Brands Looking for UGC Creators: The Best Guide to Authentic Content

User-generated content (UGC) refers to any type of content related to a brand’s products and services and not by the brand itself.  UGC content includes photos, reviews, or videos created by a brand’s clients or UGC creators and shared on different platforms. UGC can also be shared through testimonials, Q&A forums, or photos of a brand’s products. 

According to Forbes, UGC is inexpensive, authentic, and reaches a wider audience making it attractive to brands and creators. This means UGC can boost conversions, drive sales, and turn creators into marketing machines. 

Are you a UGC creator looking for brand partnerships or a brand looking for UGC creators? This article explores the benefits of working with UGC creators and brands working with UGC creators. Let’s dive into the article. 

Why are Brands Looking for UGC Creators? 

UGC is a deal-changer in digital marketing given it’s all about authenticity and creativity. Brands understand that UGC is a critical component in a customer’s journey, especially the sales funnel stage. Research shows that 79% of online users admit that UGC impacts their purchasing decisions. Therefore, there is no doubt brands are in a tough supremacy battle in the online space. 

The reasons why brands are looking for UGC creators are outlined below:

1. UGC Leads to Brand Authenticity and Trustworthiness 

A recent survey by Tagbox showed that 90% of consumers consider authenticity when deciding whether to purchase from a brand. UGC creators are actual users who reflect authentic experiences, interactions, and opinions with a brand’s products. Therefore, brands looking for UGC creators create a sense of authenticity and trustworthiness. 

2. UGC Enhances Engagement and Relatability

Ads created by UGC creators have 4 times higher CTR (clickthrough rate) and are 50% cheaper compared to average ads.  Consequently, brands are looking for UGC creators to create relatable and engaging content that consumers can connect with. This optimizes engagement levels and the brand’s market share. 

3. UGC Content is Cost-Effective 

Brands that work with UGC creators understand it’s an effective marketing strategy. Leveraging UGC is cost-effective compared to producing branded content. Therefore, UGC brands can tap into the endless stream of content generated by creators in their niche. 

4. UGC Provides Social Proof and Influence

A recent study by Fortune showed that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from other users over branded content. This means that UGC serves as social proof that a brand’s products are good. 

5. UGC Impacts Purchase Decisions 

A recent survey also found that 79% of consumers’ purchasing decisions are impacted by UGC. Consumers are more likely to trust UGC brands when purchasing. This means that UGC creators influencer consumer perceptions and their purchasing decisions.  

6. UGC Encourages Diversity

UGC enables brands to reach out to prospects with everyone being invited to be an ambassador for their products or services. The UGC creators are from a broad spectrum and cut through religious, racial, sexual, and ethnic lines. 

Types of Brands Looking for UGC Creators

While the idea of brands working with UGC creators is relatively new, its benefits are felt by brands in all niches. This includes e-commerce brands, fitness and wellness brands, food and drink brands, travel and hospitality brands, fashion brands, and tech brands. 

a). UGC Creators and Fashion Brands

Fashion brands like Nike, Adidas, and Gymshark regularly request their clients to post themselves wearing their products on social media. This is meant to create social proof that the products are good and drive more sales and engagement. Brands working with different UGC get honest opinions of their products. 

b). UGC Creators and Tech Brands

Another industry with brands looking for UGC creators is the technology sector. Firms like GoPro collaborate with shoppers to post their products like gimbals and cameras. Apple also uses UGC creators during product launches to showcase their new devices and capabilities. 

c). UGC Creators and Fitness and Wellness Brands

Fitness and wellness firms are another example of brands that work with UGC creators. Brands like MyFitnessPal use UGC creators to showcase their products and services. Others like Peloton use UGC creators to tell success stories after trying the brand. Brands in the fitness space demonstrate their value by working with successful UGC creators. 

d). UGC Creators and E-Commerce Brands 

Firms in the e-commerce sector are other examples of brands looking for UGC creators. Brands in this sector use UGC creators for reviews or to market their products. Firms like Esty and Amazon are examples of brands that work with UGC creators. 

How to Find UGC Creators: Pro Tips for Brands

Finding UGC creators is not a complex process. There are several UGC brands and platforms at your disposal. Ready to explore them? Let’s go!

1. Social Media Platforms

The most common platform for discovering UGC creators is social media. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have millions of UGC creators that brands can work with. Want to see examples of UGC creators with successful brand collaborations? Worry not, we shall explore that below. 

2. UGC Platforms and Marketplace

UGC platforms and marketplace are also helpful to brands looking for UGC creators. These platforms analyze customer content contributions and help brands identify the best. UGC Factory is one of the best platforms where you can find UGC Creators for your brand. Marketplaces host user-generated videos and images that are artificial and crafted for specific niches. However, these don’t offer social proof of the value of a brand’s products. 

We strongly recommend working with UGC Factory for the best UGC creators for your brand. 

3. Community Groups

Nowadays, there are brands looking for UGC creators on community forums like Facebook, Quora, and Reddit groups. Brands that work with UGC creators in community groups identify the quality of their posts and the following they generate. In such platforms, UGC is also paid although some creators provide posts for free at first.

4. Influencer Agencies 

Another way that brands that work with UGC creators find them is through influencer agencies. These agencies collect influencers from different categories making outsourcing campaigns much simpler. 

