How is UGC used in social media? Images, videos, product reviews, testimonials, or podcasts (Which is working best for you?)

[OnlySweatie_2489]

Back in 2022 I remember when I was a SM manager. So the principal thing to do when it comes to organic content is Building your personal brand! Bcs after that you’re going to have a trusted audience over time and then you could sell anything. Drop me a DM if any help needed, I’d like to share my experience so that people avoid the mistakes I’ve made 🙌

[Worldly-Strain-8858]

In our experience, videos and short-form clips outperform everything else on engagement and trust, especially on Instagram and TikTok. Seeing real people use the product, unboxing, or sharing quick tips feels authentic and relatable. Images and reviews help build credibility, but they don’t get the same reach or shareability as video content.

Testimonials work best when integrated into videos, a 15 to 30 second clip of someone talking about the product naturally converts way better than a static text review. Podcasts are great for niche audiences, but not ideal for discovery or social engagement.

So if we had to pick one thing for social media right now: UGC video content is king.

[navijokovik]

From what I’ve seen, videos and customer testimonials work best across most platforms — especially short-form UGC on Instagram Reels or TikTok. They tend to feel more authentic and drive higher engagement compared to static images or text reviews.

One thing that really helped me boost trust was embedding UGC directly on my website using a tool like Tagembed. It lets you collect and display real customer posts, reviews, or videos from different platforms in one clean feed. That way, your website visitors can actually *see* authentic user experiences, not just read about them.

So even if your UGC performs great on social, showcasing it on your site gives it extra visibility and credibility.

[RealisticGas7455]

videos win every time — especially short-form ones that feel like real customer moments, not ads. images and testimonials still help for trust, but nothing builds connection faster than seeing someone actually use or react to the product.

on tiktok and reels, raw UGC clips with quick hooks and emotion outperform polished content easily.

if you’re testing what works best, analyze your videos (e.g. w tools like creafico, etc.) to see which ones keep ppl watching longest — that’s the real metric behind engagement and trust.

Hope this helps !! 🙂

[Master-Ad3175]

We use ugc mostly on tiktok but also on X if there is a good orange mention with a photo or an interesting story

[daisysmith786]

I’ve been helping brands with UGC for a few years now and I’d say it’s all about how authentic your stuff feels. Raw clips from customers using products in their own space totally outperform anything scripted. TikTok especially rewards this type of content. Even if the lighting is bad or the audio is a bit off, the “realness” of it actually builds trust.

Product reviews can be helpful, but viewers get used to written testimonials and kind of skim past them. Podcasts are tough for reach unless you already have a big following, so I use those as a bonus but not as a main thing. On Instagram Reels, quick clips of people unboxing or showing a “problem solved” moment get the highest saves and shares for me. I usually DM happy customers after they tag us and ask if I can reuse their clip, which they like.

In my experience, you can’t really fake the customer excitement—when it’s real, people notice.

[ninehz]

User-Generated Content (UGC) is widely used on social media to increase engagement, build trust, and create authentic brand experiences. Brands leverage different types of UGC depending on their audience, platform, and goals. Here’s a breakdown of how each type works:

Images:

The most common form of UGC on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Works well for visually-driven campaigns, product showcases, and lifestyle content.

Highly shareable and easy for followers to engage with.

Videos:

Includes short-form clips, tutorials, unboxings, or Reels/TikToks.

Videos are extremely engaging and help demonstrate product use or experiences.

They often get higher reach due to social media algorithms favoring video content.

Product Reviews:

Shared on social platforms, e-commerce sites, or community pages.

Builds trust and credibility, as potential customers often rely on peer opinions before purchasing.

Testimonials:

Can be written or recorded video messages from satisfied customers.

Highly effective for converting leads, as they add a personal, authentic touch.

Podcasts:

Less common as UGC but growing in popularity for niche communities.

Works well for thought leadership, storytelling, or detailed discussions about products/services.

Which works best?

Images and short videos tend to perform best on social media for engagement and reach, especially on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Product reviews and testimonials are more effective for conversion and trust-building, particularly for e-commerce brands.

[TatianaLozano_1]

I work at a UGC platform called Flowbox and we have clients from a lot of different industries. Some of the insights I can take out is that “experiential” formats like reviews, testimonials, creator showing how to use the product, giving tips, etc, are great to build trust and can really mark the difference between conversion and no conversion.

The most important thing though is really how you use UGC: why limit it to social media when you can make it a part of your entire customer journey? Putting customer’s voices in the homepage, product pages, even abandoned cart emails is a great way to keep people engaged on the site and convince them to convert. UGC is a world to explore, don’t limit it to just one channel!