PostEaseThe short answer
UGC, user-generated content, is anything your customers or fans make about your brand on their own: a review, a photo of the product in use, an unboxing video, a post tagging you. Brands share it, with permission, because people trust other customers more than they trust the brand. “UGC” is also used loosely for videos brands pay creators to make in a customer’s style; that is paid content, and it should be labelled as such.
In a survey of 1,000 US consumers by Signs.com, reported by Net Influencer in December 2025, user-generated content was the type of post people trusted most (31%), ahead of brand-made visuals (27%) and influencer shout-outs (20%). Customer testimonials and reviews were the content most likely to influence a purchase, named by 52%.
How much people trust UGC
The same survey asked which kind of social content people trust most. The answers shift by generation, so know who your customers are.
| Content type | Trusted most |
|---|---|
| User-generated content | 31% |
| Brand-created visuals | 27% |
| Influencer shout-outs or reviews | 20% |
What moves people to buy
Asked what was most likely to influence a purchase, people named the kinds of content customers make, or that look like it. Reviews also send people searching: in Sprout Social’s Q2 2026 survey of 2,250 social media users, product reviews were among the topics 30% of people searched for on social.
| Content | Share who named it |
|---|---|
| Customer testimonials or reviews | 52% |
| Product demos or tutorials | 43% |
Where trust breaks
The survey also found what makes a post less trusted. 48% said AI-generated content made a post less trustworthy, rising to 64% among Gen Z, and 41% were put off by stock photos. UGC works because it is real; staged “customer” content, or AI posing as customers, loses the very thing that made it work.
How to use UGC well
A few rules keep it honest and legal:
- Ask before you share. A comment or message asking permission, and a yes in writing, is the minimum.
- Credit the person who made it, by name or handle, in the post.
- Label anything you paid for, or gave free product for, as a paid partnership.
- Give people a reason and a way to create: a hashtag, a prompt in the order email, a spot in the shop worth photographing.
- Reply to and thank the people who post about you, whether or not you share it.
Questions
Is UGC the same as influencer content?
No. UGC is made by customers on their own; influencer content is usually paid or gifted. People trusted UGC more in the Signs.com survey: 31% against 20% for influencer shout-outs.
Do I need permission to repost user-generated content?
Yes. The person who made it owns it. Ask, get a clear yes in writing, and credit them when you post.
Does UGC work for small businesses?
Often best of all. In the Signs.com survey, 59% said they had bought from a small business because of its social media content, and customer reviews were the content most likely to influence a purchase.
What are UGC creators?
Creators paid to make videos in the style of a customer review for a brand to use, often in ads. It is paid content, so label it.
Sources
- Net Influencer, UGC tops trust rankings as AI posts face consumer skepticism, survey shows, December 2025.
- Sprout Social, Social media is now the primary channel for brand crisis response, new research finds, June 2026.