What is TikTok UGC, and why are brands shifting their digital strategies to include it? On TikTok, user-generated content (UGC) has emerged as a marketing powerhouse—blurring the line between entertainment and advertisement. Unlike polished influencer campaigns, TikTok UGC is raw, real, and relatable.
Everyday users record themselves using products or sharing genuine opinions, and this authenticity-first approach resonates deeply with the platform’s audience.
UGC on TikTok isn't just a trend; it's changing how brands connect with audiences. According to research, 79% of consumers say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions, with TikTok being the top platform for UGC-driven product discovery among Gen Z and Millennials.
TikTok UGC, or User-Generated Content, refers to videos made by everyday users—rather than brands or professional influencers—sharing their authentic experiences with a product, service, or brand. These videos are often informal, recorded on a phone, and feature real opinions, reactions, or results.
What makes TikTok UGC so powerful is that it comes across as genuine. It doesn’t try to sell you something overtly—it just shows someone using or talking about a product naturally. And on TikTok, that kind of honesty goes a long way.
TikTok’s algorithm is all about surfacing content that feels real and relatable. It favors videos that spark genuine engagement—likes, comments, shares—over polished ads or overly produced posts. That’s why UGC thrives on the platform: the more authentic and spontaneous your video feels, the more likely it is to get picked up and shown to a wider audience.
Typical TikTok UGC can take a lot of different forms. Some users jump on viral challenges, while others create duets, stitch other videos, or hop on trending sounds and memes. Whether it’s an unboxing, a quick review, or showing off how they use a product in real life, UGC blends naturally into the feed—making it easier for brands to connect without feeling salesy.
In 2025, TikTok continues to be a pivotal platform for brands looking to leverage User-Generated Content (UGC) to enhance engagement, drive traffic, and build brand loyalty. The TikTok algorithm rewards authentic, organic content, making UGC an ideal approach for brands to connect with younger, highly engaged audiences.
Encouraging users to create content around a branded hashtag remains one of the most effective ways to generate UGC. For example, Chipotle’s #GuacDance challenge encouraged users to dance for free guacamole, which not only boosted engagement but also led to a massive surge in TikTok interactions and real-world sales.
Partnering with popular TikTok influencers or creators like Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae can amplify UGC campaigns. Influencers often inspire their millions of followers to create their own videos, generating authentic content that aligns with the brand’s message.
As consumers trust content from peers over traditional ads, brands are increasingly sharing testimonial videos and user reviews. Companies like Fenty Beauty leverage real customers' videos, building trust and showcasing real-life product effectiveness.
In 2025, TikTok’s advanced video editing tools and features such as Duets and Stitch provide brands with creative ways to engage with UGC. Brands encourage users to remix their official content with their own unique spin, further driving interaction and expanding reach.
Incentivizing UGC by offering rewards—whether discounts, exclusive products, or recognition—remains a powerful strategy. For instance, Sephora and Starbucks reward customers with loyalty points or product giveaways for submitting UGC, which keeps the content cycle continuous.
While influencer content is created by individuals with an established following—often as part of a paid campaign—user-generated content (UGC) typically comes from everyday users who share their experiences more organically. However, UGC can also be compensated, especially when brands encourage users to create content through incentives, gifted products, or paid collaborations.
Influencer content tends to be more polished, curated, and brand-driven, while UGC usually feels more spontaneous, authentic, and relatable. That said, influencers can also produce UGC, particularly in gifted collaborations where they share their honest opinions without being directly paid for promotion.
The key difference lies in the intent behind the content and the perceived authenticity: UGC often prioritizes genuine experiences, while influencer content is usually tied more closely to brand partnerships and marketing goals.
There are multiple reasons to use TikTok UGC as a brand, and we'll explore them below.
In the past year, 60% of consumers mentioned revealed that they believe UGC to be the most trustworthy form of marketing content. When people see others like them using a product or sharing a positive experience, it builds trust.
It’s not a brand telling you how great it is—it’s someone who chose to talk about it on their own terms. That makes the message more believable.
Many people associate TikTok with the dancing videos that instantly went viral at the start of the platform's boom. However, over time, it has become filled with short, concise videos of people sharing all kinds of experiences, such as those related to products or services.
When users come across pieces of UGC related to brands or businesses, it doesn't feel forced, as it's a common occurrence on the platform. This is a positive point because the content isn't disruptive or seemingly inauthentic, but quite the opposite.
