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UGC

What is UGC? The creator ads brands keep running

UGC, or user-generated content, is content made by customers or creators instead of the brand: reviews, unboxings, try-ons and how-to videos. In ads, UGC means a short video that looks like a real person talking to their phone. Brands pay creators to make them because they read as a recommendation, not an ad.

live creator-style ads
Over 8,400

live creator-style ads

brands running them
714

brands running them

open as a first-person story
60%

open as a first-person story

categories with 20+ brands
8

categories with 20+ brands

The four creator hooks, with real ads

How a creator ad opens decides whether anyone watches the rest. These are the longest-running live examples of each.

First-person story

A creator talks to the camera about their own problem and what fixed it. 60% of live creator ads open this way.

  • OGL

    “found the perfect capsule wardrobe top (i own 3 versions of it lol)”

    469 days live · Video · First-person story hook

    See it in Meta's Ad Library

  • Medicube

    “guess my skin is made of glass now..😮‍💨💥”

    420 days live · Video · First-person story hook

    See it in Meta's Ad Library

Customer quote

A real buyer's words on screen or out loud, usually one short line. 17% of live creator ads open this way.

  • Blissy

    “Now I have to order 2 more cause my husband stole mine”

    471 days live · Video · Customer quote hook

    See it in Meta's Ad Library

  • Béquet Confections

    “Hands down the very best caramels EVER.”

    368 days live · Video · Customer quote hook

    See it in Meta's Ad Library

Demo

Hands and the product: how it works, in the first seconds. 15% of live creator ads open this way.

Before and after

Two states side by side, with the product as the reason for the change. 8% of live creator ads open this way.

Creator ads by category

Each category has at least 20 brands running creator-style ads.

UGC vs. influencer marketing

Both use creators. What the brand pays for is different.

UGC

The brand buys the video and runs it as an ad from its own accounts, to its own targeting. The creator's follower count doesn't matter.

Influencer marketing

The brand pays for a post to the creator's followers. Reach depends on the audience, and the post lives on the creator's account.

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Turn a UGC ad into a landing page

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Frequently asked questions

What does UGC stand for?
UGC stands for user-generated content: photos, videos and reviews made by customers or creators rather than by the brand. In marketing, it usually means short videos brands pay creators to make in that style and run as ads.
Is UGC the same as influencer marketing?
No. Influencer marketing pays for a person's audience: they post to their followers. UGC pays for the content itself: the creator hands over the video and the brand runs it as an ad to its own targeting. Many creators do both.
What makes a UGC ad work?
The first seconds. In the live creator ads we track, 60% open as a first-person story, and the ones brands keep longest make one specific claim in plain words, like “my hands have never looked better,” before showing the product.

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