How to Get UGC for Your Brand

Your customers are already creating incredible content featuring your products - so why aren't you using it? Getting started with User-Generated Content might seem like a big, complex task reserved for massive brands, but it's one of the most powerful and accessible ways to build authenticity and social proof. This guide will walk you through the practical, step-by-step strategies you can use to encourage, collect, and leverage amazing content from your own community.

What Exactly Is UGC and Why Should You Care?

User-Generated Content is any form of content - photos, videos, testimonials, reviews, blog posts - that's created by everyday people rather than your brand itself. Think of the unboxing video someone posts on TikTok, the mirror selfie on Instagram Stories showing off your T-shirt, or the rave review left on your product page. That's all UGC.

So, why is it such a big deal? Because it's real. In a world saturated with slick, polished advertisements, people crave authenticity. They trust recommendations from peers far more than they trust a billboard or a sponsored post. UGC is organic social proof that says, "Hey, real people buy, use, and love this product." It's trustworthy, relatable, and incredibly effective at converting window shoppers into paying customers.

• It builds trust and community: When you feature a customer's content, you're not just getting a free marketing asset, you're acknowledging them and making them feel like a part of your brand's story.
• It drives purchasing decisions: Studies show that consumers are significantly more likely to purchase a product after seeing UGC associated with it. Why? Because it shows the product in a real-world context, used by someone they can relate to.
• It saves you time and resources: Constantly creating fresh content for all your social platforms is exhausting. A steady stream of UGC gives you a rich library of authentic, high-quality content to pull from, saving your team countless hours.

Strategy 1: Set the Stage with a Branded Hashtag and Call-to-Action

The simplest way to start collecting UGC is to create a clear and obvious pathway for your customers to share their content with you. This is the foundation - the passive collection method that works around the clock.

Craft a Memorable Branded Hashtag

Your branded hashtag is the digital filing cabinet for your community's content. It puts all that awesome UGC in one easily searchable place. Here’s what makes a good one:

• Unique to You: Do a quick search on Instagram and TikTok to make sure it isn't already widely used for something else. Add your brand name to make it specific, like #GlossierIRL or #GetQuip.
• Short & Sweet: Make it easy to remember and type. Avoid long, complicated phrases.
• Relevant to Your Mission or Product: Aerie’s iconic #AerieREAL is a perfect example. It's not just a product hashtag, it’s a movement connected to their brand mission of authenticity and body positivity.

Sprinkle Calls-to-Action (CTAs) Everywhere

You have your hashtag. Now you need to tell people to use it. Don't assume they'll just know what to do. Guide them explicitly.

• Social Media Bios: This is prime real estate. Add a line to your bios on Instagram, TikTok, and X that says something like, “Share your style with #[YourBrandedHashtag] for a chance to be featured!”
• In Your Captions: Regularly remind your audience to use the hashtag in your own posts. When you post a picture of your product in a cool setting, add a CTA: “How are you using our products? Tag us @ourbrand and use #ourhashtag to show us!"
• Emails & Packaging: Extend the invitation beyond social media. Add it to your email footers, thank-you cards, or even directly on your product packaging.

Strategy 2: Actively Ask for Content with a Contest or Campaign

Once your foundation is set, you can get proactive. A dedicated UGC campaign is one of the fastest ways to generate a massive amount of content in a short period of time. People love a good contest, and a great prize can be an excellent motivator.

Step 1: Define Your Goal

What kind of content do you actually want? Be specific. If you’re a skincare brand, you might want morning routine videos. If you sell home goods, maybe you want photos of a cozy reading nook featuring your product. Defining your goal first helps you craft the right messaging and contest rules.

Step 2: Choose an Irresistible Prize

The prize needs to feel worth the effort of taking a good photo or recording a video. This doesn’t mean it has to be crazy expensive, just valuable to your audience.

• Big Product Bundle: A massive haul of your best-selling products is often a huge draw.
• A Large Gift Card: $250-500 to spend in your store is a great incentive.
• An Experience: A free consultation, a one-on-one with the founder, or tickets to an event can work well.
• The Spotlight: For micro-communities, the grand prize can simply be a MAJOR feature on your feed, in your newsletter, and on your website homepage for a month.

