Types of UGC
- Organic UGC: fans and supporters posting on their own, unprompted.
- Creator UGC: creators asked to make content for a campaign, cause or brand, usually paid and disclosed.
- UGC-style content: content made by a team but filmed and written to look and sound like normal social media.
Common UGC formats
- Talking-head videos straight to camera.
- Reactions, stitches and duets.
- Explainers and how-tos.
- Testimonials and reviews.
- Screenshot posts, memes and captioned clips.
Why UGC works
- Trust: people trust people more than ads.
- Native look: it blends into the feed, so fewer people scroll past.
- Shareability: people repost content that sounds like a person, rarely an ad.
- Volume: many creators can make many versions of one message quickly.
UGC in politics and advocacy
Campaigns, PACs and nonprofits use UGC to explain issues, respond to news and get out the vote, especially where platforms restrict political ads. See political UGC.
UGC vs influencer marketing
They overlap. Influencer marketing is about a creator's reach to their audience. UGC is about the content itself and how native it feels. See UGC vs influencer marketing.
How Erfan Media does it
Erfan Media is a UGC agency for pro-democracy campaigns, causes and mission-driven brands, with partner creators, a 60+ account network and the Pamphlet creator marketplace.
Questions
What does UGC stand for?
User-generated content: content made by real people and creators rather than by a brand's own marketing team.
What is a UGC creator?
A creator who makes content for brands, causes or campaigns in their own voice, usually paid and disclosed.
What is the difference between UGC and an ad?
An ad is made and paid for by the brand to look like an ad. UGC is made by real people in their own voice and looks like normal social content.
Can UGC be used for political campaigns?
Yes, with proper disclosure on paid posts and within each platform's rules.