who creates it, and are they paid? | Usage rights |
|---|---|---|
| Organic UGC | Real customers, unpaid | Belongs to the creator; ask permission before reuse |
| Influencer content | Influencer, paid in money or product | Per contract, often limited by channel and time |
| UGC creator | Creator hired by the brand to produce content | Per contract, usually delivered for the brand's ads |
Common UGC examples
Reviews and star ratings
Reviews are the most basic form of UGC and directly affect decisions. Many online shoppers read reviews before ordering, especially reviews with photos or ones that honestly describe a product's weak points. Negative reviews are useful too, because a page full of nothing but five-star reviews can make readers suspicious. Replying politely to negative reviews and actually fixing the problem shows other readers how the brand treats customers.
TikTok and short videos
Short videos shot by users, such as unboxings, first-time use or before-and-after results, suit TikTok and Reels, where viewers are used to phone-shot content. Brands can repost (with permission), duet or stitch, and in some cases promote a creator's post as an ad through platform features such as TikTok Spark Ads, which require an authorization code from the post's owner first. More on the TikTok Ads service page.
Customer photos
Restaurants, hotels, fashion and home decor benefit a lot from photos customers take, because buyers want to know how the real thing compares with promotional images. Some brands build a customer photo gallery on product pages or collect photos through a campaign hashtag.
Comments, questions and threads
Buyer questions on product pages, answered by previous buyers, are UGC that resolves specific doubts, such as how sizing runs or which models it fits. They also tell the marketing team what customers worry about, which can feed into product descriptions or new content that answers those concerns.
How to use UGC in ads and on product pages
In social ads
Ads built on UGC or UGC-style content are common on platforms where viewers scroll through ordinary people's posts, such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, because they blend into the feed. A typical process:
- Collect content you have permission to use, or brief several UGC creators to produce different angles
- Cut several versions, for example changing the first 3 seconds (the hook), the captions or the length
- Test the versions side by side on equal budgets and compare metrics such as completion rate, click-through rate and cost per purchase
- Move budget to the versions that work, and keep producing new content when results drop as viewers see the same ad repeatedly (creative fatigue)
Planning and testing creative like this across platforms is part of the social media advertising service.
On product pages and websites
On a product page, UGC answers questions while the buyer is deciding. Common approaches are showing photo reviews near the buy button, letting shoppers filter reviews by topic such as sizing or use, embedding customer short videos in the product gallery, and opening a Q&A section. If reviews appear on the page as real text rather than as images of text, search engines can read that content as well.
In content and email
UGC works in post-purchase email, for example showing photos from other customers using the same product, or in brand articles and social posts that collect usage tips from real users. Planning which piece of UGC goes where in the customer journey connects to content marketing work.
Usage rights and permission
Content a customer posts belongs to the person who made it. Tagging the brand or using a campaign hashtag does not automatically mean the brand can use it in ads. General good practice:
- Get written permission before use. For example, send a permission request message and keep the reply as a record. State clearly which channels you will use it in (organic posts, ads, website) and for how long.
- Credit the creator where appropriate and where the creator wants it.
- Use contracts with hired creators that cover usage rights, channels, duration, editing, and use in paid ads.
- Watch for personal data. Faces, names and other identifying details are personal data, and collecting and using them must comply with Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).
- Check what is inside the content, such as background music, other brands' logos, or other people in the frame, which may need separate permission.
This article is not legal advice. For large or long-running UGC campaigns, have a legal team review the permission forms and contracts.
UGC and credibility
UGC works because it is social proof: buyers see that people like them have used the product and described it honestly. That credibility is easy to lose if a brand does any of the following:
- Shows only good reviews and hides every bad one
- Pays for fake reviews, or has staff review products without disclosure
- Presents commissioned content as if it were an independent review
- Edits customer content until its meaning differs from what the creator intended
Most platforms have policies against fake reviews and require disclosure of paid content, and when viewers catch it, the damage to the brand usually outweighs any sales gained. The safe route is to separate customer reviews from commissioned content clearly and label each correctly.
UGC in the Thai market
Thai consumers widely use social media and marketplaces as information sources before buying. Reviews on Shopee and Lazada, threads on Pantip, review clips on TikTok, and restaurant reviews on Google Maps or Wongnai are all UGC that Thai shoppers check before deciding.
There are a few points for brands in Thailand. First, Thai UGC written in natural spoken language tends to read as more believable than over-polished ad copy, so avoid rewording customers' words until they sound like the brand wrote them. Second, marketplace reviews are usually tied to the platform's own system, so brands should read each platform's rules before running incentives for reviews. Third, local businesses such as restaurants and clinics benefit a lot from map reviews, so asking customers for reviews after each visit is basic work worth doing consistently.
Finally, LINE OA is a convenient way to ask for reviews or for permission to use customer photos, since the brand already has a direct chat with the customer and the permission history stays in the conversation.
FAQ about UGC
What does UGC stand for?
UGC stands for user-generated content, meaning content that users or customers create themselves about a product or brand, such as reviews, photos and videos, rather than content the brand produces.
What is a UGC creator, and is it real UGC?
A UGC creator is a creator a brand pays to produce content that looks like UGC for use in ads or brand channels, so it is not UGC in the original sense because it is commissioned work. Brands should label it according to platform rules and not present it as an independent review.
Can I use a photo or video a customer tagged my brand in for an ad right away?
No, you should get written permission from the creator first and state the channels and period you will use it for. Tagging a brand does not mean the creator agreed to ad use, and if the content contains personal data, PDPA applies too.
Is rel="ugc" related to UGC marketing?
Not directly: rel="ugc" is an HTML link attribute that tells Google a link sits inside user-generated content such as comments or forum threads, and it belongs to technical SEO. UGC marketing is about using customer content in marketing.
How can a small business start with UGC?
Start by asking customers for reviews consistently, for example with a message after delivery or a card in the box inviting a photo. Then ask permission to use the best reviews and photos on product pages and social media, without paying for creators at the start.
Put UGC to work in your campaigns
If you want to use UGC or UGC-style content in ads and social media in a structured way, from finding creators and briefing them to securing rights and testing creative, Relevant Audience offers an influencer marketing service that covers this work. Get in touch to see which approach fits your product and budget.
