In short: What is UGC? UGC stands for user-generated content: videos, photos and reviews made by people rather than by a brand’s own team. In marketing the term covers two things — content customers post on their own, and content that a brand commissions and pays “UGC creators” to make in that natural style. This guide explains the terms, the formats that suit beauty, fashion and personal care, and where brands use them.
What is UGC? Two meanings to rule out first
“UGC” is an abbreviation with several uses. Searching for it can bring up the University Grants Commission, a statutory body under India’s Ministry of Education that sets standards for universities. In gaming, the term has been used on Roblox for avatar items such as clothing and accessories that creators design and sell, according to Roblox’s documentation. Neither is what this article covers.
Here, UGC means user-generated content in marketing: the material customers and creators make about products, and how brands use it.
UGC meaning in marketing: the original sense
A widely quoted definition, which Creatify attributes to the American Marketing Association, is “any content created by people” rather than by brand teams. Flockler lists the typical formats: images, videos and Reels, reviews and testimonials, text posts, audio and forum posts. In this original sense, a customer posts a photo of her new dress, films an unboxing or writes a review, and the brand may then ask permission to reshare it.
Creatify also draws a useful line between authentic UGC, which real customers create voluntarily and usually without payment, and UGC-style content, which a brand or creator produces to look like an organic post: selfie framing, casual delivery, a strong first line and imperfect production.
What is a UGC creator?
A UGC creator makes videos or photos for a brand, usually for a fee, in the natural style of everyday social content. Fiverr’s guide lists “paid UGC” as one type of UGC: compensated creator content that keeps an organic feel. The key difference is that the creator generally does not post it to an audience: the brand receives the video and publishes it on its own channels. That is why an audience size is not a requirement — see how to become a UGC creator.
This is the meaning behind most searches for “what is a UGC creator” today, and it is the kind of work the complete guide to UGC for beauty and fashion brands shows how to commission.
UGC vs influencer content
With an influencer, a brand pays largely for access to the influencer’s audience. With commissioned UGC, the brand pays for the video and decides where it runs. The influencer’s post is published on their account; the UGC creator delivers a file. The full comparison is in UGC vs influencer marketing.
UGC glossary: terms brands and creators use
| Term | Meaning | Who posts it | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic UGC | Reviews, photos and posts customers make on their own | The customer | No one |
| Paid / commissioned UGC | A video made to a brand’s brief by a creator | Usually the brand | The brand |
| UGC ad | A creator-style video used as a paid ad | The brand’s ad account | The brand (ad spend and video) |
| Whitelisting | An ad that runs through the creator’s own account | The creator’s handle | The brand, plus a separate fee |
| Usage rights | What the brand may do with the video | — | Often priced in |
Whitelisting and usage rights are covered in UGC usage rights explained. UGC ads, meaning creator videos run as paid adverts, need paid-use rights in particular.
UGC formats for beauty, fashion and personal care
Shopify’s guide names videos (unboxings, testimonials, how-to demonstrations, before-and-after), photos, carousels and written reviews. For these categories that translates into:
- Reviews and testimonials: a creator says, to camera, what they think after using the product.
- Unboxings: packaging, what is inside, first impressions.
- Try-ons and try-on hauls: clothing, swimwear or accessories on a real person, with size and fit comments.
- Routines: the product in a morning or evening routine, such as skincare, hair care or a “get ready with me”.
- Tutorials and demos: how to apply, style or use it, including texture close-ups.
For opening lines and structures, see UGC video ideas and hooks. Since creators are making claims about how a product looks or works, keep an eye on the rules for cosmetic claims.
Where brands use UGC
- Paid social ads: creator-style videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
- Product pages: demos, reviews and photos next to the buy button.
- Email: a customer video or quote in a post-purchase or launch email.
- Brand social feeds: reposted or newly commissioned content.
Creatify sorts UGC into social, owned-channel (reviews, ratings, Q&A and customer photos on product pages) and community UGC (forums and hashtags). Shopify names Starface, a skincare brand, among the brands that have used product gifting, incentive programs and experiential marketing to encourage UGC.
On TikTok, “UGC” can mean either a creator’s own post about a product or a brief-based video made for a brand, which is why the wording “UGC creator” matters.
Why UGC works, according to sources
These are vendors’ explanations rather than independent proof. Creatify says the effect comes from three things: similarity (the person looks relatable), social proof (seeing real use) and trust transfer. It also says UGC triggers less of the discount people apply to recognisable adverts. Flockler adds that real-life scenarios help buyers picture products in use. Shopify cites a 2025 Deloitte survey in which 56% of Gen Z respondents said social media content felt more relevant than traditional TV.
Several guides also publish conversion and click-through percentages, but those come from vendors and vary widely; treat them as claims to test in your own accounts rather than as guarantees.
Where Usicri fits
Usicri is a marketplace for paid UGC video in fashion, beauty and personal care. A brand describes what it needs, sets the payout per video and chooses whether it provides the product. Creators see the price and open spots first, film the video themselves and upload it. The brand approves or rejects each submission and is charged only for approved videos, plus a platform fee of 0%.
An approved, paid video comes with a non-exclusive, worldwide licence without time limit that covers advertising (section 5 of the Terms of Service). Whitelisted ads through the creator’s own account are not included. Brands can browse open campaigns to see how they are set out, and UGC rates explains what payouts guides report.