Navigating the UGC Landscape: A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Authentic Creators

The last time I wanted to buy some skincare products, I had two options:

• Listen to influencers doing paid partnerships with specific brands
• Check out various recommendations by small-time creators doing unpaid reviews

I went with the latter because I knew I could take these creators’ words and make an informed decision.

Why? Because these are actual customers who regularly use products from brands they love and create content about such products. That’s why they’re called user-generated content (UGC) creators.

I’ve keenly observed that the level of authenticity and credibility is much higher among UGC creators than most bigshot influencers.

But, should eCommerce brands work with them? If yes, then how do they create a UGC marketing strategy?

I’ll answer all these questions (and more) in this article. But first, the basics…

Understanding UGC creators: Who are they

A UGC creator creates content based on their experience of regularly using a product/service. Most UGC creators make content for free, often for brands they genuinely like. Eventually, these creators transition to a paid model where they’re incentivized by brands to produce high-value content for any product/service.

Having analyzed thousands of creators across industries, we’ve noticed that UGC creators typically create:

• Q&A content
• Honest reviews
• Product unboxing
• How-to use tutorials

Unlike bigger influencers, UGC creators value authenticity over splash and show. With more and more shoppers looking for unbiased and real content, UGC creators have become a great resource for eCommerce brands to drive sales.

UGC Creators vs. Influencers: What are the key differences

Before we move ahead, let’s first understand how UGC creators differ from influencers. We found five big differences between the two.

• Core focus and goals: UGC creators focus on the quality of their content more than anything else. They share genuine opinions and relatable + useful content to engage their audience. On the other hand, influencers are more driven toward building their personal brands. Their primary goals prioritize follower growth, brand reputation, and other such metrics.

• Relationship with brands: UGC creators don’t always partner directly with brands. They mostly create content as loyal customers of brands they love. However, influencers build direct contacts and relationships with brands or marketers. They’re often bound by contracts to create content under specific terms.

• Audience perception: Social media users consider UGC creators to be more genuine and trustworthy. That’s because these creators aren’t being sponsored to say something positive about a brand. In contrast, the odds are 50-50 in favor and against influencers. While some users would believe anything influencers say/do, others might not take their content at face value.

• Content ownership: A big reason for eCommerce brands to partner with UGC creators is the ability to repurpose and use their content creatively. This is a win-win for both parties because brands can reuse the same content in different ways, and creators get that much-needed visibility. On the other hand, influencers exercise more control over where and how their content is used. It's all a part of their agreement.

• Scale and reach: UGC creators don't have the biggest audience. Naturally, their reach is smaller than that of big-ticket influencers. However, these creators appeal to a very niche audience and build a strong rapport with specific people. In contrast, influencers target a broader audience to maximize their reach and gain more followers.

The bottom line: UGC creators promise greater authenticity and deeper connections with a specific audience. And influencer marketing offers mass appeal to increase brand awareness.

Breaking down the value of UGC: Why eCommerce brands should tap into user-generated content

Still on the fence about whether you should really work with UGC creators? Let me help you make an informed decision by breaking down the benefits of creating user-generated content for your brand.

Gain your buyers’ trust

Drowning in an ocean of promotional content, shoppers crave authenticity. And user-generated content is your chance to stand out of this clutter and win people’s trust/

UGC creators can position your brand as a trustworthy name by creating genuinely meaningful content. They share anecdotal experiences to connect with their followers on a deeper level and nudge them to explore your products/services.

Share relatable content

When people look at influencers, all they see is glitz and glamour. You know their content goes through so many rounds of edits and approvals before it finally comes to you—it’s not real.

On the flip side, when you look at UGC creators, you see ordinary folks like you creating enjoyable or helpful content. You resonate more with these creators because you can see a glimpse of yourself in them. This connection makes the content more relatable and boosts engagement.

Build a brand community

User-generated content fosters a sense of brand loyalty. Instead of simply promoting your brand, UGC creators make an effort to humanize your brand and give shoppers a reason to care about your products/services.

These creators can turn casual viewers into first-time buyers and, ultimately, raving fans who create content to share their experiences. That’s the best way to build a hyper-engaged community!

Leverage social proof

Your buyers are spoilt for choices. There are limitless options for virtually any product they want to buy. You can set yourself apart in crowded markets with UGC creators’ social proof.

Whether it’s a product review or a testimonial, use their content across different channels to positively influence shoppers. UGC can drive more ROI for your business than most ad campaigns!

Work with a tight budget

Finally, let’s talk numbers. If your decision to work with UGC creators depends on whether you can afford them, then you have nothing to worry about. UGC marketing is more cost-effective than running ads, working with influencers, or even hiring a dedicated social media team.

Most UGC creators are willing to work in exchange for products or need much lower incentives than bigger influencers. And you'll likely see a higher impact on your revenue by strategically working with these creators.

The only playbook you need to work with UGC creators

We get it. UGC marketing sounds like a lot of work. And there are no shortcuts to success. But there definitely are systems to set you up for success.

Let’s dive deeper into the four key steps you need to get the best out of UGC creator partnerships.

1. Define your UGC marketing objectives

Consider this: UGC marketing is only a small subset of your entire marketing strategy. And with so many moving parts in your marketing roadmap, things can quickly go south without clear goals.

