In recent days, I have come across several posts from brand marketers looking for UGC agencies that can create content”. This is a strange paradox because UGC is User Generated Content, which is not supposed to be paid for. When you pay for it, it comes under Influencer Marketing.

We have reached a weird point in marketing where brands are paying “creators” to pretend they just discovered a product in their kitchen. They may call it UGC, but if it’s scripted, cast by an agency, and filmed by a professional freelancer who doesn’t use the product, then don’t call it a testimonial; call it a low-budget commercial.

Paid UGC (sic) is a great tool for performance ads. But if you want brand loyalty, you need to stop manufacturing “authenticity” and start cultivating it.

The 4 Types of Real UGC

👉 The “Problem/Solution” Swap: A customer showing their “before” (the struggle) and their “after” (using your product). This is the gold standard for conversion.
👉 The Unboxing: Not much talking, just the raw sounds of the packaging, the joy of exploring, and the first-use experience. It’s oddly satisfying and highly clickable.
👉 The Genuine Use: Short, aesthetic clips of the product being used in a real, cluttered, lived-in environment. No ring lights, just real life.
👉 The “Life Hack” or Tutorial: Real users finding creative ways to use your product.

Real organic UGC carries a “Trust Premium” that money can’t buy. Customers can smell a paid testimonial from a mile away.

Of course, it is not easy to collate authentic content. It can be done in these three ways:

1️⃣ Incentivize, don’t commission: Offer loyalty points or “VIP status” to actual customers. This ensures the creator is a genuine fan.
2️⃣ Post-Purchase Trigger: Use automated flows to ask for a video 7 days after delivery. Ask them to show, not just tell. The practice of asking for a testimonial or creating a case study after a deal is signed is pretty common in B2B space.
3️⃣ The “Raw” Story: When a customer tags you in a grainy 15-second Story, use it. Those unpolished ones feel more like a recommendation.

The bottom line is that Paid UGC is for conversion and therefore you should compare its ROAS with performance ads. Organic UGC is for connection.

If you are only focussing on “paid UGC”, then you are building a funnel not a brand.

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This article was first published on LinkedIn in January 2026. Link here.