How To Use User-Generated Content in eCommerce Marketing?
By Sohel Ansari • March 4, 2025 • 13 mins read
Struggling to build trust and drive sales for your eCommerce store? You’re not the first one. Traditional marketing alone is not enough— today’s customer craves authenticity. That’s where User-generated content (UGC) comes into the picture.
From customer reviews to social media posts, UGC showcases real experiences, making your brand more relatable and credible. Around 79% of consumers say UGC significantly influences their purchasing decisions, proving its power in shaving buying behavior.
By strategically utilizing UGC, you not only enhance engagement but also create a community-driven shopping experience that builds long-term loyalty. In this blog, we’ll cover various types of user-generated content (UGC), best practices for implementation, and how to use this powerful tool to drive business growth effectively.
What Is User-Generated Content And Its Types?
User-generated content (UGC) refers to any content— such as reviews, photos, ratings, videos, and testimonials created by customers rather than brands. eCommerce brands incorporate UGC in their marketing strategies, as it helps them create a customer-centric approach.
Relatability is what makes UGC for eCommerce audiences more interesting. As per the study, 65% of brands believe that UGC helps them gain the trust of their customers on its platform.
Types of UGC for eCommerce Success
User-generated content (UGC) can be available in different shapes, forms, intent, and styles. To gain maximum returns through the UGC campaign, it’s essential to identify which type of UGC will align with your online store. Check out some of its major types below:
A. Product Reviews and Testimonials
Product reviews and testimonials are powerful types of user-generated content for eCommerce success. Authentic customer feedback builds trust, influences purchasing decisions, and enhances brand credibility. Featuring real experiences in eCommerce marketing campaigns increases engagement and encourages more shoppers to share their opinions.
B. Social Media Posts (photos, videos, stories)
Social media posts including photos, videos, and stories are impactful User-generated content for ecommerce brands success. They showcase real customer experiences, boost brand visibility, and encourage engagement. Featuring this content in marketing campaigns builds trust and drives organic reach, increasing conversions.
C. Customer-created Content (blog posts, tutorials, etc.)
Customer-created content, such as blog posts, tutorials, and how-to videos, represents valuable eCommerce UGC. It provides in-depth insights, educates potential buyers, and enhances brand credibility. This type of content demonstrates product usage in real-world scenarios and offers helpful information to potential buyers. It showcases expertise and builds credibility, driving engagement, and potentially boosting sales.
D. Influencer Marketing Collaborations
Influencer marketing collaborations have become a cornerstone of user-generated content strategies in eCommerce. Over 80% of marketers affirm influencer marketing as a highly effective strategy, highlighting its impact on brand growth.
These collaborations generate authentic content like reviews and product demos, that resonate with potential customers. Integrating influencer’s authentic connections with their audiences enhances brand visibility and credibility.
– Also Read- How Influencer Marketing Has Changed Consumers’ Decision-Making?
Why User-Generated Content Matters in eCommerce?
The utilization of user-generated content (UGC) within the eCommerce domain presents a range of strategic advantages. This section will outline the fundamental benefits associated with integrating UGC into an online retail platform.
- Boosting Trust and Credibility with UGC- User-generated content for online brands builds trust by showcasing real customer experiences. Authentic reviews, testimonials, and social media posts act as social proof, reassuring potential buyers. When shoppers see others enjoying your products, they feel more confident, increasing conversions and strengthening brand credibility.
- Enhancing Customer Engagement and Loyalty- Encouraging customers to create and share content develops a deeper connection with your brand. When users feel valued, they are more likely to engage and remain loyal. Featuring UGC in marketing campaigns not only drives interaction but also turns satisfied customers into brand advocates.
- Cost-Effective Marketing- UGC in eCommerce provides high-quality content without the high costs of professional production. Instead of creating new marketing materials, brands can repurpose customer-generated photos, videos, and reviews. This reduces content creation expenses while maintaining authenticity, helping eCommerce businesses scale their marketing efforts efficiently.
How To Encourage Customers To Create User-Generated Content?
Here are some creative ways that you can use to encourage the creation of user-generated content for your online brands.
1. Incentivizing Customers with Discounts and Rewards
Customers are more likely to create content for a brand when they have a satisfying or unique experience. However, this isn’t always spontaneous— many customers need an extra incentive to share their experiences.
A survey reveals that 60% of users would gladly create content for a brand if rewarded. This presents a valuable opportunity for online businesses to encourage more user-generated content (UGC) by offering incentives such as special discounts, rewards, or exclusive perks.
By implementing a reward system, brands can encourage more customers to share their experiences, boosting engagement, and authenticity. However, the purpose of UGC remains the same— genuine customer expression.
