Types of UGC content: formats, examples, and when to use each one
UGC content is not a single format: it encompasses a variety of content types, each with its own characteristics, advantages, and use cases. Understanding the differences between them is key to choosing the right format based on your campaign goals and the channel where it will be published.
Unboxing videos
Unboxing videos show the experience of receiving and opening a product for the first time. They are one of the most popular UGC formats because they build anticipation, showcase the real product packaging, and convey a genuine emotion of discovery. They are especially effective for products with premium packaging, limited editions, subscription boxes, and tech products. On TikTok and Instagram Reels, unboxings accumulate millions of daily views.
Video reviews
Reviews are the UGC format with the greatest impact on purchasing decisions. A creator who tries a product, explains its benefits, and shares their honest opinion generates more trust than any conventional ad. Video reviews work very well as paid ad creatives: data shows that ads with UGC review format achieve up to 30% better conversion rates. They are ideal for cosmetics, supplements, technology, and any product that requires social validation.
Tutorials and how-tos
Tutorial videos show how to use a product step by step. They are the perfect format for products that need explanation or demonstration: makeup, kitchen products, tech tools, personal care products. The tutorial's value is twofold: it educates the potential buyer on how the product works and demonstrates its real utility. This format tends to have a longer lifespan than others, as users actively search for tutorials on YouTube, TikTok, and Google.
Lifestyle content
Lifestyle content naturally integrates the product into the creator's daily life. There's no script or explicit demonstration: the product appears as part of the creator's real life. This format is ideal for fashion, home decor, healthy food, fitness, and lifestyle. It conveys aspiration and belonging, and works exceptionally well as organic content on Instagram and Pinterest.
Testimonials
Testimonials are direct statements from users sharing their experience with a product or service. They can be in video or text format, and their strength lies in credibility: a real person telling how a product solved their problem or improved their life. Testimonials are especially effective on landing pages, sales emails, and e-commerce product pages. Service, health, and education brands use them with great success.
Product photos
UGC photographs show products in real contexts, outside the photo studio. They are essential for e-commerce, where catalog photos alone don't generate enough trust. A photo of a real customer wearing sneakers, sporting an outfit, or decorating their home with a product conveys authenticity immediately. Fashion and home decor brands see significantly better results when combining catalog photos with UGC photos on their product pages.
Before and after content
This format shows the transformation a product produces: before and after using a cosmetic, a cleaning product, an organization tool. It's one of the most persuasive formats because it offers direct visual proof of the result. It works especially well in sectors like beauty, home care, and fitness.
Event and experience content
When a brand organizes an event, pop-up, or in-person experience, UGC content generated by attendees has enormous value. It captures the atmosphere, real reactions from people, and generates FOMO (fear of missing out) among those who didn't attend. Food, fashion, and lifestyle brands use it to amplify the reach of their events beyond in-person attendees.
Each UGC content format has its ideal moment and channel. The key is choosing the right type based on your objectives: awareness, consideration, or conversion. A marketplace like UGC Slalom allows you to request exactly the format you need from specialized creators, with the assurance that content will go through a review process before final delivery.