What UGC means
UGC stands for user-generated content. It’s any video, photo, review, or testimonial made by someone who isn’t on the brand’s marketing team.
What sets it apart from a regular ad is how it comes across. A UGC video looks like someone who uses the product telling you about it, not like a company commercial, so people watch it with less suspicion.
Making UGC for brands is what I do. I film with good light and clean audio, I work from a brief and a script, and I keep the tone of someone talking into their phone. If a video looks too produced, it stops feeling like UGC.
Types of UGC videos
There are several formats, and each one does a different job. The most common are testimonials, where someone shares how the product worked for them; demos, which show the unboxing or how to use it step by step; ads that look like organic posts but follow a sales structure; and lifestyle B-roll that shows the product in everyday life.
Problem-solution videos are used a lot in ads. They open with a problem your customer recognizes, show the product as the fix, and end with a call to action. It’s close to how a friend tells you about something that worked for her.
Then there are spokesperson videos, where the creator talks straight to camera on behalf of the brand. It’s clearly the brand speaking, but in a person’s voice instead of a TV commercial’s.
Why UGC works in ads
Mostly, it comes down to trust. We tend to believe people like us more than a brand talking about itself, and a UGC video looks like just that: a person sharing their experience.
In the feed, a UGC video looks like the posts people are already watching, so it doesn’t get skipped on sight the way an obvious ad does. That gives your message a chance to land before they keep scrolling.
It also tends to cost less. In one filming session I can get several videos or versions for different platforms and audiences, which usually takes a bigger budget with a traditional production.
That doesn’t mean any UGC video will work. Working with brands in the US, Spain, and Latin America, what has helped me most is a clear hook and a specific message, more than a very polished production.
Organic vs paid UGC
Organic UGC is what your customers make on their own: photos tagging your brand, Amazon reviews, unboxing videos. It’s great to have, but you don’t control it. You can’t decide the quality, what they say, or when they post.
Paid (or professional) UGC is made by a creator from your brief. It looks natural, but it follows an ad structure: a hook, the main benefit, and a call to action.
A lot of brands use both. Customer posts work as social proof on their profiles, and professional UGC goes into their paid campaigns.
How to start using UGC
First, decide what you want it for. Lower cost per acquisition (CPA) on your ads? Videos for your landing page? A feed that feels less corporate? Each goal calls for a different kind of video.
Then pick the format. For direct-response ads, problem-solution videos and testimonials usually do well. For getting your name out there, demos and lifestyle content. For landing pages, reviews and comparisons help people trust you.
Last, choose your creator. Look for someone who gets your product, your audience, and the platforms you’ll post on. Follower count doesn’t matter much here, since you’re the one posting the video. Pay more attention to how they come across on camera and whether they know how to put together an ad with a hook and a close.
If you’re not sure which kind of UGC fits your brand, message me. Tell me what you sell and what you’re after, and I’ll suggest which videos to start with.
How UGC is used in 2026
UGC started out as casual customer photos. Now there are creators who do this full time, proper briefs, and brands tracking how each video performs.
What I see most right now: bilingual UGC for brands selling in more than one market, vertical video for TikTok and Reels, shorter videos (15 to 30 seconds), and UGC used outside of ads, in emails, landing pages, and sales decks.
AI already helps with editing and with reading results, but it doesn’t replace the person on camera. UGC works because it looks real, and that still depends on a real person talking.
If you’re thinking about trying UGC, you can start with a few videos, see what works with your audience, and build from there. You don’t need to order a lot up front.