User-Generated Content(UGC) Stats And Facts – 2025

User-Generated Content (UGC) has evolved from a “nice-to-have” marketing asset into a core growth driver for brands worldwide.

From ecommerce and hospitality to education and NGOs, brands that consistently use UGC outperform those that rely solely on brand-created content.

In an era where consumers distrust ads and seek authenticity, UGC has become the most potent form of social proof.

This blog compiles comprehensive, industry-backed UGC statistics covering trust, authenticity, purchase influence, conversion impact, engagement, and platform-specific insights.

Text vs Image vs Video UGC: What Performs Best?

Not all UGC formats perform the same. Visual and video-based UGC significantly outperform text-only content across engagement, trust, and conversions.

Video UGC Statistics

• User-generated videos generate 6× higher engagement than branded videos
• 70% of Gen Z and 68% of Millennials say UGC videos help them discover new products and services
• 40% of consumers are more likely to purchase after watching a creator review video
• UGC video ads show 35% higher watch-through rates compared to polished brand ads
• Product review videos on YouTube receive 3× longer watch time than traditional ads

✅ Best for: Ads, product pages, social feeds, landing pages
✅ Highest impact category across all channels

Image-Based UGC Statistics

• Visual UGC is 81% more impactful than professionally shot images, according to ecommerce marketers.
• UGC images drive 28% higher engagement on social platforms like Instagram.
• 33% of marketers say UGC images generate the highest customer trust among all visual formats.
• Websites featuring customer images see 90% higher time-on-site.

✅ Best for: Product pages, galleries, review sections, emails
✅ Strong balance of trust + scalability

Text-Based UGC (Reviews & Testimonials

• 92% of people trust reviews more than ads.
• 9 in 10 consumers trust word-of-mouth recommendations.
• Adding reviews to the purchase path increases conversions by 10%.
• Visitors interacting with written UGC convert 102.4% higher than average.

✅ Best for: Decision-stage users, pricing pages, checkout flows.
✅ High trust, lower engagement than visual formats.

UGC & Trust: Why Consumers Believe Other Consumers

Trust is the foundation of every purchase decision and UGC dominates here.

• Almost 92% of people trust reviews and user posts more than advertisements when shopping.
  
• 90% of consumers trust UGC more than traditional advertising.
  
• 60% of consumers believe UGC is the most authentic form of marketing content.
  
• 9 in 10 consumers (92%) trust word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family over all other advertising.

This trust gap between brand messaging and UGC continues to grow every year.

“People don’t buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.” – Seth Godin (Marketing Thought Leader)

“Consumers trust earned media, such as recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising.” – Nielsen (Global Market Research Authority)

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories customers tell.” –Ann Handley (Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs)

UGC & Purchase Influence: How Buying Decisions Are Shaped

UGC doesn’t just build trust — it actively influences what people buy.

• 79% of customers say UGC strongly influences their purchasing decisions
  
• 82% of people consider buying a product after seeing a friend or connection post about it
  
• 70% of Gen Z and 68% of Millennials say UGC videos help them discover new products and services
  
• 40% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product after watching a creator review it in a video

UGC & Conversion Impact: Turning Trust Into Revenue

The most compelling argument for UGC is its direct impact on conversions and revenue.

• UGC delivers 29% higher conversion rates compared to campaigns without UGC.
  
• Visitors who interact with UGC convert at a rate 102.4% higher than average.
  
• Conversions increase by 10% when UGC appears in the online purchase path.
  
• Across industries, people who view UGC convert 161% more than those who don’t.
  
• Featuring UGC increases revenue per visitor by 154%.
  
• Brands using UGC see a 20% increase in ROI compared to branded content.

“Trust is the new currency in business, and authenticity is what earns it.” – Brian Solis (Digital Analyst & Author)

Engagement & Performance Gains From UGC

UGC consistently outperforms brand-created content across engagement metrics.

• UGC increases campaign engagement by an average of 28%.
  
• UGC-based ads generate 4× higher click-through rates.
  
• Ads featuring UGC see a 50% reduction in cost-per-click.
  
• Websites that feature UGC see visitors spend 90% more time on the site.

UGC on Social Media Platforms

Social platforms are where UGC thrives. Each platform shows unique strengths, but one trend is universal: users prefer authentic content over branded messaging.

• 45% of users unfollow brands on social media when posts feel overly self-promotional.
• Brands that share user-generated content on social media see 28% higher engagement compared to posts created by the brand itself.

Instagram UGC Statistics

Instagram remains a leading platform for visual UGC and social commerce.

