UGC = user-generated content
What is UGC?
Content made by people rather than a brand. In advertising, it's mainly short phone videos that look like a recommendation from someone you know.
Updated
Three things people mean by UGC
UGC originally meant customer reviews and photos. Today, brands commission it from creators to use in ads.
UGC content
what it isAnything people outside a brand create about a product: reviews, photos, videos and comments. It feels more trustworthy than advertising from the brand itself.
UGC video
what brands commissionA short video filmed on a phone that looks like a recommendation from an ordinary person. The brand commissions it and runs it as an ad.
UGC creator
who makes itSomeone who makes videos for brands. Unlike an influencer, they don't need a large audience because the video runs in the brand's ads rather than on their profile.
UGC creator vs. influencer
Both make videos for brands, but the brand buys something different from each. From an influencer, it buys access to their audience; from a UGC creator, it buys a video for its own ads.
Publishes the video on their own profile
- Makes a video
- Publishes it on their profile
- Their followers see it
- New posts push it down a few days later
You pay forreach within their audience
- The price grows with follower count.
- Reach, impressions and discount codes are tracked.
Are you an influencer? Make UGC too for brands that invest in ads.
Download the appThe brand launches the video as an ad
- Makes a video
- Delivers it to the brand
- The brand launches it in its Meta account
- Meta shows it to new people for as long as it sells
You pay fora video that sells
- The video matters, rather than follower count.
- Purchases and revenue generated by the video are tracked.
Want UGC videos you pay for only from sales?
Book a callThe differences, point by point
A UGC video's value comes from ads rather than a profile
A creator's followers see a profile post once. Meta shows the brand's ad to new people every day for as long as the brand funds it. Adjust the numbers and compare the cost too.
Ads show the video to 500× more people than a profile post, every month. Followers have little bearing on the video’s value.
Illustrative calculation. Assumptions: around 20 % of followers see a profile post; profiles with up to 5 000 followers mostly post in exchange for a product (barter); those with up to 10 000 post for a product or a small fee; larger profiles charge 5 to 15 € per 1 000 followers; and 1 000 Meta ad impressions in Slovakia cost around 5 €.
That's why UGC creators don't even need the video on their own profile.
Ads create the value, rather than the post
The video earns while the brand runs it as an ad, rather than just leaving it on a profile.
Partnership Ad without a post
The ad can run under the creator's name without the video appearing on their profile.
No audience or feed needed
You just need videos that sell.
Make videos but don't have a big audience? That's fine.
Download the appThe most common UGC video formats
Most UGC ads use a few proven formats. Good creators combine them and test different hooks: the first seconds of a video.
Review
The creator talks about their own experience with the product as if telling a friend.
Unboxing
Unpacking the product and sharing a first impression. Works for products where packaging and detail matter.
How to use it
A short tutorial or routine showing how simple the product is and exactly what it does.
Before and after
Results after using the product for a while. With cosmetics and supplements, be careful about which claims you can make.
Problem and solution
The video opens with a problem the viewer recognises and shows the product as the solution.
Three reasons why
A quick list of benefits. Easy to make variants with a different order or a different first reason.
Why UGC works in ads, and when it doesn't
Why it works
It doesn't look like an ad
It feels like a recommendation from someone you know, so people don't immediately skip it in their feed.
You can test lots of variants
It's cheaper and faster to produce than a studio video.
Meta finds the right people
It selects the audience based on the creative. Different faces and angles appeal to different people.
When it doesn't work
A script that misses the customer
The video doesn't address why people actually buy the product.
Every video looks the same
Meta treats them as one creative and shows them to the same people.
Choosing a winner by taste
The brand chooses videos based on what it likes rather than purchases, or doesn't test them at all.
We choose videos based on purchases rather than taste. You pay only from those that sell.
Book a callUGC collaboration: what it means for each side
In a UGC collaboration, a brand commissions videos from a creator. Payment is agreed between them: per video or as a share of the sales it generates.
For brands
- See how much a UGC video costs when paying per video.
- Compare working directly with creators with revenue sharing.
- Learn how My Laura works in How it works.
For creators
- Find out how much a UGC creator earns with fixed fees and revenue sharing.
- You don't need followers or an expensive camera to start.
- In the My Laura app, you make videos for brands that really invest in ads. For creators
Frequently asked questions
What does UGC stand for?
UGC stands for user-generated content. In marketing, it means reviews, photos and videos by people outside a brand, and today especially short videos that brands commission from creators for their ads.
What is a UGC video?
A short video, usually 15 to 60 seconds, filmed on a phone to look like a recommendation from an ordinary person. Brands mainly use it as an ad on Facebook and Instagram.
What does a UGC creator do?
They make videos for brands based on a brief. They propose or adapt a script, film the product in an everyday setting and deliver a video the brand runs in its ads.
What is a UGC ad?
An ad that uses a UGC video instead of studio creative. It often runs as a Partnership Ad under the creator's name, which usually improves results.
Does a UGC creator need lots of followers?
No. The video runs in the brand's ads rather than on the creator's profile, so follower count doesn't matter. What matters is whether the video sells.
What's the difference between a UGC creator and an influencer?
An influencer sells reach within their audience: they publish a video on their profile and are paid based on follower count. A UGC creator sells the video itself: the brand runs it as an ad in its Meta account, and its value depends on how much it sells.
Does a UGC creator have to publish the video on their profile?
No. Most of the video's value comes from the ad the brand runs with it. Even with a Partnership Ad running under the creator's name, the video doesn't need to appear on their profile.
What is a UGC collaboration?
An agreement between a brand and a creator to make videos. Payment can be per video or a share of the sales it generates. It also includes a licence specifying where and for how long the video may be used.