Even with incentives, brands should never pressure customers into leaving only positive reviews. Instead, the focus should be on developing honest feedback, which develops trust, strengthens customer relationships, and generates a continuous stream of authentic UGC.
2. Creating Branded Hashtag Campaigns
Creating branded hashtag campaigns is a fantastic way to encourage customers to create user-generated content (UGC). A unique and memorable hashtag gives your audience a simple way to share their experiences with your brand. It also helps you easily find and collect this valuable eCommerce UGC.
When customers use your branded hashtags, they become part of a larger community, connecting with other fans and showcasing their love for your products. This boosts brand visibility and creates a sense of belonging.
By promoting your hashtag across all your marketing social platforms, you make it easy for customers to participate and contribute to your growing library of UGC. This user-created content then becomes a powerful asset for your eCommerce marketing efforts.
For example, Louboutin— a luxurious footwear brand utilizes hashtag campaigns effectively to create UGC. The brand has an Instagram campaign #SomethingRouge for its users to post photos wearing the brand shoes.
3. Collaborating with Influencers and Creators for UGC Growth
User-generated content (UGC) is organically created by customers, but brands have discovered that collaborating with influencers and brand advocates can significantly amplify its impact.
Influencer marketing and UGC go hand-in-hand because influencers have already built a loyal fanbase— an audience that knows, likes, and trusts them. By partnering with influencers, eCommerce businesses can leverage their credibility to promote products more authentically.
Whether they post about your brand or allow you to use their content in eCommerce marketing campaigns, their endorsement helps drive engagement and trust.
For instance, Nike Women in their #FeelYourAll campaign did an influencer collaboration for UGC with lifestyle influencer Tia Freeman.
Another growing trend is working with UGC creators. While both influencers and UGC creators are paid to produce authentic-looking content, the key difference is that UGC creators don’t have to post on their platforms. Depending on the contract, brands may not need to tag or mention them when using their content, giving businesses greater flexibility in their ecommerce marketing strategy.
4. Featuring Customer Content on Your Website and Social Media
Featuring customer content on your website and social media is a powerful way to encourage more user-generated content (UGC). When customers see their photos, reviews, or videos highlighted by your brand, they feel valued and appreciated.
This recognition motivates them to create even more content and share it with their networks. It also shows potential customers that you value their input and builds trust in your brand.
By showcasing authentic customer experiences, you create compelling social proof that influences purchasing decisions. Make sure to credit the creators and get their permission before featuring their content. This simple act of appreciation can turn customers into brand advocates, generating a continuous flow of valuable UGC that benefits your eCommerce marketing.
– Also Read- Get to Know Your Customers Better in 5 Ways
Tips for Maximizing Engagement with User-Generated Content
Here are some crucial tips on how to increase customer engagement with eCommerce UGC.
(i) Curating And Showcasing High-quality UGC
Curating and showcasing high-quality user-generated content on ecommerce platforms is crucial for maximizing engagement. Not all UGC is created equal, so it’s important to select the best pieces that resonate with your target audience and align with your brand’s message.
Focus on visually appealing content that is authentic and tells a compelling story. A study by Stackla found that consumers are 2.4X likely to say UGC is the most authentic compared to branded content.
By highlighting top-notch UGC on your website, social media, and marketing channels, you build credibility by showing social proof. This curated content acts as powerful testimonials, demonstrating the value of your products or services. It also encourages customers to create their own high-quality UGC for a chance to be featured, creating a positive feedback loop.
(ii) Integrating UGC into Product Pages and Social Media
When discussing user-generated content (UGC), images and videos often take the spotlight. However, customer reviews and testimonials are just as impactful. UGC in ecommerce serves as social proof, where people are influenced by the opinions and actions of others, especially when uncertain about a purchase.
Seeing positive reviews builds trust and makes potential buyers more likely to purchase, hoping to experience the same satisfaction. To maximize this effect, brands should not only display customer reviews but also make it easy for shoppers to leave their feedback on product pages.
This continuous stream of authentic experiences enhances credibility, boosts conversions, and strengthens customer confidence in your eCommerce brand.
For example, Cider permits customers to leave reviews under product items on its website.
Enhance authenticity and engagement by strategically showcasing eCommerce user-generated content (UGC) on your social media. Featuring customer stories—the heart of effective implementation—turns your channels into dynamic communities built on trust and genuine experiences.
By showcasing UGC, you encourage more users to share, creating a continuous cycle of engagement that strengthens your brand’s presence and credibility.
For instance, check the UGC post of Oreo cookies posted on the brand’s social media channel.
