UGC: what user-generated content is and how to use it in your marketing
Your customers' reviews, photos and videos: how to get them and turn them into sales
**UGC (User Generated Content) is content about a brand created by its customers or users, not by the brand itself.** Reviews, photos, videos, comments and social media posts are the most common examples.
In Spanish, it is known as contenido generado por el usuario. Its strength is that it is created by someone who has no interest in selling you anything.
What does UGC stand for?
User Generated Content means content generated by users. Today the term is used in two senses:
| Type | Who creates it | Is it paid? |
|---|---|---|
| Organic | Customers who share their experience on their own initiative | No |
| Commissioned | Creators who make customer-style videos or photos for a brand | Yes |
The latter are called UGC creators. Unlike an influencer, they don’t need many followers: the brand uses their content in its own ads and channels.
Types
Reviews and ratings. On your website, in online stores or on maps.
Photos and videos. The customer using the product, the famous unboxing or a before and after.
Social media posts. Using a brand hashtag or mentioning the brand.
Testimonials and success stories. Customers who explain how your product helped them.
Questions and answers. Forums, communities and comments where customers help each other.
Why does it work?
It builds trust. Before buying, most people read other customers’ reviews. This is known as social proof.
It’s authentic. A video a customer recorded on their phone conveys something a studio photo can’t.
It costs little. Organic content is free, and creator content is usually cheaper than a professional production.
It boosts engagement. Customers who see their photo published feel part of the brand.
Request reviews automatically
Create a post-purchase email in Mailrelay that asks every customer for their review, and use it in your newsletters.
How to get content from your customers
1. Ask for it. This is the step people forget most often. A post-purchase email asking for a review works.
2. Make it easy. A direct link to leave the review or a form to upload the photo.
3. Create a hashtag. Short, easy to remember and visible on your packaging and website.
4. Set challenges or contests. With clear rules and a prize people actually want.
5. Show what you receive. If customers see that you publish their photos, they’ll share more.
6. Ask for permission. Before using a customer’s photo or video on your channels, get their written authorization.
7. Say thank you. Reply to every review and every mention. A public thank-you encourages other customers to take part.
UGC and email marketing
Email is one of the best channels both to ask for content and to use it:
To ask for it. A post-purchase email, a few days after delivery, with the review request and a direct button.
To showcase it. Include real reviews or customer photos in your newsletters and product emails.
To win over abandoned carts. A positive review of the product they left behind can be the final nudge.
For the welcome. Testimonials from other customers help new subscribers trust you from the very first email.
Marketing examples
A clothing store publishes on its website and in its newsletter the photos its customers upload with the brand’s hashtag.
A cosmetics brand includes short videos of customers applying the product on every product page.
A rural hotel sends guests an email after their stay asking for a review and offering a discount on their next booking.
A software company turns customer reviews into success stories for its blog and sales emails.
UGC in SEO: the rel=”ugc” attribute
In SEO, it is also a value of the rel attribute of links. Google asks sites to mark links published by users, for example in comments or forums, with rel=”ugc”. This indicates that the website does not necessarily endorse that link.
Common mistakes
Using content without permission. Just because a photo is public doesn’t mean you can use it in your advertising.
Deleting negative reviews. It looks like censorship and undermines credibility. It’s better to respond respectfully.
Presenting paid content as spontaneous. If you pay a creator, it must be clear that it’s advertising.
Not measuring the impact. Compare the clicks and sales of emails with customer reviews against those without them.
How Mailrelay helps you
With Mailrelay you can automate the post-purchase email that asks for a review and add real testimonials to your newsletters. Click statistics show you which reviews are most convincing.
The free account includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with human support by chat, ticket and phone.
Send your newsletters with Mailrelay
Up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts for free, with human support on every plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the most common questions about this type of content.
What is UGC in a nutshell?
Content about a brand created by its customers, such as reviews, photos or videos.
What is a UGC creator?
Someone a brand pays to create photos or videos that look like customer content.
What’s the difference between UGC and an influencer?
An influencer publishes on their own channels for their audience. A creator delivers the content so the brand can use it on its own channels.
Can I use the photos my customers upload in my emails?
Yes, but with their express permission, especially if identifiable people appear in them.
What does rel=”ugc” mean?
A link attribute that tells Google the link was published by a user, for example in a comment.