User generated content – definition of the term
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2025 3:19 am
Let's assume a hypothetical situation. An influencer who runs an IG channel about coffee records reels in which she shows a day in her life. She starts with her morning rituals, brews coffee using her favorite equipment, accessories, and beans. She says, "This is the coffee I've been reaching for most often lately, it's easily accessible and forgives minor brewing mistakes, linkedin database giving a really decent brew every time. To be precise: this is not an ambassadorial collaboration, I don't get anything out of recommending this brand to you, I just like it and that's why I'm telling you about it." What is it? A beautiful example of user-generated content. This disclaimer about the lack of collaboration between the influencer and the brand has been a very common practice lately, and based on these words, it's easy to distinguish UGC from sponsored content.
The definition of user generated content (user created content) is contained in a simple sentence: it is any content about a brand that is created at the initiative of the user. This content is not paid for by the brand - users create it for their own purposes. It appears most often in social media and on blogs, takes the form of photos, reports, articles, sometimes they are purely informative, but they are usually accompanied by an element of recommendation. If someone decides to speak about the brand, its services or products on their own, they must be satisfied with them and believe that they are worth promoting and recommending.
In one of the basic classifications of marketing communication channels, UGC has a separate place. We distinguish owned media, paid media and earned media. UGC content can therefore also be referred to as earned content. User generated content should have a place in every strategy.content marketing.
The definition of user generated content (user created content) is contained in a simple sentence: it is any content about a brand that is created at the initiative of the user. This content is not paid for by the brand - users create it for their own purposes. It appears most often in social media and on blogs, takes the form of photos, reports, articles, sometimes they are purely informative, but they are usually accompanied by an element of recommendation. If someone decides to speak about the brand, its services or products on their own, they must be satisfied with them and believe that they are worth promoting and recommending.
In one of the basic classifications of marketing communication channels, UGC has a separate place. We distinguish owned media, paid media and earned media. UGC content can therefore also be referred to as earned content. User generated content should have a place in every strategy.content marketing.