Many brands struggle to collect and use UGC content effectively in their marketing strategy. This is because it takes time to find real, engaging posts from customers, and not all may fit your promotion style. So, in this article, we'll explain the concept and discuss its types so you can choose the right content for your social media posts and website. We'll also share how you can refine the videos using advanced tools in Pippit.
What is UGC content, and why should you use it for marketing
UGC is customer-centric and original content posted by real buyers instead of brands on different social and video-sharing platforms. It includes posts, reviews, testimonials, videos, podcasts, and photos.
When shoppers share their experiences using your products, trust is built way more effectively than traditional ads. UGC also makes marketing feel natural and influences decisions because people relate more to content from other customers. It also saves marketing costs since brands don't need to create everything themselves.
Types of UGC content you need to know
Many brands nowadays use UGC content for their marketing on different platforms. So, knowing its main types can help you choose what works best for improving engagement and trust.
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- Customer reviews: When customers leave feedback about their experience with your brand, you can share it on your social media and website as proof that real people love your products. 2
- Referrals: Sometimes, your satisfied customers can spread positive recommendations on their networks and bring in pre-qualified leads. 3
- Community forums: Community forums are full of valuable UGC because people usually share reviews about your product, but it can be tricky to track conversations. So, the best thing for your brand to stay involved is to join in, listen to feedback, and clear up any misunderstandings quickly. 4
- Unboxing videos and pictures: Unboxing content quickly gets the authentic excitement of first impressions and gives potential buyers a genuine peek at the product experience. 5
- Blogs: Detailed write-ups about your products or services on your website can provide value by educating audiences and promoting them at the same time. 6
- Paid UGC: As a brand, you can collaborate with creators to produce authentic content. Sponsored posts feel natural when influencers connect with the brand's voice.
Speaking of stunning UGC content creation, Pippit makes the process incredibly simple. Let's explore how.
How to make UGC content with Pippit: Your go-to tool
Pippit is a game-changer UGC content platform for generating and fine-tuning user-generated videos, such as showcasing customer reviews, repurposing unboxing videos, or creating referral-based promotions. Small businesses, e-commerce sellers, and influencers can easily refine raw clips into eye-catching posts that stand out.
With smart editing tools and ready-to-go templates, turning everyday moments into high-quality marketing material becomes effortless. You can add text overlays, adjust color & details, apply filters or effects, overlay stickers, rotate a video with ease, and more.
Guide to making engaging UGC videos with Pippit UGC content creator
You can produce engaging UGC videos with Pippit in these three simple steps:
- STEP 1
- Get inspired & generate your UGC content
First, sign up for Pippit and click "Video Generator." Paste your product link or click "Add Media" to import your raw UGC clips and open the main generating interface.
You can also go to "Inspiration," switch to "Video Templates" next to the search bar, and look for UGC-related templates to customize and create your content.
- STEP 2
- Customize the UGC content
Now, add your highlights and click "More Information" to upload your logo, select the target audience, and set the price. Click "Advanced Settings" to select the video duration and aspect ratio, pick the AI script or generate a new one based on your needs, and choose a digital character and voice. Hit "Generate" to produce product reviews, customer testimonials, funny memes, and other UGC videos in seconds.
- STEP 3
- Export & share to social platforms
Preview all the AI-generated UGC content, click "Quick Edit" or "Edit More" to edit the captions in different languages, apply effects or filters, include engaging transition effects, or overlay stickers. You can also use smart tools to customize the video.
Finally, click "Export," choose "Publish" or "Download," set the export settings, and click "Export" to save or share your UGC video.
Discover handy AI-powered features at Pippit
- Time-saving video generation: Skip the long editing process with Pippit. Just upload a product link or upload the UGC-related clips, add key details, and let AI handle the rest. It provides you with stunning promotional videos in seconds.
- Smart crop to resize videos: No more struggling with different platform sizes! The "Smart Crop" and "Reframe" options automatically adjust dimensions while keeping the best framing to ensure a perfect fit for any channel, such as TikTok Show, Instagram or Facebook ads, LinkedIn, and more.
- Advanced video editing space: Pippit offers a complete editing toolkit to fine-tune every aspect of your UGC videos. You can split the video online, auto-correct the color, erase the subject background or remove the blemishes, increase the resolution, transcribe the clip into text to overlay captions in different languages, and enable camera tracking.
