UGC Videos – The Future of Authentic Lifestyle Marketing

User-Generated Content (UGC) videos aren’t a new phenomenon, they’ve just evolved over time. In the past, we might have called these creators brand ambassadors or influencers, but the essence has always been the same: real people sharing real experiences. UGC has been around as long as people have been talking about brands they use and like. We just didn’t labeled them as UGC videos.

UGC, or what some might also refer to as Consumer-Generated Content (CGC) or Influencer-Generated Content (IGC), essentially covers a wide range of content types. But at its core, a UGC video is a branded content that doesn’t feel like an ad. Instead, it resonates with the audience in the form of a how-to guide, a product review, or an insider look into the creator’s lifestyle. This creator could be an influencer, a brand employee, or even a loyal customer.

What sets UGC videos apart from traditional branded content is their genuine, unscripted nature. While traditional content is perfected and produced with a brand’s message in mind, UGC videos feel more like a conversation, rather than a sales pitch. This authenticity is what makes them so powerful in today’s marketing landscape, especially for lifestyle brands aiming to build deeper connections with their audience.

UGC videos solved a significant problem for emerging lifestyle brands. Over the last 5 years, video has become the most likely format to go viral on social media platforms. However, before this trend (mainly driven by the rise of TikTok), brands either had to spend a lot of money on professional video agencies or produce videos in-house, but the quality gap between their videos and those produced with professional budgets was vast.

With TikTok, creator-made content gained traction. Initially, creators made videos for themselves, but brands soon realized that these creators could make videos for them as well. Thus, the UGC format was born and now has become a mandatory element in the marketing toolkit of lifestyle brands, especially in skincare branding and the supplement categories.

UGC videos can be produced both professionally and amateurly, and both approaches have their unique strengths. Professional UGC video agencies, like our trusted video partners who operate across 15 countries in Europe, ensure high production values and a polished final product. These agencies know how to craft content that resonates with audiences while maintaining the brand’s image and message.

However, this doesn’t mean that amateur, home-made UGC videos are lower in quality. In fact, the charm of UGC often lies in its authenticity. Those “home-made” creator-made videos can feel more genuine and relatable to viewers, making them more impactful in many cases.

The beauty of UGC videos is that their authenticity often comes from their simplicity. When users or influencers create content in their own environments, without the gloss of professional production, it can come across as more believable and trustworthy. This raw, unfiltered style is exactly what today’s consumers are looking for, especially in lifestyle branding.

The growing demand for short-form video content has led to the rise of numerous professional UGC video agencies. These agencies often have thousands of young enthusiasts eager to showcase their talents in branded content on popular platforms like TikTok.

Typically, these videos are shot with professional staff, resulting in UGC-style content that is polished and fine-tuned to meet high standards.

Pros:

• Everything is managed by the agency, providing a full-service experience where you simply receive your monthly videos.
• Access to a diverse pool of actors/creators, allowing you to feature different faces in your UGC videos each month.
• Professional editing and effects ensure high-quality content.

Cons:

• More expensive, with costs being 3-4 times higher than managing individual UGC creators.
• If you like a particular creator or actor, you usually have to work with them through the agency.

UGC video shooting at one of our food clients

You can also search for creators and use them in your videos. Typically, you’ll need UGC-specialized platforms like MiniSocial or Saral. These platforms provide the digital infrastructure to manage multiple UGC creators simultaneously.

However, in this scenario, you won’t have a creative partner to advise you on whether the UGC videos from your selected creators are effective or not. So the decision falls entirely on you. Additionally, you will need to handle product shipments to the creators and provide them with the necessary briefings.

Pros:

• Cheaper than working with an agency.
• Full control in your hands: you choose, you brief.
• The videos are likely to be more “native” to the platform since these creators often use tools like CapCut or Captions, just like the majority of TikTok users.

Cons:

• The process is time-consuming and requires your attention on a weekly basis.
• Working with creators without quality control can sometimes lead to issues.