(iii) Leveraging UGC for Email Marketing Campaigns
Integrating UGC for email marketing campaigns can significantly boost engagement and drive conversions. Including authentic customer photos, reviews, or testimonials, in your emails adds social proof and builds trust with your subscribers. Seeing real people enjoying your products makes your marketing messages more relatable and persuasive.
Incorporating UGC in emails can increase click-through rates by 78%. This increased engagement translates to more website visits and ultimately, more sales.
You can feature UGC in various email types, from promotional newsletters and product announcements to post-purchase follow-ups. By showcasing positive customer experiences, you encourage recipients to explore your offerings and become loyal brand advocates.
For instance, Airbnb utilizes UGC effectively in its email marketing campaign called the Wish List.
– Also Read- The Role of Ecommerce Email Marketing in Growing Your Business
(iv) Repurposing UGC Across Different Platforms
Repurposing UGC across different platforms is a smart strategy for maximizing its impact. Don’t let valuable user-generated content (UGC) sit idle after it has been created. Instead, think about how you can share it across multiple channels to reach a wider audience.
For example, a glowing product review shared on social media can also be featured on your website’s product page or included in an email newsletter. A customer photo posted on the Instagram post can be repurposed for the Facebook ad campaign.
This approach saves you time and effort while amplifying the reach of your best UGC practices. By strategically repurposing UGC, you create a consistent brand message and build trust across all your marketing touchpoints, ultimately driving conversions.
(v) Optimizing UGC for SEO Benefits
Search engines like Google prioritize content that is fresh, relevant, and engaging— qualities that user-generated content (UGC) naturally provides. UGC keeps your website updated with real-time insights, enhances credibility, and develops a stronger brand community.
For example, Google My Business (GMB) boosts SEO by showcasing user-generated content like reviews and ratings. These authentic customer experiences enhance credibility, influence purchasing decisions, and improve local search visibility, making GMB a key tool for maximizing engagement with UGC and driving eCommerce success.
Here’s how UGC improves SEO:
- Fresh and relevant content- Websites that regularly update their content rank higher in search results. UGC in eCommerce such as reviews and testimonials, ensures your site remains active and relevant.
- Long-Tail keywords- Customers use natural language and specific phrases when describing products. These long-tail keywords improve search visibility and attract more organic traffic.
- Increased dwell time- Engaging content like Q&As and testimonials keeps visitors on your site longer, signaling value to search engines and improving rankings.
- Social proof and trust- Authentic customer feedback boosts credibility, encouraging higher engagement and better SEO performance.
Leveraging UGC strategically enhances visibility and strengthens your brand’s online presence.
Best Practices for Managing User-Generated Content
While we are considering all the steps that an eCommerce business can take to utilize user-generated content (UGC) to maximize engagement, here are some practices for managing the UGC:
1. Obtaining Proper Permissions
You can choose the UGC you like from the ones that your audience submitted and make sure you get their explicit consent before using it. Ask for consent whether in writing or on a recorded call so your ecommerce UGC campaign doesn’t affect.
You must also be transparent about where and how you are going to use their content, such as on your website, social media, or in advertising.
2. Responding to Customer Feedback and Reviews
You must actively respond to customer feedback and reviews to build a community around your brand as it shows you value their opinion. Thank the customers who provided positive reviews and address any negative reviews whenever you can.
With existing customers, this interaction strengthens your relationship and enhances your brand’s reputation by showing a commitment to customer satisfaction.
3. Tracking and Measuring the Performance of UGC Campaigns
Lastly, track and measure the performance of your UGC campaigns, branded hashtags, and pieces of eCommerce user-generated content that you’ve reposted to your site. It will help analytics tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, or dedicated UGC tracking platforms to measure the impact of UGC on your sales.
You can ensure that UGC remains an impactful element of your marketing and branding efforts by continuously fine-tuning your UGC strategies based on data-driven insights.
Conclusion
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for boosting engagement, building trust, and driving conversions in eCommerce marketing. By integrating authentic customer experiences into your UGC campaigns, you create a stronger brand connection and encourage more participation.
From product reviews to influencer collaborations, utilizing UGC enhances credibility and keeps your content fresh. It also provides cost-effective, high-impact marketing that resonates with your audience.
The key is to encourage, curate, and strategically repurpose user-generated content (UGC) across platforms to maximize its impact. By doing so, you turn satisfied customers into brand advocates, creating a continuous cycle of engagement that fuels long-term success.
Our marketing experts at Mastroke create effective eCommerce marketing campaigns that increase brand awareness and authenticity. Contact us to get your marketing blueprint
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