Could a 20-second phone video of a customer unboxing your product bring in more sales than your studio-shot brand film? Most of the time, yes. UGC, or user-generated content, has become the most valuable part of brands' ad libraries over the past few years. In this post we clarify what UGC is, then walk step by step through how your brand can collect it, which permissions to get and how to use it in ads.
What is UGC content, and why is it so effective?
UGC stands for "user generated content"; it covers photos, videos, reviews and stories created not by the brand but by customers or users. The source of its impact is simple: people are suspicious of ads and less suspicious of other people. A video shot on a phone, with imperfect lighting but a genuine feel, gives viewers the sense that "this is real". The power of UGC comes not from production quality but from credibility.
Types of UGC: organic, incentivized and creator-based
1. Organic UGC. Customers post of their own accord; the most valuable type but the least controllable. 2. Incentivised UGC. The brand triggers posts through a campaign, contest or hashtag call. 3. UGC creators. Follower count doesn't matter; you work with paid creators who shoot videos "like an ordinary user", and the content is used on the brand's own account and in its ads. In Turkey the third type is growing fast because the brand can control the message and the delivery date.
Practical ways to collect UGC
Putting a "tag us" card in the shipping box still works, but it isn't enough on its own. Asking after purchase via WhatsApp or email, "Could you film a 15-second video of yourself using the product and send it to us?", gets a much higher response because it's a targeted request. For physical stores or restaurants, a corner that invites people to film (good light, a simple background, tag information) noticeably increases organic sharing. Asking loyal customers for content in exchange for a small gift or discount is also legitimate; what matters is disclosing it clearly.
Permits and the legal side: don't skip them
A user tagging you doesn't mean you can use that content in an ad. Before reposting it on your account, get explicit permission in a comment or message; if you'll use it in an ad, ask for a written consent statement. This statement should specify on which channels and for how long the content will be used. If you work with paid creators, put copyright and usage rights in the contract. From a personal data standpoint, be careful about third parties who appear in the video, too.
How do you use UGC in ads?
In Meta ads, UGC-style creatives usually run at a lower cost per click than corporate-looking ones, because they feel like a natural part of the feed. When turning a UGC video into an ad, show the product and the "problem" in the first 2 seconds, add subtitles and save the brand's presence for the end. Asking the same creator for 3-4 different angles or scripts and A/B testing them delivers better results than shooting one flawless video.
Combining corporate shoots with UGC
UGC is not an alternative to professional production but a complement to it. The best combination we see in practice is this: a trust-building brand film that establishes the brand's identity plus regular Reels production, alongside a constantly replenished pool of UGC. When both run together in the ad account, showing UGC to cold audiences and corporate content to warm audiences works very well. We cover how this is set up on the management side in our post photo or video.
Measurement: what should you track?
Don't measure a UGC campaign's success by likes alone. There are three indicators to track: the number of tagged posts (volume), the conversion cost UGC creative generates in ads (efficiency), and the profile visits and messages your account receives after UGC posts (impact). When you put these three side by side in the monthly report, it becomes clear which kind of content you should be collecting more of.
Common mistakes
Sharing without permission, over-editing content and ruining its naturalness, picking only the "prettiest" videos and losing the real feel, and treating UGC as a one-off campaign. UGC is a system: new content should be collected every month, and older pieces refreshed in ads.
At FG Production, our social media management and Meta ad management packages cover the UGC collection workflow, creator coordination and ad creative testing together. If you'd like to build a user-generated content strategy for your brand, take a look at our services or reach us via the contact page; we send a quote within 24 hours.