As brands continue to fight for your attention at every second of the day, consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of who and where they get their messages from. Sponsored and in-house content just doesn’t get the same response from consumers as it used to; these trends point to a need for authenticity, transparency, and interactivity in modern marketing.

User-generated content, or UGC, offers all of these qualities and more. Instead of creating sponsored content, leveraging your audience’s creativity on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, and more can lead to a more positive brand image while saving you time and resources. This blog post delves into some of the pros and cons of user-generated content: what should you be excited– or not so excited– about when it comes to interacting with your audience?

Some of the pros of user-generated content include:

1. Authentic, user-endorsed content.
2. Low-cost advertising solutions.

Some of the cons of user-generated content include:

1. Misaligned brand messaging.
2. Negative feedback, including the possibility of negative virality.

One of the greatest draws of UGC is the potential to make authentic connections with audiences. Whereas sponsored content (commercials, social media posts, etc.) is usually more polished and professional, UGC is generally produced by users with more limited access to professional content creation software. Moreover, users aren’t limited by the constraints of professional language and jargon that companies are. This makes the content more believable and authentic, creating a sense of credibility that traditional marketing messages usually struggle to achieve.

In general, users tend to trust and relate to accounts of real people who use a product or service. Influencer endorsements are a popular and proven way to drive UGC; finding and collaborating with online creators, especially those whose brand authentically aligns with yours, can go a long way towards building a positive relationship with a shared audience.

Whereas paid marketing campaigns often require a huge commitment of time and money, user-generated content has the potential to generate higher returns for a lower cost. Leveraging your audience’s creativity and talent with UGC can open up your brand to new opportunities for collaboration, promotion, and outreach, all while saving valuable resources that can be spent making your product or service even better.

One easy, cost-effective way to get your foot in the door with UGC is to commission artists and other UGC creators online. Depending on content and skill level, a professional UGC campaign from a reputable company like iStudios Media can cost around $1,000; however, many online creators charge between $50 and $200 per piece of UGC. This strategy is extremely cost-effective compared to the astronomical costs  of an in-house production, and is more likely to produce a positive reaction from audiences who trust the authenticity of UGC.

Authenticity is the cornerstone of any UGC campaign, and its importance cannot be understated; but authenticity, by definition, implies a lack of moderation and control over your brand image. This can be a major drawback for strategies that rely on UGC to solidify a brand image, particularly when dealing with an audience that isn’t already familiar with– or has mixed feelings about– your company and its values.

In UGC campaigns, users may create content that confuses the brand’s messaging or otherwise doesn’t align with its values. Although this is normal in smaller cases, a large amount of misaligned messaging can create confusion and backlash, especially when your company’s core values do not align with the values your audience has assigned to it.

As is the case with any form of online interaction, not everyone will have nice things to say about you or your brand. Letting your audience directly interact with your brand in the form of UGC opens up the door for all kinds of feedback– both positive and negative. While negative feedback is inevitable, and can even be helpful when given constructively, a high ratio of negative to positive feedback can seriously harm your brand’s reputation.

Negative Virality

In a world where new content goes viral every single day, negative virality is a serious danger that brands face when it comes to user-generated content. It only takes one piece of negative UGC to go viral and do some real damage to your brand image. Whereas long-standing corporate giants can easily shake off a case of negative virality, a sudden influx of negative feedback can put smaller businesses and corporations in serious danger; if handled especially poorly, it might even spell the end of an otherwise successful business venture.

Leveraging user-generated content is ultimately a high-risk, high-reward venture that can make a huge impact on your brand marketing. Here are some things you can do to get the most out of your audience’s UGC:

1. Respect your audience.
2. Create content to inspire your audience, not pander to them.
3. Embrace constructive feedback.
4. Make positive interactions often and frequent.
5. Remember that negative feedback is normal.

Although user-generated content can be a rewarding component of any marketing venture, it’s important to remember that relying on UGC ultimately places your brand at the mercy of your audience. Inspiring real people to create UGC that authentically reflects your brand image is a matter of building trust and respect with the audiences who matter most.