How UGC Style Ads Can Transform Your Brand’s Social Presence
When The Whole Truth, a food brand, switched to UGC, they found out that featuring customer reviews and influencer endorsements performed 2.8 times better than their brand video.
This is not just luck. It is a fundamental shift in how advertising will function in 2025. This shift says – the spotlight is no longer on the brand, but on the people who use it. It is finally time when the pixelated ads and creative graffiti no longer cut through the noise. Customers now want to hear authentic voices, see genuine reactions like UGC style ads, and connect with stories they can trust.
This is the new age of marketing – one where creator-led storytelling takes the centre stage. Want to know more about? Read this blog.
What Are UGC Style Ads (And Why Brands Are Obsessed With Them)?
User-generated content ads are not just a casual customer shot video. Instead, they are strategically picked from various UGC videos that blend authenticity with marketing.
Unlike the traditional commercials, UGC style ads showcase real people sharing their honest experiences with a product or a service, whether it’s a quick unboxing, a genuine reaction, or a relatable day-in-the-life moment. These ads don’t feel like ads because they are not scripted or overly refined. Instead, they capture the raw, trustworthy voice of everyday users and creators.
But why are brands so obsessed with UGC-style video ads? It boils down to one simple truth – people trust people, not the scripted and unrealistic ads. Studies show that consumers are far more likely to engage with and believe recommendations from real people than they are with corporate messages. This trust translates into higher engagement, better recall, and ultimately, stronger conversions.
UGC Style ads boast a 4x higher click-through rate (CTR)
Timeline – The Evolution Of User-Generated Content
How Brands Can Leverage UGC Style Ads to Win in the Feed
Here is how brands can leverage UGC-style ads to win. We will also provide you with million million-dollar idea to employ user-generated content video ads.
1. Turn Customers into Creators
Happiest customers are the best storytellers. If you wish to leverage UGC style ads to win, you have to turn them into creators. Here is how you can do it:
- Encourage your customers to create videos and photos around your product or services.
- You can also offer incentives and discounts to create UGC for your products.
- Spotlight them in your brand’s social channels or UGC campaigns, and the recognition itself often inspires more content creation. For example, you can embed UGC videos on your website to improve the credibility for your target audience.
Here is a million-dollar idea that you can implement to leverage this tactic! A coffee brand that runs the Brew With Us campaign, where customers would create a video making their morning coffee. The best one will be featured on the Instagram handle and the website.
2. Collaborate with Micro-Creators
Micro creators are influencers with highly engaged followers; they excel at producing relatable, niche content. To begin with, you can start with creators who align with your brand identity. When The Whole Truth, a food brand, switched to UGC, they found out that featuring. After all, every netizen has a different pattern of content consumption.
Here is a million-dollar idea that you can implement to leverage this tactic! A skincare brand partners with a micro-creator who’s known for her “morning skincare routine” videos. She casually includes the brand’s serum in her regular lineup, sharing why she loves it, without breaking her natural content flow. The result? Higher engagement and more meaningful conversions than a glossy product ad.
3. Repurpose Organic UGC into Paid Ads
Chances are, your brand already has a goldmine of authentic content floating around the internet; you need to turn it into ads that convert.
Start by mining your tagged posts, branded hashtags, customer-generated content, reviews, unboxing videos, and more. These organic moments are often far more engaging than the studio-shot ads because they show the product in a real-life use case.
With Tagbox, you can collect, curate, and get legal rights to repurpose user-generated content in your ad campaigns. This social media aggregator allows you to showcase the best UGC on various marketing channels, such as websites, emails, and screens.
Example: A DTC fitness brand takes a customer’s TikTok “first workout in months” video using their resistance bands, adds a subtle call-to-action, and runs it as a Meta ad. The result? Lower cost-per-click and double the engagement compared to their polished studio ad.
Brand Benefits: Why UGC Style Ads Convert Better Than Traditional Ads
Here are some of the reasons why UGC style ads convert better than traditional ads:
1. Authenticity builds instant credibility
The audience can spot a staged ad from a mile away. UGC ads feature real customers and creators, which immediately feels more genuine and relatable. When people see someone like themselves enjoying your product, they are more likely to trust the message and the brand.
Note: Nielsen research shows 92% of consumers trust recommendations from individuals over brands, even if they don’t know them personally.
2. Higher Engagement And Longer Watch Time
UGC Style videos seem like regular videos; users are more inclined to stop scrolling and watch. They don’t trigger “ad fatigue” the way overly polished commercials can.
Note: Topkee Online (June 2025) reports that creator-led Reels ads achieve 30–50% higher click-through rates compared to standard video ads on Facebook and Instagram
3. Lower Cost, Higher ROI ad production
A single studio shoot can cost thousands in production, editing, and revisions. In contrast, UGC style ads can be created quickly by real users or micro influencers at a fraction of the price, and often outperform the expensive campaigns.
