THE MEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
User-Generated Content
User-Generated Content (UGC) is authentic content created by a user or customer on behalf of a brand.
What is User-Generated Content (UGC)?
User-Generated Content (UGC) is authentic content created by a user or customer on behalf of a brand.
Where do you find User-Generated Content (UGC)?
User-Generated is typically found on social media websites such as Facebook and Instagram, where users of said platforms take pictures of videos of themselves in context with the associated brand, product, or service.
User-Generated Content can also be identified in other contexts, such as a user review on Amazon or Google or Yelp, or even as a byproduct of an on-platform transaction or activity, such as a trade in a Fantasy Football league or the purchase of a concert ticket via TicketFly.
In most circumstances, User-Generated Content is sourced organically from a fan or follower of a brand and posted publicly to the fan or follower’s account. In certain cases, however, User-Generated Content can be provoked or aided through a brand promotion such as a contest or sweepstakes.
What is an example of User Generated Content (UGC)?
User-Generated Content is created every day on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram as well as on owned and operated brand platforms like websites and apps.
In the examples below, Instagram users post pictures of Compass Coffee, SoulCycle, and Milk Bar, local retailers in Washington, D.C.
COMPASS COFFEE
In this example, an Instagram user posts a picture of Cold Brew, a signature product of Compass Coffee.
271 Likes, 79 Comments - @thelifeofshaiboo on Instagram: "REAL GOOD ☕️"
MILK BAR
In this example, an Instagram user posts a picture outside of Milk Bar’s Logan Circle location in Washington, D.C. Using the unique design of the Milk Bar store and packaging as a backdrop, retail and real estate are becoming the focal points to content and marketing strategies for brands across the globe.
476 Likes, 75 Comments - @thelifeofshaiboo on Instagram: "making our cake and eating it too 😋🍰"
SOULCYCLE
In this example, a SoulCycle instructor poses outside of SoulCycle’s Georgetown location in Washington, D.C. A unique element to SoulCycle’s brand marketing strategy leverages employees as avatars of the brand, offering a different look at concept of User-Generated Content.
223 Likes, 6 Comments - Joselyn Griffin (@joselyngriffindc) on Instagram: "Chin up...we've got shit to do. Are you coasting through or conquering this week????..."