- E-commerce marketplace integration: Sync your TikTok Shop, Amazon, or Shopify directly with Pippit to pull in the product details and generate videos without juggling multiple platforms.
- Auto-publisher and performance analytics: Schedule your UGC posts on your TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram accounts and track the results of your account and content performance from a single dashboard.
The 4 best practices for using UGC content in your campaigns
- Be clear about what UGC content you need: Be crystal clear about what kind of photos, videos, or stories you're looking for, and specify details like preferred formats, themes, or special elements to include, so your customers know what to share. Then, use an AI ad video maker to refine the content and post it on your social or professional account.
- Encourage users to actively share content: A little motivation always goes a long way. So, focus on running contests, using hashtags, or featuring top posts to attract more people to join in and contribute.
- Request permission from the user: Always ask before reposting to build trust and show respect for creators. This is because a quick message saying, "We love your post! Can we share it?" goes a long way in maintaining positive relationships.
- Give full credit to the original creator: Ensure you tag the customers in posts, mention their names, and celebrate their creativity. This strengthens connections and encourages more sharing.
UGC content examples: brands using UGC for marketing
Many brands have launched successful campaigns that turn everyday users into content creators. Let's explore some of them:
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- Parachute's Think Outside Social Media
Main idea: Parachute invites customers to share photos with #MyParachuteHome and repurposes this content in ads, print materials, and packaging inserts.
The key to success: By featuring authentic living spaces rather than staged shots, they built trust and showed potential buyers how products look in everyday settings.
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- Apple's #ShotoniPhone
Main idea: Apple launched this campaign in 2014 to show its iPhone camera capabilities through real user photos.
The key to success: The campaign became a viral sensation with over 29 million Instagram posts, as both casual and professional photographers shared stunning iPhone shots. Real photos of real people changed opinions far better than regular ads ever could.
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- Starbucks's White Cup Contest
Main idea: Starbucks invited customers to decorate their coffee cups and share them using #WhiteCupContest for a chance to win a prize.
The key to success: The contest tapped into a trend where people already enjoyed decorating cups while also promoting reusable ones and spreading creativity through social media.
- 4
- Yosemite Conservancy's story form
Main idea: Yosemite Conservancy invited global visitors to share personal stories and photographs about their visits to the national park.
The key to success: Stunning clips and heartfelt experiences encouraged deeper engagement from people. In fact, the content was featured in emails, social media, and publications, while a giveaway added extra excitement.
- 5
- Coca-Cola's Share a Coke Campaign
Main idea: The brand printed popular first names on their bottles and cans. This gave everyone a personal reason to hunt for "their" Coke and share photos with #ShareaCoke.
The key to success: The campaign naturally led to more social posts as excited customers shared selfies with their named drinks to spread brand joy through organic moments rather than staged ads.
Conclusion
UGC content connects your brand with customers, builds trust, and increases brand visibility. It has many different types, such as reviews, videos and photos, community forums, and more, that you can use to provide social proof about your product. To generate high-quality user-generated content for your posts or websites, Pippit offers a powerful video generator, pre-cleared templates, and advanced editing space. It also has auto-content publishing and analytics options to share and track your UGC posts on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. So, try Pippit and take your brand's marketing to the next level!
FAQs
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- What is considered UGC content?
UGC content means any brand-related content shared by customers instead of the company itself. This includes reviews, social media posts, unboxing videos, and testimonials. Since it comes from real users, it feels more authentic and builds trust with potential buyers. To keep UGC looking professional while staying natural, Pippit offers AI-powered tools to refine videos, adjust layouts, and improve visuals effortlessly.
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- How do I start UGC content marketing?
To start UGC content marketing, define the type of content that fits your brand, like reviews, unboxing videos, or customer testimonials. Then, run contests, create branded hashtags, or offer incentives to encourage your loyal customers to share their experiences. Always request permission before reposting and give proper credit to maintain trust. Once you have content, refining it is key. For this, Pippit offers AI-powered editing, smart cropping, and quick social media integration options, so you can ensure UGC stays professional while keeping its authentic feel.
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- What are some UGC content ideas?
UGC content ideas include customer reviews, testimonial videos, unboxing clips, tutorial posts, and before-and-after transformations. Branded challenges, contests, and interactive Q&A sessions also encourage people to share their experiences in creative ways. To enhance these user-generated clips, Pippit offers a powerful video generator, templates, smart editing interface, and content management tools to customize, share, and track your posts all in one place.