User-generated content (UGC) is all about tapping into the passion of real people who love what they love, loudly and proudly — not just filling content calendars. UGC is defined by Hootsuite as “original, brand-specific content created by social media users and published on social media or other channels.”
The best UGC emerges not from carefully planned brand campaigns but from superfans who can’t help but share their enthusiasm. That’s why UGC is a powerful tool for converting consumers from passive scrollers into active brand advocates. This type of content serves as social proof, displaying genuine feedback from customers that can influence potential buyers and enhance a brand's credibility.
Here are a few ways incorporating UGC into a social media strategy can help turn customers into brand advocates:
Establishing authenticity
Social media users appreciate hearing real people share their experiences with a product or service, in addition to brand-led content that informs, entertains and engages. UGC isn’t the only way consumers want to hear from brands, but it’s a powerful piece of a well-rounded social strategy — adding authenticity, sparking conversations and building trust in a way that traditional marketing alone can’t always achieve.
Think of UGC as a testimonial for your brand. It gives the most passionate proponents of your brand a soapbox to tell everyone who will listen about the product or service your brand offers. The best part is that it’s more like a peer-to-peer recommendation (which builds trust and increases engagement) and will likely feel more believable and relatable than brands talking about themselves in their own content.
Brands that think they can get away with look-alike UGC aren’t fooling anyone. Users on social media engage with a variety of content, and they can easily identify posts that lack authenticity, especially those that resemble paid advertisements rather than genuine opinions. Although brands sometimes try to imitate UGC through paid partnerships, these efforts are also often flagged as inauthentic. Users can spot these posts because brands frequently fail to tag the creators and give them credit, or they tend to use the same creators repeatedly.
Fostering community
When brands leverage UGC, they indicate to consumers that they are not only listening but also actively seeking to engage with them. This engagement can manifest through shared experiences, testimonials, and constructive feedback regarding the brand’s products or services.
By encouraging customers to share their thoughts and experiences, brands create a platform for open communication. This approach fosters a sense of community among consumers, allowing them to connect with the brand and with each other. It brings together like-minded individuals who share a mutual passion for the brand, ultimately strengthening brand loyalty and creating a vibrant ecosystem of enthusiastic supporters.
Empowerment and participation
A simple reshare from a brand can turn a follower into a lifelong brand advocate. Our very own Director of Planning & Social, Becca Marshall, can attest to that — with one retweet, Doritos had her hook, line and sinker. That was in 2012, and she remains a passionate contributor to our internal Doritos Slack channel to this day.
Social media users, like Becca, often feel a strong sense of pride and a deeper connection to a brand's community when their content is reshared, whether in a post or through an Instagram story. Why is this important? Because it makes them feel valued and recognized by the brand. By validating their contributions to the brand’s social community, a reshare incentivizes them to continue creating content relevant to the brand, often in the hope of receiving another reshare. We’ve observed this approach working particularly well for clients in industries ranging from retail to mechanical services, where many of their loyal followers continue producing high-quality, shareable content.
Emotional connection
Incorporating UGC into your social strategy can also foster an emotional connection between the consumer and the brand. UGC is an opportunity for brands to showcase a wide range of consumer experiences and emotions, and doing so increases the likelihood of content resonating with different members of the target audience. Resonance is a vital step toward transforming “a brand from a ‘nice-to-have’ into an intrinsic aspect of a consumer's identity,” according to our research partner Mintel’s 2025 Expressions of Identity report.
While UGC may seem like a lot of work for just one aspect of a social strategy, investing in genuine connections between your brand and your target audience is well worth the effort. In fact, Hootsuite reports that 86% of consumers indicated they are more likely to trust a brand that shares UGC. Now, identifying what’s truly worth sharing, encouraging consumers to contribute to UGC and actually developing a social strategy that leverages it effectively is something that may be worth tapping an advertising agency for help.
At Mythic, we create social media strategies that amplify your brand and engage your audience. From content creation to campaigns and analytics, we deliver results-driven solutions. Ready to become an unstoppable force for growth? Contact us at newbiz@mythic.us to elevate your social presence.
