Guide to UGC Platforms: Top Channels to Leverage in 2025

First, let’s talk about what UGC is. User-generated content, or UGC, can be anything that someone outside the company created. This includes reviews, testimonials, unboxings, social media posts, comments, stories and memes. UGC platforms are simply the tools and channels that allow you to post these.

With the shifts in browsing behavior to focus on more engaging formats, short-form and video-first content seem to be integral to the best platforms for UGC creators today. Most companies use a mix of organic and incentivized or branded UGCs, which allows them to let their audiences be heard while still taking control of the narrative.

We believe that in the future, most companies won’t survive without UGC. It would be like hosting a talk show with no audience — who would you be talking to? UGC platforms for brands are simply non-negotiable for a successful company, as this content has become an expectation rather than a bonus.

However, for the sake of the discussion, let’s pretend that you’re the first in your industry to use UGC platforms. Even with no competition, it’s still worth it! Here are some of the many ways UGC can help your brand and even your profitability.

It Builds Social Proof and Authenticity

People may not take your word for how awesome your product is, but they may believe another user. And with UGC platforms helping them discover each other, you’ll be able to improve your social proof.

Whether it’s a TikTok video, an Instagram story or even a short review on Facebook, it all helps you achieve the same goal. UGC platforms take the brand down from the ivory tower, making it seem more accessible. Every user who creates content that benefits the company lends their authenticity. So, the brand itself feels like a part of the community instead of an outsider.

Boosts Trust for Affiliate and Product Pages

UGC platforms and the content they host give potential buyers an opportunity to trust you. With user-generated content, people can:

• Find out how a product works;
• See the after-purchase experience;
• Verify if their expectations will meet reality.

UGC platforms can encourage a potential client to move forward with a purchase. The things other users say about you can reinforce initial good impressions, making them feel more confident about doing business with your brand.

The Potential to Outperform Branded Content in Native and Social Channels

UGC just goes to show how valuable the opinions and sentiments of neutral third parties are. UGC platforms are your avenue to generate better outcomes, whether revenue-driven or not. User-generated content is simply more relatable and more engaging.

In addition, with UGC platforms like Meta, TikTok and YouTube, native posts are very likely to do well. The more natural and less ad-like it appears, the better it may perform!

Drives Stronger CTR and Engagement When Repurposed in Ads

UGC platforms can be the source of materials for your next paid campaign. The content from users can give you a lot to work with. Plus, you can save time and financial resources, since you don’t have to develop a concept and implement it from scratch.

With UGC platforms, you’re getting the best content for your brand. So, on top of saving time and money, you can also get better outcomes based on engagement metrics and even revenue generation.

Selecting the right UGC platform is just as important as your strategy. It’s like choosing between a bike and a boat — both might be great, but only one will get you across the lake. You can evaluate UGC platforms in the same way. See how good of a fit they are based on your unique conditions.

Remember, you don’t need to stick to just one! However, when you’re choosing from the options available, it’s important to consider the following factors.

Where Your Audience Hangs Out

If your audience is largely in Australia, focus on the best UGC platforms in Australia. A user’s age, profession and hobbies also affect where you’ll find them. That’s why you need to know a lot about your audience before selecting one of the UGC platforms available.

So, why is this important? UGC only works when it’s seen, heard and produced by the right people. For example, getting professionals to take your brand seriously by doing a TikTok dance about the latest medical devices and their rate of success in high-risk surgeries probably won’t fly.

The Type of Content That You Want to Produce

If you prefer visual UGC, then it makes sense to prioritize platforms where that’s the main content type produced. Now, let’s say that you represent a Canadian real estate broker. Most likely, you’ll want walkthrough videos and client testimonials. Therefore, Reddit won’t make the cut for potential UGC platforms in Canada.

However, you need to go beyond the content format that you’re producing. Consider the storytelling style in your industry as well. As controversial as it may sound, the UGC that can be produced through the platform doesn’t matter that much. After all, you can easily repurpose content in different formats. For example, you can make the client testimonial a part of a video or use it in its original text format.

Engagement Capabilities

Engagement can inspire the creation of UGC through contests, hashtags and more. So, the more ways that users can engage, the better it can be for the brand. Still, remember that UGC platforms don’t need to support every possible method of interaction.

Here, you want to go back to your target audience. What kind of content do you want to get from them? For example, the UGC for OTT platforms will come in the form of interactive reviews and reaction videos. So, video-first options are going to be the prime choice here.

Supported Technologies

The right tech can make or break your strategy, especially when you begin to scale. For example, AI-enhanced UGC platforms are helpful when managing user content on a larger scale through auto-tagging, predictive analytics and more. Supported tech not only makes the work easier for you: It also helps you extract the UGC with the best impact.

