What is UGC? Meaning, definition and examples
In short
UGC (User Generated Content) refers to content created by real people or creators rather than by the brand itself. In marketing, it most often means short, authentic videos shot on a smartphone, meant for social media and advertising.
It differs from branded content (studio-produced, highly polished) and from influencer marketing (where you mainly buy an audience). UGC works because it looks like a peer recommendation: it acts as social proof. We distinguish organic UGC (spontaneous) from paid UGC (ordered from creators). To order it, a UGC platform casts creators by niche; on UGC Pocket, it's from €2,000 per campaign, no subscription, price and terms set out in the commercial proposal.
What does UGC mean?
UGC, short for User Generated Content, is any content (text, photo, review and above all video) produced by users or creators outside the brand. The term covers customer reviews and forum posts as much as the short vertical videos of TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, which is what marketers usually mean today.
Not to be confused with UGC, the French cinema chain: its name originally stood for Union Générale Cinématographique, a group founded in 1946 that runs cinemas in France and Belgium. It has nothing to do with user generated content.
Source: Wikipedia, UGC (entreprise) (in French), checked 30 September 2026.
There are two main families:
- Organic UGC: a customer spontaneously posts a video of your product, with nothing in return. Authentic but unpredictable and out of your control.
- Paid UGC: you order videos from creators, with a brief. You keep the "real" tone of UGC while controlling the message, format and rights. This is the core of what a UGC platform offers.
A third case has appeared: videos generated with AI avatars and sold as "AI UGC". They imitate the format, but no real user or creator is behind them. We compare both approaches in AI UGC vs real creators.
UGC vs branded content vs influencer marketing
These three approaches are often confused. Here's how they differ.
| UGC | Branded content | Influencer marketing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who creates it | Creator or real customer | The brand or a studio | An influencer |
| What you buy | Content | Production | An audience |
| Feel | Authentic, "real" | Polished, controlled | Depends on the creator |
| Audience required | No | No | Yes (essential) |
| Typical use | Social media and ads | Website, TV, branding | Awareness, reach |
In short: branded content reassures and shapes the image; influencer marketing buys immediate reach; UGC provides a volume of credible, adaptable content. To go further on choosing between UGC and influencer marketing, read UGC vs influencer.
Why brands use UGC
UGC rests on a simple mechanism: it looks like a recommendation between people rather than an ad. Three drivers:
- Authenticity: shot on a smartphone, in a real setting, UGC reads as more trustworthy than an overly perfect spot.
- Social proof: seeing someone "like me" use a product removes some of the barriers to buying.
- Native to the feed: UGC formats blend into TikTok and Meta feeds, which can reduce the "ad" effect. See our guide UGC ads on Meta and TikTok.
Rather than putting forward unverifiable marketing figures, we prefer to point you to sourced data: check our article UGC statistics 2026 for quotable numbers on trust and conversion.
UGC examples by sector
UGC adapts to almost any world. A few concrete examples:
- Software and apps: a creator records their screen while explaining a feature face to camera, or with a voice-over (see faceless UGC formats).
- SaaS and business: a creator shows how they use a tool day to day, "a day in my life as a freelancer" style (Business UGC).
- Pet care: a creator films their dog wolfing down a new kibble (see Dog UGC).
- Food and cooking: a quick recipe featuring a product, in close-up with an appetizing voice-over (Cooking UGC).
- Automotive and accessories: a "delivery day" test drive or an accessory tested in real conditions (Auto UGC).
The common thread: the creator already uses this kind of product, which makes the result credible. That's why casting by category matters so much. For the full list of formats (review, demo, tutorial, before and after, screen recording…), see UGC video formats.
How to order UGC
Ordering paid UGC comes down to three steps:
- Define the goal: what the video should show and where it will be distributed (organic or ads).
- Get a proposal: the UGC Pocket team gets back to you with a commercial proposal and writes the campaign scripts.
- Let the team run it: our team selects the creators and reviews every video. To choose creators yourself, see how to find UGC creators.
Remember to specify the usage rights in the brief, especially if you plan to distribute in advertising: it's detailed in usage rights, whitelisting and Spark Ads. For a small test of a few videos or raw files delivered quickly, a marketplace that delivers video files is a better fit than a campaign; compare the models in our UGC pricing guide.
Frequently asked questions about UGC
What does UGC mean?
UGC stands for User Generated Content. It's content (often short videos) created by real people or creators rather than by the brand, for a more authentic feel.
What's the difference between UGC and influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing buys a creator's audience to relay a message; UGC mainly buys authentic content that the brand can distribute itself, regardless of the creator's audience size.
Is UGC always paid?
No. Organic UGC is posted spontaneously by customers. Paid UGC is ordered from creators. On UGC Pocket: from €2,000 per campaign, no subscription, price and terms set out in the commercial proposal.
How do you order UGC?
Through a UGC platform, a marketplace, an agency or directly from creators. On UGC Pocket, you send a brief and receive a commercial proposal; our team builds the campaign, writes the video scripts, selects the creators and reviews every video.
What is a UGC creator?
Someone who films videos in the UGC style for brands: reviews, demos, tutorials. The brand buys the content rather than the audience, so a large following isn't required. On UGC Pocket, there is no minimum follower count to sign up, each brand accepts or declines access requests to its challenges, and creators publish on their own TikTok and Instagram accounts. To get started, read how to become a UGC creator and how to start with no followers.
Is AI-generated UGC real UGC?
Not in the strict sense: an AI avatar imitates the format, but no real user or creator has used the product. Whether it fits depends on your product and your audience. We compare both in AI UGC vs real creators.