• UGC posts on Instagram earn 28% more engagement than branded posts.
• 70% of users are more likely to purchase when a product appears in Instagram UGC.
• Instagram leads product discovery through UGC at 62%, followed by Facebook at 53% & TikTok at 52%
• 25% of social media users purchased a product directly from Instagram in 2024
• Instagram Reels outperformed single-image posts by 55% and standard videos by 29% in 2024

TikTok UGC Statistics

TikTok has become one of the most powerful UGC platforms — especially for discovery and authenticity.

• UGC on TikTok is 22% more effective than brand-created video.
• TikTok UGC outperforms, followed by Facebook ads by 32% & Regular ads by 46%
• UGC drives 60% of total TikTok brand engagement.
• 83% of TikTok users say UGC makes brands feel more authentic.
• Brands using UGC see a 35% higher watch-through rate.
• UGC is the best-performing TikTok content type at 56%, followed by Educational content at 16% and Branded challenges at 13%
• 90% of TikTok users trust UGC as of 2026.

YouTube UGC Statistics

YouTube excels at long-form, in-depth user-generated content.

• UGC on YouTube generates 12× more impressions and17× more engagements.
• UGC increases brand trust on YouTube by 68%
• Product-review UGC videos achieve 3× longer watch times
• Users are 98% more likely to trust creator recommendations on YouTube than on other platforms.

Industry-Wise UGC Stats

Ecommerce

• ~35% average lift in engagement/conversion when UGC is implemented on product pages, category pages, and paid creatives.
• Featuring UGC increases revenue per visitor by ~154% (especially when UGC is used on PDPs and shoppable galleries).
• Visitors who interact with UGC convert ~102.4% higher than the site average.

GANT lowered product returns by 5% by using real customer content.
Iconic London increased its conversion rate by 126% with user-generated content.

Hospitality (Hotels, Travel & Vacation Rentals)

• ~30% average lift in booking inquiries conversions when UGC (guest photos, reviews, short clips) is used across listings and OTA profiles.
• Travel UGC increases trust and booking intent travelers rely on guest photos and reviews to judge rooms, amenities and real experiences.

Education (Universities, EdTech, Online Courses)

• ~20% average lift in inquiry application conversions when UGC (student testimonials, class clips, success stories) is used.
• UGC shortens decision cycles by showing real student outcomes and on-campus/in-class experiences.

NGOs & Non-Profits

• ~22% average lift in engagement, donation intent, and campaign shares when UGC (beneficiary stories, volunteer photos, donor shoutouts) is used.
• UGC increases emotional trust and transparency donor stories and beneficiary content boost conversion (donations/volunteer signups).

UGC Performance by Channel: Website vs Ads vs Email vs In-Store

UGC performs differently depending on where it is used. The strongest brands distribute UGC across every customer touchpoint.

1. UGC on Websites

• UGC increases website conversion rates by 29%
• Users who interact with UGC convert 161% more than those who don’t
• Revenue per visitor increases by 154% when UGC is featured
• Visitors spend 90% more time on websites that show UGC
• Product pages with UGC see higher add-to-cart rates and lower bounce rates

2. UGC in Ads (Paid Social & Display)

• UGC ads deliver 4× higher click-through rates
• Ads with UGC see a 50% reduction in cost-per-click
• UGC ads generate 28% higher engagement
• UGC outperforms traditional ads by 46% on TikTok and 32% against Facebook ads
• UGC ads drive 20% higher ROI than brand-created ads

3. UGC in Email Marketing

• Emails including UGC experience higher click-through rates and improved credibility and lower unsubscribe rates
• Visual UGC in promotional emails increases engagement by up to 73% (industry benchmarks)
• Testimonial-driven emails convert better than product-only emails

4. UGC in Physical Stores (In-Store & Omnichannel)

• In-store displays featuring UGC increase purchase confidence
• Shoppers exposed to UGC in-store are more likely to complete purchases or buy higher-priced variants
• QR codes linking to UGC galleries improve engagement and time spent in-store
• Screens showing real customer photos/videos help bridge online-to-offline trust

Conclusion:

UGC is no longer optional. It is a full-funnel growth engine that drives trust, engagement, conversions, and revenue across platforms, industries, and channels.

User-generated content is no longer just a marketing tactic. It has become a core growth strategy. Across industries, platforms, and regions, data consistently shows that brands using UGC perform better than those relying only on brand-created content.

From stronger trust and higher engagement to measurable improvements in conversions and revenue, UGC delivers results that traditional advertising struggles to achieve. Consumers prefer real people, real experiences, and real stories. Brands that highlight these voices build deeper connections and long-term loyalty.

Whether you are an ecommerce brand, service business, education platform, or NGO, the opportunity is clear. Listen to your audience, encourage authentic participation, and amplify real customer stories.

The future of marketing belongs to brands that allow their customers to speak for them.