TikTok UGC often sparks conversation. Users comment with questions, share the video with friends, or even create their own version of the content. That level of interaction boosts reach and keeps the momentum going.
Apart from that, around 86% of social media users said that they are most likely to purchase a product after seeing a UGC review, showcasing its massive impact. When someone sees a real person using your product, it helps them visualize it in their own lives—which can directly lead to clicks, conversions, and sales.
UGC is more cost-effective than other types of marketing campaigns because it stems from the content users create. You can encourage UGC by leaving messages after a person purchases, inviting them to leave their opinions, or with strategies from the brand's social media, such as promoting certain hashtags.
In some cases, it can be carried out by influencers, but it's better to do so through gifting rather than paid collaborations, as the content creator may feel pressured to give an entirely positive opinion and may not feel as free to comment on your product, thereby diminishing their credibility.
While UGC is mostly created organically by users who choose to share their experiences on TikTok, there are different ways to actively encourage it from your brand. This motivates people to share their experiences and makes the content feel authentic and trustworthy.
Many brands offer discount codes if people share videos using their products on TikTok. This is a great option because it doesn't mean the person is a brand ambassador or affiliate. They're simply people who purchased the product and share honest reviews after using it, in exchange for a discount on future purchases.
You can use a tool to find content influencers on TikTok and target those who are nano or micro influencers. Review their profiles, and if they have posts about products or services but aren't ads, then they share UGC regularly.
You can reach out to them and suggest sending them brand products in exchange for sharing their real opinions on TikTok, without compromising or conditioning what they can say. At this point, be sure to be attentive throughout the entire process—from outreach, product delivery, to the completion of the test—to ensure better results.
Running campaigns with a UGC focus will increase the chances that people will want to share their experiences on TikTok. For this, promoting certain hashtags is the most useful because you can then find all the content in one place.
Some examples of useful hashtags are:
"#[Brand Name]+Haul"
"#[Brand Name]+Review"
"#[Brand Name]+Favorites"
"#[Brand Name]+test"
"#[Brand Name]+newproduct"
However, you can also create other hashtags that include more specific aspects of your brand, such as a slogan or product names.
Another great way to boost TikTok UGC is by repurposing content that your customers have already posted. If someone tags your brand or uses your hashtag while showing off your product, that’s a golden opportunity to reshare it on your own channels—especially if the content feels authentic and aligns with your brand voice.
Make sure you have permission before reposting. Just because someone tags your brand doesn’t automatically mean you can use their content in your marketing. A simple DM asking for consent is usually enough, and it shows respect for the creator.
You’ll also want to keep legal considerations in mind, especially if you plan to use the content in paid campaigns or on your website. We’ll break down some quick legal tips for using TikTok UGC later in this article—so you can protect your brand and your relationships with creators.
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Brands can tap into TikTok UGC to boost their influencer marketing strategies in a way that feels more authentic—and gets better results. Instead of just running traditional ads, brands can partner with creators to make content that looks and feels like it belongs on TikTok.
The first step is knowing what you want to achieve. Are you aiming for brand awareness, engagement, conversions—or a mix of all three? Setting clear goals and KPIs helps you shape your UGC strategy and measure success from the start.
Not all creators are the right fit. Research is key: look for people whose content already feels natural, relatable, and aligned with your brand’s vibe. The goal is to find creators who can seamlessly integrate your product into their usual style, without it feeling forced.
When you partner with creators—whether through gifted collaborations, paid partnerships, or a callout for organic content—it’s important to let them be themselves. The more the video feels like their content, the more authentic (and effective) it will be.
TikTok moves fast, and so should your strategy. Keep an eye on your KPIs and be ready to tweak your approach based on what’s resonating. The best UGC campaigns stay flexible and adapt to what the audience loves in real time.
When brands have the opportunity to invite users to create content to share on TikTok, they can follow these best practices to get the most out of it. These best practices aren't limited to collaborations through gifting or other methods—they apply to all the different ways of requesting and using UGC.
Encourage users to share real, detailed experiences with your product—from the moment they ordered, to unboxing, and even their first impressions using it. Let them know it’s okay (and even better) to include imperfections or unexpected moments. That kind of honesty resonates with TikTok audiences and builds trust in your brand.
Help users understand that TikTok isn’t the place for long-form content. Let them know their video doesn’t need to be lengthy—under 2 minutes is ideal. Suggest they open with a strong hook in the first few seconds to grab attention, and keep the tone conversational and relatable.