Look for ways that UGC platforms support streamlined operations. For example, API integrations can help you keep everything running smoothly.

Potential for Paid and Organic Reach

Some UGC platforms give your brand a chance to go viral, letting you improve your reach without spending anything. However, this is not necessarily the best move. If you represent a B2B brand, going viral won’t necessarily help you reach the right people.

So, when looking at UGC platforms, consider how you plan to use them. If you’re running hashtag contests, the potential for organic reach is important. However, if you have a highly specific audience, the costs of paid reach may be a greater priority.

Now that you know how to pick the best service, let’s talk about your options. There are many UGC platforms to choose from. If you feel like you would benefit from trying them all, feel free to do so!

Unless the platform itself is restricted in your country, you can use these suggestions no matter where you are. So, expect the list of the best UGC platforms in the UK, for example, to have a significant overlap with the top options elsewhere.

However, we recognize that it’s not enough to go with the right pick. So, to help you make the most out of our suggested UGC platforms, we’ve also looked at the best practices for each so you can include them in your implementation.

TikTok: Short‑Form Video Powerhouse

If you’re trying to reach a younger audience that responds to highly visual and trend-driven content, then TikTok is a UGC platform that you can’t do without. To feed into the craving for short-form yet captivating content, you can use video effects, duets, video stitch, voiceovers and filters.

The great thing here is that it’s very flexible. If you’re an online content creator, TikTok is one of the best UGC platforms for creators wanting to make money using their traffic. It also provides a wealth of talent and material that you can take advantage of to get your brand recognized.

Best Practices on UGC Platforms: How to Best Benefit from TikTok’s Short-Form Videos

If you want to benefit from user content on TikTok, follow these tips.

• Launch hashtag challenges to spark UGC. Invite users to participate in a trend and use a certain hashtag to keep them engaged. With UGC platforms, simpler is better, so make sure that whatever the trend is, it will be easy to replicate.
• Encourage authentic user reactions or reviews. This could be as easy as asking them to share their reviews on TikTok after a purchase. You can also make it into a contest or introduce an incentive.
• Repurpose high-performing clips into paid campaigns. UGC platforms are great sources of material for your paid campaigns. Using the best-performing clips is effective because you already know that the audience responds well to them.

As you can see, TikTok can do a lot when used right!

YouTube: Long‑Form Storytelling & Community

Unlike most UGC platforms, YouTube also functions amazingly well as a search engine. In fact, it’s one of the biggest search engines in the world. Another thing that separates this option from other UGC platforms is that it has an extremely wide audience profile. From Gen Xers to niche communities, many resort to YouTube for relevant videos.

Here, you can establish your brand by creating a channel. Playlists allow you to curate your existing content and add UGC to the mix. Shorts allow you to encourage engagement without publishing a lengthier video. Through the community tab, you can gather loyal fans who will be excited to hear from you.

Best Practices on UGC Platforms: How You Can Use YouTube to Build Branding and Improve Sales

YouTube is a great way for users to feel closer to a community. We’ve already mentioned a few ways that companies rely on it already. Those who see YouTube as one of the most effective UGC platforms use it to:

• Source video testimonials, tutorials or unboxings;
• Engage creators to generate product-related reviews;
• Highlight UGC in curated playlists or Shorts compilations.

After encouraging content creation, you can direct your audience to UGC that you want them to see.

Instagram: Visual Feeds, Stories & Reels

Instagram is perhaps one of the best UGC platforms for influencers in the lifestyle, fashion, beauty, wellness and travel niches. If you represent a company that targets any of these audiences, then this will work for you.

From reels to grid posts to highlights, the content that Instagram users can produce is highly visual. Like many UGC platforms, Instagram also creates an opportunity to personalize a post further through story stickers. Feel free to use user tags to encourage interconnectedness.

Best Practices on UGC Platforms: Using Instagram to Fill More Than Their Visual Appetite

Even though Instagram is a space for visual content, its true power lies in creating interactions. Like other UGC platforms, you can use it to inspire creation or to benefit from user content. You can:

• Run UGC contests and giveaways with branded hashtags;
• Repost user tags in Stories or Highlights;
• Invite takeovers or reviews from micro-influencers.

You can even use multiple UGC channels at once. For example, you can run the same contest for Instagram and TikTok, all the while boosting engagement with a single promotion.

Reddit: Niche Communities & Discussion Threads

When we’re talking about UGC platforms, Reddit probably isn’t at the top of your mind. However, this is a great place to start authentic conversations and hear from your audience. On Reddit, you’ll see the following features:

• Subreddits that are dedicated to specific topics;
• Upvotes to express approval or agreement;
• AMA threads that allow participants to have their questions answered;
• Polls to learn more about audience sentiment or preferences based on a fixed selection.

