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Decoding the Jargon

UGC

User-generated content

Social mediaTerm

Content about a brand made by its customers or fans rather than by the brand: photos, videos, reviews and posts. Brands often ask permission to reshare it. The term is also used now for paid creators who make customer-style videos for brands to post.

Example

A customer posts a Reel of herself in Meera's lehenga at a wedding and tags the store. Meera asks permission and reshares it on her Story.

How you'll hear it

“Let's run more UGC in the ads; customer videos feel more real than our studio shoots.”

Don't confuse it with

  • Influencer content: made by someone with an audience, usually under an agreement.
  • Brand content: made by the brand or its agency.

Related terms

Want to use this at work? AI-led Social Media Excellence is aFactor's 16-week program for social media work.

Sources

  1. What is user-generated content (UGC)?, Hootsuite, 2026
  2. User-generated content (UGC): what it is and why it matters, Sprout Social

Checked 1 October 2026. Examples use a fictional business; figures are illustrative.

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