If they need more time, they should include a teaser for a second part. This is only recommended if truly necessary, as TikTok users have shown their dissatisfaction with TikTok content that goes on in endless video streams.
While you don’t want to script their content or make it feel like an ad, you can offer creative suggestions when you send them the product or brief. Let them know that it’s helpful to share where they got the product, how others can get it, or why they’d recommend it.
A subtle CTA goes a long way in turning viewers into curious potential customers—without sacrificing the authenticity that makes UGC so effective in the first place.
When you find great UGC, it’s tempting to share it right away on your brand’s TikTok, Instagram, or even your website. But before you do, make sure you have permission.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—both organic and paid UGC have their place. The best choice depends on your goals, budget, and how fast you want to scale.
Organic UGC happens when real users share content about your brand without being paid. It’s harder to control, but when it happens naturally, it’s incredibly powerful. It feels real because it is real—and that kind of trust is hard to buy.
Paid UGC lets you work with creators to craft content that still feels organic, but with more control and direction. You can align the message with your goals, hit deadlines, and ensure brand consistency—plus, you can boost it through ads for more reach.
Ideally, a mix of both. Organic UGC builds long-term brand credibility, while paid UGC helps you scale what works. Use organic to learn what resonates, then double down on that content with a paid strategy.
Creating or encouraging UGC on TikTok is a smart move—but to know if it’s really working, you need to track the right metrics. These will help you understand how your content is performing, what kind of impact it's having, and how to improve future campaigns.
Here are the key metrics to watch:
Start by looking at how many people are seeing your UGC. TikTok’s algorithm favors engaging content, so if your videos are getting views beyond your follower count, that’s a good sign they’re being picked up and pushed by the platform.
Tracking reach also helps you see how many unique users your campaign is touching—which is especially important if you’re trying to grow brand awareness.
This metric shows how people are interacting with the content. It’s not just about views—what matters is whether viewers are taking action. High engagement rates typically indicate that the content feels relatable or valuable. Comments can also provide direct feedback about what users liked, didn’t like, or want to see more of.
If you’re running a hashtag challenge or campaign encouraging people to post about your brand, count how many people are actually participating. This metric is crucial—it shows how effective your incentive or prompt is.
The more UGC created, the more touchpoints you have with potential customers, and the more social proof you generate.
Keep an eye on the total views and usage of any campaign-specific hashtags you launch (e.g., #BrandReview or #YourBrandNameHaul). TikTok shows the number of views a hashtag has received, which gives a great snapshot of how far your message is spreading.
If your TikTok UGC campaign is resonating with people, chances are they’ll want to see more from you. That often translates into new followers. A spike in followers during or shortly after a UGC campaign can show that your content is not only reaching people—but making them stick around.
This one depends on your campaign goal. If you're driving traffic from TikTok to your site, track how many users are clicking your profile link, visiting your site, and actually making a purchase or signing up for something. You can use a custom link with UTM parameters or TikTok’s own pixel to better understand the journey from content to conversion.
Now that you know the best practices for running a TikTok UGC campaign, and what metrics you can use to evaluate its success, we can explore some of the most successful campaigns of recent years.
The snack brand Lay's regularly launches new flavors, but it's true that it's a very competitive industry where it competes with other brands and even its own products. For this reason, in recent years they've developed multiple creative campaigns with UGC, which fostered sharing and engagement with the public.
They recently launched a #DoUsAFlavor campaign on TikTok, where people pitched flavor ideas through videos on the platform. This was complemented by videos of celebrities and influencers reacting to these flavors with people who came up with them, garnering millions of views across the videos.
This campaign was successful because it leveraged the buzz created on TikTok through the hashtag, not only to generate engagement with its customers but also expectations for its upcoming product launch. People were invested in the campaign, with users voting (also through TikTok interactions) for their favorite flavors.
Tiktok users felt they had a stake in the ability to choose this new product, making the comments and interactions genuine. This campaign was so successful that it has been running annually, which keeps the hashtag and Lay's trending.
We understand that giving users so much power—to create a product variant—can be a lot for brands that don't have the infrastructure Lay's has. However, you can run a UGC campaign on TikTok where people can vote and give their opinions on the packaging, what product they would add to your brand, and more.
This will help you get new ideas, but also help you understand what your audience is expecting from your brand that they haven't received yet. It's one of the best forms of feedback you can receive because it's about generating new things, not criticizing what already exists.