One of our UGC content creators made pics

Although UGC is a versatile content format, the type of content can vary significantly depending on your goals for the video. At Evolut, we often use the Omnipresence model as the foundation for our content creation. In this framework, UGC can be categorized into 5 distinct types, each serving a different purpose and adding unique value to your marketing strategy.

Value-based UGC videos are designed to educate the audience and provide them with useful information without pushing for a sale. These videos often answer common questions or offer tips related to your product or industry. This type of video builds trust and positions the brand as an authority in its niche. 

Moon Juice value type UGC videos

Demonstration UGC videos focus on showing what the product does, how to use it, and the benefits it offers. These can include unboxing videos, tutorials, or “how-to” content. For instance, a fitness brand might share UGC videos where users demonstrate how to use their equipment effectively, or a tech company might feature a user unboxing and setting up a new gadget.

How-to, unboxing and benefits focused UGC videos from AG1

Testimonial UGC videos involve users talking about their experiences with a product, reviewing its effectiveness, and sharing personal stories. These videos are powerful because they provide social proof and can influence potential customers by showing real people benefiting from the product.

For example, in the beauty industry, brands often use UGC testimonials where users discuss their skin transformation after using specific products, complete with before-and-after visuals.

Starface community made testimonial UGC videos

Lifestyle UGC videos are all about depicting the lifestyle or emotions that a product can bring into a user’s life. These videos don’t just show the product; they showcase how it fits into the user’s daily routine or enhances their overall lifestyle.

For example, a luxury fashion brand might share UGC content that highlights a user’s day out, where they are dressed in the brand’s clothing, capturing the essence of sophistication and exclusivity. This type of content is especially effective in lifestyle branding, as it taps into the aspirational desires of the target audience. 

Lululemon lifestyle Instagram posts and Reels

CTA UGC videos are focused on driving immediate action, whether that’s through exclusive offers, bundle deals, or direct calls to purchase. These videos might include discount codes, limited-time offers, or other incentives that encourage viewers to act quickly.

For instance, an online retailer could use UGC videos where users share a special discount code with their followers, prompting them to visit the website and make a purchase. 

Tatcha CTA TikTok videos 

Aside from the fact that UGC videos can be an essential part of your social media content plan, don’t overlook their incredible usefulness in advertising. A well-engaged UGC video, whether used as a boosted post on Instagram or a Spark ad on TikTok, can drive significant results for your eCommerce lifestyle brand.

Nowadays, with increasingly limited time to capture your potential audience’s attention, it’s essential to convey your brand and how it can solve their problems quickly and effectively. As marketers, we used to say that ads are for grabbing people’s attention, and the landing page is tasked with converting those users.

However, with the rise of social shopping, the user journey has been transformed, and the primary or even the entire conversion process can now occur outside of the website.

In the last couple of years, we have found that UGC videos are the perfect assets for building trust and convincing users outside of our landing pages. Due to their authenticity, they are highly effective for sharing product features, testimonials, and applications in the most digestible and impactful way. Because of this, UGC content can be integrated into any social ad strategy, and when created properly, it consistently outperforms other ad types.

In this example, you can see how we integrated a UGC video into our omnipresence content strategy at a skincare client and how it outperformed all other content by far.

Looking ahead, UGC is set to play an even more crucial role in lifestyle branding. As digital marketing continues to change, UGC is leading the way. Consumers are increasingly looking for genuine and real connections with the brands they follow, and UGC videos provide a powerful way to meet these expectations.

As the digital space becomes more saturated, the authenticity of UGC will continue to be a major differentiator for brands.

The importance of social proof and community engagement will also grow, with UGC serving as a critical component in demonstrating a brand’s value through the eyes of its customers. Whether through testimonials, product demonstrations, or behind-the-scenes glimpses, UGC will remain a cornerstone of effective storytelling in lifestyle branding.