What is UGC? A practical guide for UK brands

UGC (user-generated content) is content made by real people rather than by a brand or a production studio: a customer filming an unboxing, someone talking through their skincare routine, a quick review recorded on a phone. It looks and sounds like the content people already scroll past on TikTok and Instagram, which is exactly why it works.

Today "UGC" usually means two related things:

• Organic UGC: content your customers post on their own, unprompted.
• Commissioned UGC: videos made by paid creators, in a natural customer style, that a brand uses in its ads, on product pages and on its own social channels. This is what a UGC agency like No Filter UGC produces.

People trust other people more than they trust adverts. A real person explaining why they like a product, in their own words and their own space, feels like a recommendation from a friend rather than a sales pitch.

• It's native to the feed. Vertical, phone-shot video blends into TikTok, Reels and Stories instead of interrupting them.
• It answers objections. "Will it fit?", "What does the texture feel like?", "Is it easy to set up?" A creator can show the answer in seconds.
• It's fast and affordable to test. Ad platforms reward fresh creative. UGC lets you test several hooks, angles and creators without a full production shoot for each one.

• Unboxing and first impressions: great for launches and gifting products.
• Honest review or testimonial: a creator talks to camera about what they liked and who it's for.
• Problem → solution: open with a relatable frustration, then show the product fixing it.
• Tutorial or how-to: show the product in use, step by step.
• GRWM (get ready with me): the product appears naturally inside a routine. Popular in beauty and fashion.
• Try-on and haul: essential for clothing, where fit and movement sell.

Most performance teams test several formats at once and keep scaling whichever wins.

Influencer marketing pays for access to someone's audience. Commissioned UGC pays for the content itself, which you then run from your own ad accounts and channels. Follower count matters far less for UGC; on-camera delivery, video quality and authenticity matter more. We cover the differences in detail in UGC vs influencer marketing.

Creators own the videos they film unless they agree otherwise. Before you run UGC in paid ads you need a clear licence covering where you can use it (organic, paid social, website, TV), where in the world, and for how long. Running ads from a creator's own handle (whitelisting or Spark Ads) needs specific permission too. Our guide to UGC usage rights explains the options.

UGC used in advertising must also be clearly identifiable as an ad under UK advertising rules (the CAP Code), especially when a creator posts it on their own account.

1. Pick one goal. New-customer ads, product page conversion or organic content: each needs slightly different videos.
2. Write a short, clear brief. Audience, key message, must-say and must-not-say points, and the format. See how to brief UGC creators.
3. Choose creators who match your customer, not just the biggest following.
4. Plan for variations. Several hooks and creators per product beat a single "perfect" video.
5. Agree usage rights up front, then test, measure and scale the winners.

Want it done for you? Get a quote and we'll handle casting, briefing, shipping, shoots and delivery.

What does UGC stand for?

UGC stands for user-generated content: content created by real people rather than by a brand or a production studio.

Is UGC the same as influencer marketing?

No. Influencer marketing pays for access to a creator's audience. Commissioned UGC pays for the content itself, which the brand runs from its own ad accounts and channels.

Can brands use UGC in paid ads?

Yes, as long as the creator has granted a usage licence that covers paid advertising for the channels, territory and time period you need.