The makeup industry is full of brands fighting for the same target audience. Some, however, are pigeonholed into categories that brands don't like, such as being too expensive or only for people in a certain age range—when they aren't targeting that at all.
Laura Mercier was tackling this, as well as other makeup industry clichés, with the UGC TikTok campaign "#ReadySetGo." In it, they invited brand users to share videos of their transformations using their products, with the chance to be one of the random winners of a branded product kit.
The hashtag was used by thousands of people, and also promoted by influencers working as Laura Mercier brand ambassadors and affiliates. This helped it reach the right niche and spread, primarily among young women, although men and people of all ages joined in with #ReadySetGo.
The campaign was effective because Laura Mercier products received enormous attention, and the brand only paid for one product kit they were giving away. It was also the perfect way to show that their makeup worked on real skin, and no filters were needed to show their effects.
Laura Mercier's TikTok UGC campaign is an example of how giveaways can be run on this platform. It's more than just leaving comments or sharing, but it helps you generate a high amount of UGC and traffic on your brand's social media.
You don't need a huge investment; giving away brand products is enough. It can also be applied to different niches, playing with the type of content people have to upload to win.
Chipotle launched the hashtag #chipotlelidflip on TikTok, where a brand employee demonstrated how to flip the lid of a Chipotle bowl, inviting people to test their skills and add their own creative twist.
The hashtag was a hit, garnering more than 10,000 views in the first few hours on TikTok. This made the brand's image, and one of its main products, populate the entire platform, prompting people to want to try it. Plus, it was an easy challenge to recreate, as users only needed to purchase the bowl and record themselves with their phone to do it.
The challenge was created organically, as people wanted to see if they could recreate what the Chipotle employee did. But to do so, they had to buy Chipotle bowls, which caused sales of those products—previously overshadowed by burritos and tacos—to spike.
It also increased the brand's presence on TikTok, with more than 34,000 users uploading videos using the hashtag #chipotlelidflip. Influencers, celebrities, and even football teams joined the challenge, without costing Chipotle a cent.
Challenges need to be fun and genuinely engaging for people, so they feel excited to try them themselves. You can find a creative angle no matter what type of product you sell: if you sell furniture, it could be a fast-assembly challenge; if it’s clothing, it could be an outfit styling challenge.
Challenges are successful when they test people’s skills, and the products become tools to help them take on that challenge. But that doesn’t mean the product takes a backseat—it always remains at the center.
As TikTok keeps evolving, so should your UGC strategy. In 2025, brands that win on the platform are the ones that lean into authenticity, stay on top of trends, and let their audience be part of the conversation.
Users scroll past anything that feels too much like an ad. The most effective UGC in 2025 will look native to TikTok—raw, unfiltered, and real. Let creators speak in their own voice, and don’t over-script.
Long-term partnerships are in. Instead of one-off posts, brands are teaming up with creators who genuinely love their product and can talk about it naturally over time. That consistency builds trust with their audience.
Jumping on TikTok trends works—but adding a unique brand spin is what makes it memorable. Encourage creators to blend trending sounds or formats with your product story.
A strong 2025 strategy blends both: start with organic UGC to test what works, then amplify top-performing videos with Spark Ads or paid campaigns. Let data guide where to invest.
In a digital landscape shaped by authenticity, TikTok UGC stands out as a powerful tool for brands to connect with modern audiences. As shown by successful campaigns from Laura Mercier, Lay’s, and Chipotle, creator-driven content not only boosts engagement but builds lasting trust.
By sourcing genuine voices and repurposing content strategically, brands can unlock scalable, high-performing campaigns. Ultimately, embracing UGC isn’t just a trend—it’s a winning strategy for relevance and growth in today’s competitive market.
While both involve third-party content, UGC is typically created by everyday users or micro-creators without formal brand deals, while influencer marketing usually includes paid partnerships with creators who have larger followings and specific deliverables.
Small brands can incentivize customers with product giveaways, feature their content on official pages, or use trending challenges to encourage organic participation—maximizing visibility without hefty ad spend.
Always seek permission from the creator before repurposing their content. Use TikTok’s Creator Marketplace or contracts for commercial use to avoid copyright or usage rights issues.
Key metrics include engagement rate (likes, comments, shares), reach, user participation, brand mentions, and conversions (link clicks, purchases). Use TikTok Analytics or third-party tools to track performance.
Yes! While B2C brands dominate TikTok, B2B companies can still leverage UGC through behind-the-scenes content, team member storytelling, and customer testimonials that humanize their brand.
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