What Is UGC? And Why Should Communicators Care?
You’ve probably seen it without realizing there’s a name for it.
A restaurant review. An unboxing video. Someone showing off their favorite yarn. A hotel room tour. A Google review. A customer posting about a product they love.
It’s called user generated content, or UGC.
Semrush defines UGC as “non-sponsored content related to a brand that’s created by users — like customers or employees — rather than the brand itself.”
In other words: It’s content about your organization, product, or service that you didn’t create yourself and didn’t pay for.
And if you spend any time on social media, you’ll see it everywhere. One creator, for example, recently posted a review of yarn she used to knit a sweater, a full year after she made it.
Another creator shared a look inside her Denver hotel stay. Again, the brand didn’t have to produce the video. Someone else did it for them.
UGC isn’t limited to social media. Google reviews, blog posts, customer photos, and star ratings can all fall under the UGC umbrella.
The important part: It’s earned.
UGC doesn’t just happen. Content creation is an investment of time and creativity on the part of the user. That means you have to earn it. First, you have to have something worth talking about and that people can find it. Then, you have to set up your creators be able to talk about it, and talk about it well. That takes time and effort on your part.
We’ve spent the last decade watching influencer marketing become a massive industry. There’s nothing wrong with paid creator content, but the relationship is different when someone is being paid to tell you about something.
The Better Business Bureau’s 2025 Influencer Trust Index found that consumers were more likely to trust traditional advertising than influencer marketing, with 87% expressing trust in traditional advertising compared with 74% for influencers.
The report also found that transparency around paid relationships matters to consumers.
UGC operates differently. There’s no sponsorship disclosure because, by definition, the content isn’t sponsored. That can make it feel more like a recommendation from a real person than a piece of advertising.
One finding from Salesgenie found that 80% of consumers say they trust UGC more than advertising.
Think about your own shopping behaviors. You’re more likely to trust a family or friend’s recommendation than you are an influencer with a “paid sponsorship” tag.
UGC works because the person talking about your product or service doesn’t have to.
So how do you get people talking?
This is the part where you have to earn it. Getting UGC about your brand is all about creating opportunities for people to talk.
1. Surprise and delight.
Think about the people who already love what you do: customers, donors, supporters, volunteers, or creators who naturally align with your organization. Give them something worth sharing.
Maybe it’s event swag. Maybe it’s an unexpected thank-you. Maybe it’s an invitation to an experience they wouldn’t otherwise get.
If you’re hosting a fundraising event, for example, send a fun invitation with a little swag, information about why the event matters and clear instructions for how people can share it.
Here’s an example of an invent invitation HerbieGives sent out to their top PR targets.
2. Turn your employees or volunteers into creators.
Your staff and volunteers already knows your organization better than almost anyone.
Create opportunities for them to tell its story on their own channels. Give them time to film a quick video, interview a colleague, show off a project, or share what they do during a typical workday.
The Staples Baddie is a mega viral example of this. Of their own accord, user Oblivion on TikTok started showing all of the different products you can make or buy at office supply store Staples. The videos were incredibly popular, generating millions of views, and hundreds of thousands of likes, and earning Oblivion the moniker “Staples Baddie.” Thousands commented about how much they were learning and that they were making purchases because of the videos.
Staples responded perfectly. Instead of shutting down their content creation, they offered Oblivion a job in their corporate marketing department.
Below is an example of Oblivion making a mug order:
Note that this one needs guardrails.
Make sure employees understand what they can share, what requires approval and what information should stay private. “Let’s all post about the company!” without any guidance can quickly become a communications headache.
3. Ask for reviews.
Amazon asks its users for reviews. You can do it, too.
If someone uses your service, send a follow-up email asking them to share their experience on Google or another relevant review platform.
Make it easy. Include a direct link and simple instructions.
If appropriate and permitted, you can also consider an incentive, such as a discount or small gift card. Just make sure you understand the review platform’s rules before doing so.
And don’t limit this to customers or users of your service! Supporters can be asked to review nonprofits, too. Explain why reviews matter to your organization and give people a direct path to leave one.
4. Build opportunities to create.
Sometimes people need a little help.
Set up a photo opportunity at an event. Create a backdrop. Host an open house. Put your social handles somewhere visible. Add a QR code. Give people a reason to take out their phones.
Most importantly, make it clear that sharing is welcome. You’re creating the conditions for UGC to happen.
UGC isn’t just for products.
This is especially important for nonprofits and service organizations. You might think UGC is easier for a company selling actual items. There’s a physical product to photograph. There’s an unboxing to film.
But nonprofits and service providers have stories, experiences, and outcomes, too. A parent can talk about how a program helped their family. A volunteer can show what their Saturday looks like. A donor can explain why they chose to give. A participant can share what they learned. An employee can show people what happens behind the scenes.
UGC is someone else telling your story. And when they choose to do it positively without being asked or being paid? That sends a powerful message.