5. Looking for Users Engaging with Your Competitors

Lastly, some brands looking for UGC creators also identify those working with their competitors for optimal impact. Highly engaged UGC creators who contribute regularly to a certain niche are more likely to secure brand collaborations. 

Best Practices in UGC Creator Collaborations: Tips for Brands Looking for UGC Creators

Here are some of the pro tips to consider when collaborating with UGC brands:

• Look at the content that the UGC creators post and see whether working with them is meaningful.
• Brands that working with UGC creators check their engagement levels to decide whether they are worthwhile. 
• After looking for UGC creators and discovering them, be specific about the expected deliverables. Set clear marketing goals and expectations. 
• Have a clear compensation plan and minimal performance expectations to avoid disputes. 
• Keep tracking the performance of the UGC content to ensure its authenticity and quality. 

Successful UGC Collaborations and the Reasons for their Success

What do successful UGC creator collaborations look like in practice? Here are some examples of brands that work with UGC creators successfully. 

1. Otterbox 

https://www.instagram.com/otterbox/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=3d260e26-473b-4aaf-b6a5-cb7ca4fe5044

Otterbox is a great example of brands that work with UGC creators. To consumers, the brand’s protective gear for handsets looks similar to those of any other brand. However, the brand passes on the responsibility of testing its phones to its followers and sharing results. 

Otterbox successfully works with UGC creators because it allows them to test its products in uncontrolled situations, which is great social proof. This generates massive trust and encourages thousands to purchase the brand’s products. 

2. Meshki

https://www.instagram.com/meshki/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=e01c3754-95a4-477e-bfd3-abd4e0b36812

Meshki, an Australian women’s fashion brand, is another example of brands that works with UGC creators. The company makes fashionable accessories and dresses. The brand is currently looking for UGC creators on X and TikTok to post themselves wearing their products. 

Meshki has successfully collaborated with UGC creators so far because the brand sought to increase its social media presence. Creators shared the brand’s products leading to new following overnight. 

3. Burt’s Bees 

https://www.instagram.com/burtsbees/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=11b6dc3d-b357-436e-8dc6-814b8cfb6ec5

Focusing on wellness and all-natural ingredients, Burt’s Bees is a much-loved skincare brand. Burts’ Bees is a brand that work with UGC creators to showcase themselves using its products to their followers. 

Undoubtedly, the brand recognized the value of making their products and services more relatable. This saw them discover UGC creators who connect better with their audiences, making the products sell more. 

4. Patagonia 

https://www.instagram.com/patagonia/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=f42b84d9-5a3c-41dc-b2b7-2d6bd0d3b3eb

Patagonia is another example of brands looking for UGC creators and has worked with them previously. The outdoor clothing brand known for its innovative schemes is committed to reducing environmental harm. The brand repairs clothing rather than replacing them with brand new. 

The brand collaborates with UGC creators to post images of its products in outdoor natural habitats. For instance, bikers, kayakers, and hikers share pictures explaining how gloves, shoes, and coats from the brand help them. 

How UGC Factory is Using UGC to Help Brands

UGC Factory is leveraging UGC to help brands by creating engaging and authentic content that resonates with their target audience. UGC Factory helps brand optimize UGC through:

• Content creation at large scale
• Enhancing social proof by showcasing real user experiences
• Targeted campaigns that are specific and target certain demographics
• Boosting engagement 

UGC Factory has worked with brands like Huel, KISS, Mando, ARMRA, Dr. Harvey’s, the Wander Club, Auri Nutrition, and SNOW.  

What’s Next for UGC? What Creators and Brands Should Look Out For. 

• One of the emerging trends in the field of UGC creation is artificial intelligence (AI). AI will help identify UGC creators within social media and even create natural content similar to theirs. 
• Brands will also likely focus on micro-influencers given they have high engagement and authenticity rates. 
• Another trend is live streaming. More UGC creators will seek to give “raw” copies of their content by creating it in real-time rather than editing first. This means that a brand’s products will be shown for what they are. 
• Further, many UGC brand campaigns will also focus on corporate social responsibility. This is to help convince their audience that the brand behaves ethically. 

Conclusion

Brands looking for UGC creators seek to unlock their power of authentic content, customer engagement, and effective marketing strategies. Brands that work with UGC creators access real and relatable content which fosters customer loyalty and optimizes trustworthiness. Whether you are looking for UGC creators to improve your brand awareness or optimize customer engagement, UGC Factory is the most recommended UGC Platform. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is User-Generated Content (UGC)? 

User-generated content (UGC) refers to any type of content related to a brand’s products and services and not by the brand itself.  UGC content includes photos, reviews, or videos created by a brand’s clients or UGC creators and shared on different platforms. UGC can also be shared through testimonials, Q&A forums, or photos of a brand’s products. 

2. Why are brands looking for UGC creators? 

Brands work with UGC creators to help improve authenticity, build trust, and optimize engagement rates. Working with UGC creators is also cost-effective since users showcase their real experiences using the products.  

3. How do I find UGC creators for my brand? 

There are different UGC platforms like social media platforms, UGC platforms and marketplace, community groups, and influencer agencies. 

4. Is UGC an effective marketing strategy for my brand? 

Yes, UGC is more authentic and since real users showcase your brand’s products, it also optimizes your trustworthiness with potential clients. UGC resonates with target audiences and helps in building your brand’s credibility.