User-generated content (UGC)

What is user-generated content?

User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by customers, fans, or community members rather than the brand itself. UGC includes product reviews, photos, videos, social media posts, unboxing clips, and Q&A or forum contributions, and it’s also known as consumer-generated or customer-generated content. Shoppers create it voluntarily to share their experience with a product, brand, or service.

Why is UGC important?

UGC works because shoppers trust other shoppers more than they trust brand copy. For ecommerce and subscription businesses, it serves as social proof at the point of decision, where unscripted reviews and customer photos influence buying behavior more reliably than polished marketing. Customers who actively create UGC also tend to be a brand’s most engaged advocates and the same audience that lifts your Net Promoter Score (NPS).

Beyond conversion, UGC builds community and trust over time, which supports customer retention by making subscribers feel like participants in the brand instead of one-time buyers. Reviews and Q&A also feed search engines fresh, keyword-rich content that improves long-tail discoverability.

Types of UGC

The most common forms of UGC across DTC and subscription brands include:

• Reviews and testimonials: Star ratings and written feedback on product pages or third-party review platforms.
• Customer photos and videos: Real customers showing the product in their homes, hands, or daily routines.
• Unboxing videos: Especially powerful for subscription boxes and high-trust DTC products.
• Social media posts and tags: Tagged content, branded hashtags, and Stories that mention the brand organically.
• Q&A and community forum contributions: Customer-to-customer questions and answers, often surfaced on product pages.

How to use UGC effectively

UGC is most useful at the moments where shoppers are actually deciding. Common placements include:

• Product pages: Reviews, photos, and videos near the buy button.
• Ads and landing pages: Repurposed customer content used as creative.
• Email and SMS: UGC inside abandoned-cart, post-purchase, and renewal flows.
• Subscription portals: Customer stories that reinforce the value of staying subscribed.
• Personalized experiences: Surfaced through ecommerce personalization, so each shopper sees socially relevant content based on segment, region, or product affinity.

Always get permission before reusing customer content in paid channels, and credit the original creator where possible.

Example of user-generated content (UGC)

A customer posts a TikTok video unboxing a monthly subscription box and tags the brand. With permission, the brand reshares the clip with credit, embeds it on the subscription product page, and uses a still from the video in a renewal-reminder email. One piece of UGC, three trust signals across the customer journey.

Driftcharge Tip

Encourage UGC through hashtag campaigns, post-purchase prompts, and small incentives like loyalty points. Adding UGC to subscription onboarding and renewal emails reinforces the buying decision and helps reduce early-cycle cancellations.

Ganesh Pawar

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Ganesh Pawar is the founder of Driftcharge, a subscription management app designed to help Shopify merchants streamline and scale their subscription businesses. With a deep focus on solving real-world pain points—like legacy account page support, flexible subscription options, and advanced analytics—Ganesh is passionate about building tools that drive growth and retention.