So, start by outlining what you want to achieve through user-generated content. Like with all things in marketing, you want to make these goals time-bound + metric-based to consistently track progress and stay ahead of the curve.

Here are a few examples of possible UGC marketing goals:

• Increase brand awareness on Instagram and TikTok by 20%
• Boost positive brand consideration by 15% through UGC ads
• Increase Instagram followers by 10,000 and improve engagement
• Ramp up sales and drive repeat business to increase revenue by 12%

You can also assign a realistic timeline for different objectives. Conduct this goal-setting exercise with your entire team to understand what’s on everyone’s minds.

It’s equally important to get a pulse of your target buyers to see what will make them tick. Knowing your shoppers and their preferences can help you run seasonal campaigns with UGC creators and set aspirational goals.

2. Find UGC creators from multiple sources

Once you’ve defined your goals, metrics, and timelines, it’s time to get down to business and find the right creators to be the face of your brand. You can explore various channels to discover fresh talent or check out creators with a good following.

Let’s break down the four best ways to find UGC creators:

• Influencer discovery platforms: Influencer databases listing nano-influencers will definitely feature UGC creators with a decent following. You can use influencer discovery tools like Upfluence and Modash to search for top-tier UGC creators. However, you have to be mindful of some overlap between genuine UGC creators and small-scale influencers.

• Social media monitoring: What if your customers are already posting content about your products, and you have no idea? That's where social media monitoring can efficiently track brand mentions and hashtags to find people talking about your brand. Once you identify these folks, propose a potential partnership for creating user-generated content.

• Customer advocacy: An easier route to UGC marketing is nudging loyal customers to be the voice of your brand and share their unbiased opinions about your products/services. You can host challenges or create a reward system to incentivize customers to participate in your UGC campaigns.

• Brand ambassador program: Another successful way to find great UGC creators is by picking brand ambassadors from your existing set of customers. People who are interested in representing your brand can sign up, and you can also set a compensation structure to reward them.

You’ll likely come across a hundred different ways to find the best creators. But, the key to choosing brand-fit creators is making a profile of your ideal creator. Jot down the qualities you want to see in the ideal creator—their audience, the themes they talk about, and so on. Work with this profile to hire the best candidates!

3. Generate a creative brief

Even the best and brightest minds can fail to reach their destination without the right directions. That applies to UGC marketing, too!

After hiring the best talent, you have to give them the resources to succeed with every campaign. A creative brief is a great way to curate all the helpful notes and guidelines for your creators. You can clearly outline your expectations while sharing the campaign goals and specific requirements.

Here’s what you should include in your creative brief for UGC creators:

• Purpose: Add a section defining the overall goals and purpose of your UGC marketing efforts. This sets the stage for your ongoing relationship with each creator and encourages them to be more involved in the process.

• Brand identity: Creators are outsiders who don’t know your brand well enough. That’s why you have to give them an insider’s view by sharing your brand values and story. You should also include specifics about your brand’s tone of voice, aesthetics, color schemes, and more such details.

• Content guidelines: Don't leave creators wondering what they can or cannot say for your UGC campaigns. Share clear guidelines explaining the dos and don'ts of the content they create. You should also outline your quality benchmarks to ensure high-quality output.

• Campaign goals + themes: Every brief should include details specific to the campaign you're currently running. Share the top targets to achieve in this campaign and outline the narrative or messaging you want to go with.

• Submission and review process: Finally, give creators a simple workflow for submitting their content for approval. You can also explain how the review and feedback process works to maximize efficiency for both parties.

Remember: you don't want to be too prescriptive with this creative brief. Give creators enough space to innovate and flex their creative muscles. Share a curated set of inspirational posts to share your vision. But don't expect them to stick to a single playbook.

4. Identify distribution channels for UGC

You can't make all this effort and call it a day as soon as all the creators have posted something about your brand. You want to juice out this content and use it as social proof across different platforms. Here's how you can do it.

Make UGC videos shoppable

Turn UGC videos into shoppable experiences by adding a quick purchase link. You can use a powerful solution like Videowise to embed clickable elements within your videos and add a panel with an overview of product specifications + a buy-now link.

Shoppable videos take people from interest to purchase in just a few seconds—especially when you’re using actual customers as social proof.

Use UGC in social ads

All the best ads don’t try to sell you something. Instead, they capture your attention and present enough convincing details that you end up buying the product.

That's why you should include UGC videos in social ads. It's great to stand out from flashy and loud ads that seem too good to be true. It also helps buyers make an informed decision by listening to a customer's first-hand experience with your product/service.

Embed on website

Your website is one of the most important avenues to win shoppers' trust. While most eCommerce brands add reviews, ratings, and customer images, you can go a step further to add user-generated videos to your site. This will instantly boost your brand's credibility and shorten the path to purchase if you're embedding videos in the shoppable format.

You’re ready to win at UGC marketing!

UGC creators can help eCommerce brands in so many ways—from increasing brand awareness and boosting sales to strengthening brand loyalty and maximizing customer engagement.

So, bookmark this guide to design your UGC marketing campaigns from scratch. Check out how industry-leading brands are tapping into UGC creators for success.