What Is UGC? User-Generated Content Explained
UGC means user-generated content: posts made by customers and fans. It now also means paid UGC creators. Both kinds, examples, prices and the FTC rules.
UGC stands for user-generated content: photos, videos, reviews and posts that customers, fans or employees make about a brand, instead of the brand making them itself. Hootsuite's 2026 guide defines it as "original, brand-specific content created by real customers, fans, or employees rather than by the brand itself." The word's picked up a second meaning, too. A "UGC creator" is someone a brand pays to make content in that same everyday style, for the brand to post. Collabstr's 2026 report says the average UGC campaign on its platform cost $197.
We read these pages as Google showed them on October 23, 2026. The FTC and Collabstr pages shut out our reader, so their words come from Google's snippets.
What are the two kinds of UGC?
| Kind | Who makes it | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Organic UGC | Real customers and fans | Nobody, it's shared by choice |
| Paid UGC | UGC creators hired by a brand | The brand pays a fee |
Hootsuite and Collabstr as Google showed them, read October 23, 2026.
Collabstr describes paid UGC as "videos and photos creators make for a brand to post itself." The US Chamber of Commerce's April 2026 guide stays with the first meaning: "UGC is made by your brand's users or fans."
What are examples of user-generated content?
- Reviews and star ratings on a store or Google.
- Customer photos of a product in use, tagged to the brand.
- Unboxing videos on TikTok or YouTube.
- Testimonials a brand collects and shares with permission.
- Hashtag or challenge entries, like a contest asking fans to post.
- Paid UGC ads, where a creator films a short, casual video for the brand to run.
The American Marketing Association's 2024 guide says UGC matters because it offers "social proof of your brand's value." People trust other people, and that's the whole point of it.
How much do UGC creators charge?
| Collabstr figure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average UGC campaign, 2026 | $197 |
| Average UGC campaign, a year earlier | $209 |
| Change | Down 5.7% |
Collabstr's 2026 Influencer Marketing Report, as Google showed it on October 23, 2026.
Rates vary with the platform and the creator. Collabstr's own price page says "YouTube influencers tend to charge higher prices compared to TikTok influencers." Another Collabstr post from August 2025 put the average asking price at "$311 per collaboration on YouTube, $214 on Instagram and $182 on TikTok." "UGC creator" gets about 135,000 searches a month, and "how to become a ugc creator" is up 56%, from a smaller base. Our guide to becoming a UGC creator covers the steps, rates and usage rights.
What are the rules for using UGC?
The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials took effect on October 21, 2024. The FTC's August 2024 announcement says it bans "Fake or False Consumer Reviews, Consumer Testimonials, and Celebrity Testimonials," "Buying Positive or Negative Reviews" and undisclosed "Insider Reviews." For paid UGC, the FTC's Endorsement Guides apply, so a creator's paid post should make the paid relationship clear.
Two practical rules follow:
- Ask before you repost a customer's content. It's their photo or video.
- Label paid UGC. If you've paid for it or given the product free, say so.
How does UGC help a brand on social media?
Real posts from real people give new visitors a reason to trust you, and you don't have to make them yourself. Once you've got UGC worth sharing, timing and captions decide how far it goes. Our guides to the best time to post on Instagram and our list of Instagram captions cover both. For brand deals on Pinterest, see how to make money on Pinterest. If you'd like a few extra likes on a public post, Hclout's free tier gives 12 free Instagram likes with no password, on the free page. A short Cloudflare check runs before each claim.
Frequently asked questions
What does UGC mean?
User-generated content: posts, photos, videos and reviews made by customers or fans about a brand.
What is a UGC creator?
Someone a brand pays to make casual, customer-style content for the brand to post itself.
How much does UGC cost?
Collabstr's 2026 report puts the average UGC campaign on its platform at $197, down from $209.
Is it legal to use customer reviews in ads?
Yes, if they're real. The FTC banned fake and bought reviews in a rule that took effect on October 21, 2024.
Do you need permission to repost UGC?
Asking first is the safe rule, since it's owned by the person who made it.
Sources
- Collabstr, 2026 Influencer Marketing Report, UGC price calculator and blog post of August 10, 2025, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- FTC, announcement of the final rule on fake reviews, August 14, 2024, and the Endorsement Guides pages, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026; FTC Attorney, February 1, 2026
- Hootsuite, 2026; American Marketing Association, March 28, 2024; and US Chamber of Commerce, April 30, 2026, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, worldwide, read October 23, 2026
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