Performance comparison: UGC ad vs brand ad (real data or examples)
When brand A/B tests their UGC style ads against their polished branded ads. Time and again, UGC style ads have won the battle.
- Click Through Rate: UGC video ads have been shown to deliver up to 4× higher CTR compared to average brand ads, while reducing CPC by 50%.
- Return On Ads Spend: Brands incorporating UGC report a 4.5× improvement in ROAS over traditional campaigns.
- Conversion Rate: G-Star RAW tested UGC in their dynamic product ads and saw a 14% increase in CTR, 18% higher conversion rate, and 16% better ROAS
Types of UGC Style Ads Brands Can Use
Not all UGC style ads are the same. Here are five high-impact formats brands can test.
1. Problem-Solution Demo Videos
This is a type of UGC where the user initially faces a problem and then shows how your product/service solves it.
Example: A haircare brand showing “frizz in the morning,” followed by the serum to fix it.
2. Reaction/Testimonial Clips
Capture a genuine excitement and relief after receiving or unboxing the product.
Example: A gamer reacting live to their first session with a new console.
3. Unboxing & First Impressions
The joy of opening a new purchase gets old, and the audience loves living that experience with the creators.
4. Before vs After Transformations
This is perfect for brands that are in the fitness industry. Customers love to see what transformation the product has made in the users’ lives.
Example: Use the visuals of before and after of the users; this can tell a story in seconds without using any words.
5. Day in the life with your product
Show how your products fit into the real life of a user. This makes it engaging and relatable.
Example: Use the b-roll of using a facewash, talking about its benefits for a particular skin type.
Behind The Scenes: How to Build a UGC Style Ad Strategy
Creating UGC style video ads is not random; it’s about structuring moments that feel realistic and authentic. Here is a clear road map on how you can create a UGC Style ad strategy.
1. Discover & Curate Content
Start by finding the user-generated content that already exists.
With Tagbox, you can collect content from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more, all of it in one place. For example, you can use the Instagram hashtag aggregator of Tagbox and aggregate all the content made under your brand hashtag. Filter all the content based on your brand requirements, authenticity, quality, and relevance to your brand’s voice. Prioritize content that feels natural but still communicates your product benefits clearly.
2. Get Permissions Easily
Reusing user-generated content is risky. Tagbox UGC rights management feature simplifies the process by sending automated UGC rights acquisition requests to the creators. Once the request is approved, you can use them as UGC style ads across emails, website, and marketing touchpoints.
Why Taggbox Is the Ultimate Tool for Running UGC Style Ads
The magic of UGC style ads lies in authenticity, but behind the scenes, you need a systematic strategy to make it work.
1. Collect UGC at Scale From All Platforms
With Tagbox, you can pull in content from various social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more. Users can also search content via mentions, hashtags, handles, and other relevant keywords. This means no screenshotting from social media and trying to put it on your website.
2. Instantly Get Rights & Organize Assets
Reposting a creator’s content without permission is risky. Tagbox’s UGC Rights Management feature sends automated permission requests to creators, tracks approvals, and stores rights status alongside each asset. You know precisely what you can legally use and where.
3. Plug into your ad channels (Meta, TikTok, etc.)
Once your content is approved, you can use it for your ads and shoppable media.
4. Make Your Ads Feel Human, Without Chaos
UGC style ads work because they feel real, but consistency still matters. Tagbox lets you add light edits, captions, or branding elements while keeping the natural tone of the content. This ensures your ads feel authentic and recognizable as part of your brand.
UGC Style ads boast a 4x higher click-through rate (CTR)
Creative Tips: Make UGC Style Ads That Don’t Feel Like Ads
Here are some of the tips that can help you make your UGC style ads that do not feel like ads.
1. Use real language, not marketing jargon
Using everyday language instead of corporate jargon makes your ads feel like genuine recommendations, not forced promotions. This will help you boost audience trust.
2. Keep it vertical, raw, and mobile-first
Vertical, raw mobile-first videos fit seamlessly into social feeds. This makes them less disruptive and more likely to be watched in full. UGC is favoured for its perceived authenticity. When you use the vertical, it appears to be raw and relatable.
3. Subtitles Are A Must
Subtitles make your content accessible to everyone, even those who watch these videos on mute. This also helps to remove the language barrier, allowing viewers from different regions to comprehend the content.
4. Don’t Script, Prompt Instead
Instead of providing a script to your creators, try to provide them prompts, scenarios, or questions that spark genuine reactions. This allows them to speak in their own voice, using their mannerisms, which makes the content feel authentic rather than rehearsed.
Final Take: Let Your Customers Do the Talking
Empowering your customers to share their experiences can be one of the most effective strategies for building trust and credibility in your brand. By letting your voices resonate, you enhance your reputation and also create a community of loyal advocates. Remember, genuine testimonials and feedback provide invaluable insights that can guide your business decisions and improve your offerings. So, take a step back and let your customers do the talking; their stories may just become your most powerful marketing tool.