Step 3: Keep the Rules Simple

Don't make people jump through a dozen hoops. The more complicated the rules, the fewer people will bother to enter. A simple structure works best:

1. Post a photo/video featuring our product.
2. Use our campaign hashtag (e.g., #MyAwesomeBrew) and tag our account (@AwesomeBrew).
3. Follow our account.

That's it. Simple, clear, and effective.

Step 4: Promote It Relentlessly

Launch your campaign with a bang. Announce it on all your social channels. Send an email to your subscriber list. Add a banner to your website's homepage. Talk about it on Instagram Stories every day for the duration of the contest. The more you promote it, the more momentum you'll build.

Strategy 3: Don’t Be Afraid to Just Ask for It

Sometimes the most straightforward approach is the most effective. People who love your brand are often more than happy to help you out if they're prompted. This method feels more personal and can result in incredibly high-quality UGC.

Automate Your Ask with Post-Purchase Emails

One of the best times to ask for UGC is shortly after a customer has received their product and had a chance to enjoy it. Set up an automated email sequence that triggers 7-14 days after an order is fulfilled.

The email could say something like:

“Hey [Customer Name],

Thanks again for your order! We hope you're loving your new [Product Name].

We'd be thrilled to see how it looks in your space. If you feel like sharing, post a picture on Instagram and tag us @YourBrand! We feature our favorite customer photos every week.

Cheers,
The [Your Brand] Team”

Engage with Unofficial Mentions

Keep an eye out for people who post about your product without officially tagging your account or using your hashtag. Maybe they just mention your brand name in the caption. Jump into the comments with a warm, friendly message:

“This looks amazing! So glad you're enjoying it. We'd love for you to submit this to our community gallery with #[YourBrandedHashtag]!”

This not only makes the creator feel seen but also educates others who see the comment on how to properly tag you in the future.

Strategy 4: The Most Important Rule for Using UGC: Always Ask for Permission

This is the big one. Just because someone tagged your brand in a post does not automatically give you the legal right to use their content everywhere, especially in paid advertising. Using someone’s photo in your feed is one thing, using it in a Facebook ad is another entirely. Always, always ask permission first.

How to Ask Properly

Asking is simple. You can leave a public comment on their post or send them a Direct Message. A DM is often better as it feels more personal and private.

Your message can be straightforward:

“Hi! This photo is incredible! We are absolutely in love with how you’ve styled our product. Would you mind if we shared this on our own social media channels? We'd of course give you full credit by tagging your account in the caption and on the photo.”

Be Clear About How You Intend to Use It

If you have any intention of using the content beyond just a simple regram on your feed, you need to be explicit.

• For website usage: “...would you mind if we featured this photo in the gallery on our website?”
• For paid ads: “...would you be open to us using this video in our social media ads?”

For commercial use like paid ads, be prepared for some creators to ask for compensation. This is completely fair, as their content is now being used to directly generate sales. Work this out beforehand to avoid any issues down the line.

Always Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Once you have permission, make sure you credit the original creator generously. Don't just bury their "at" tag somewhere. Tag their handle directly in the image/video and mention them prominently in the first couple of lines of your caption. It shows respect and further encourages others to create content in the hopes of getting a similar shout-out.

Final Thoughts

Gathering powerful user-generated content isn’t a one-time trick, it's about building a system that encourages, captures, and celebrates your community. Whether you're starting with a simple branded hashtag or launching a full-blown campaign, the goal is to make it easy and rewarding for your biggest fans to share their love for your brand loud and proud.

As you gather all this incredible content, you’ll find that staying organized is the next hurdle. We know how messy it can get bouncing between DMs for permission, checking comments for mentions, and then trying to fit it all into your schedule. That’s why we designed Postbase with a unified inbox that lets you handle every DM and comment across all your platforms in one place. Once you have permission, you can easily drop that premium UGC right into your visual calendar and plan your posts without the chaos.