However, be warned. Of all UGC platforms, this one may put you under the strictest scrutiny. The audience here is topic-focused, tech-savvy and pretty skeptical, but if you earn their trust, it can pay off big time!

Best Practices on UGC Platforms: Building Trust on Reddit

The approach to encouraging UGC on Reddit is different than on other platforms. However, you can still get value here when you:

• Monitor threads for organic product mentions;
• Join the conversation authentically in relevant subs;
• Use real-user language to inspire native or affiliate copy.

These are all useful in learning more about what users think about the brand and what it offers. Unlike other UGC platforms, you can’t directly encourage people to talk about your brand. Instead, you need to engage and prove the company is worthy of trust.

Pinterest: Visual Discovery & Idea Boards

Is your audience composed of DIYers, planners, crafters, designers, brides and moms? If so, Pinterest is one of the best UGC platforms for you. Like Instagram, visual content is the main feature. However, here, platform users take a more active role in organizing all these visuals. You can easily see this in the core features.

• Pins: Content saved to the board
• Idea pins: Video-first posts, like Stories on Instagram, where you can show instructions or demonstrate a product within the platform
• Boards: A themed collection of pins, like mood boards
• Shop tabs: Shoppable products based on user interests

What we love about Pinterest is how its users are already geared for discovery. This means they’re more likely to engage.

Best Practices on UGC Platforms: Using Pinterest to Inspire

Pinterest has a lot of potential since the users are already looking for ideas to execute. By doing all these things, your brand can also benefit from the following:

• Collect UGC for product-based mood boards;
• Showcase user ideas, crafts and transformations;
• Repin and credit community content with brand presence.

On this UGC platform, there’s an endless flow of ideas! Leverage what users produce for your brand, add something fresh to it and let them be inspired to create more.

Medium: Long‑Form Editorial & Thought Leadership

Many of the UGC platforms that we have discussed so far have focused on visual elements. However, with Medium, the focus is long-form, editorial-style content that encourages deep dives, personal stories and expert insights. So, if your audience profile consists of professionals, marketers, creatives and startup founders, this is one of the UGC platforms that you can’t skip out on.

Using Publications, you can collate all contributor content in one place. Meanwhile, clap systems and comments allow users to engage. And just like most UGC platforms, you can track performance. With Medium, you can check Member Stats, where you’ll see summarized information on interactions, reading time and performance.

Best Practices on UGC Platforms: Let Users Be a Medium for Your Brand to Succeed

Medium is great not only for establishing brand authority but also for amplifying voices that amplify your message. This UGC platform has authority built into it. You can make it work in your favor by doing these things:

• Invite guest posts or publish curated user perspectives;
• Encourage customers to share case studies or brand experiences;
• Republish affiliate success stories or product use cases.

Just like on other UGC platforms, there’s a lot of value in letting the audience speak for you. Since credibility is so important here, make sure that the UGC source is reliable as well.

Have you collected high-quality user-generated content? Now’s the time to use it! Here are a few ideas.

• Repurpose UGC into native ad creative. Use real photos, testimonials and videos to create non-intrusive ads.
• Embed it in product landing pages to boost conversions. High-quality user content from UGC platforms is very effective when used to reinforce social proof.
• Use it in email campaigns and retargeting flows. UGC helps make campaigns more trustworthy, which is important due to how much spam is sent these days.
• Combine with influencer marketing to scale reach. UGC platforms can be used to improve the reach of the brand when you pair up with an influencer. This creates new UGC while also amplifying the reach of content that you already know works well.

UGC can be more than just content. It can be a powerful asset that you can use in many places.

If you want to check if your strategy is working, you need to measure your success. Many UGC platforms already help with this, but depending on what your goals are, these metrics may be relevant to you.

• Engagement through likes, shares, comments and saves;
• Conversions based on affiliate clicks, promo code usage or product sales from content on UGC platforms;
• Page behavior like time on page, scroll depth and bounce rate;
• User participation like hashtag uses, content submissions, story tags or mentions after the campaign;
• Sentiment that lets you gain insights about the tone of user mentions and reviews through social listening tools.

Before using UGC platforms, make sure that you already know what you want to track. This way, you can see if you’ll need to integrate other measuring tools before running your campaign.

User-generated content can help a brand not only establish itself but also gain authority. Through paid and free UGC platforms, you can enjoy these perks. The key here is selecting user-generated content that helps build your case. For example, if you want to prove that a product works, look for content on UGC platforms that demonstrates just that.

When integrated with native advertising, user content becomes even more powerful, since your message blends into the native environment. By sharing content through native ads, you can position your brand as a trusted authority.

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