User-Generated Content: The secret to brand success on social media
- Sieglinder Oeckel
- Jan 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 7
A brand, by itself, is essentially faceless. It has no lived experiences, no emotions, and no human expressions.
Without those human elements, a genuine connection with customers is practically impossible. And brands need connection to earn trust.
That’s why it’s no surprise that 88% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know more than any channel owned by a brand.
People don’t trust faceless messaging; people trust other people.
What is User-Generated Media (UGM)?
User-generated media includes:
Social media posts
YouTube videos
TikToks
Blogs
Reviews
Comments
Memes
Podcasts made by non-professionals
The surge of user-generated content is directly connected to the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory, because people create and engage with content to satisfy personal needs.
According to Uses and Gratifications (U&G), people deliberately select media that provides them with knowledge, enjoyment, a sense of belonging, social connection, or self-expression.
A fundamental premise of the media theory Uses and Gratifications, which was established between the 1940s and the 1970s by Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch, is that people consciously select media to meet particular psychological and social needs.
This differs from previous theories, which viewed audiences as passive consumers of media messages.
The uses and gratification (U&G) theory states that:
Audiences are active, not passive
Media competes with other ways of satisfying needs
Users are aware of why they use certain media
The focus is on what people do with media, not what media does to people
User-generated media vs. Traditional media | |
Created by ordinary users | Created by professional creators or organizations |
Often informal and personal | Formal, polished, and brand-controlled |
Interactive | Mostly one-way communication |
Not centrally controlled by institutions | Mainly controlled by media companies or brands |
What makes user-generated media more appealing to the modern consumer?
Research consistently identifies five major gratification categories:
Entertainment | Social interaction and community | Personal identity and self-expression | Information and learning | Empowerment and participation |
People use UGM because it is: | UGM allows users to: | Creating or engaging with UGM helps users: | People turn to UGM for: | UGM gives users: |
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Compared to traditional media, UGM frequently feels more genuine, which increases joy. | These elements create a sense of belonging, social validation, and shared identity. | Expressing opinions and values helps people feel recognized. When others react, agree, or engage, it confirms, "I exist and I matter." | It is perceived as more trustworthy, grounded in lived experience, and faster and more specific than traditional media. | It gives individuals agency, recognition, and influence. |
How to create content aligned with these categories
Entertainment
Insight: Content must earn attention before it delivers a message.
Use storytelling, humor, emotion, or tension
Short-form video, memes, behind-the-scenes content
Pattern interruption in the first 3 seconds
Rule: If it doesn’t entertain or emotionally engage, it won’t be consumed.
Social Interaction
Insight: Platforms prioritize content that sparks conversation.
How brands do it:
Ask questions, polls, and prompts
Design content that invites disagreement or comparison
Encourage tagging, sharing, or duets/remixes
Rule: Content is no longer complete until the audience interacts with it.
Identity Expression
Insight: Consumers engage with brands that reflect who they are.
How brands do it:
Align messaging with lifestyles, values, or subcultures
Use language, humor, and visuals that signal identity
Create content people feel proud to share publicly
Rule: If sharing your content helps someone express themselves, it will spread.
Participation
Insight: Engagement increases when users feel involved, not targeted.
How brands do it:
User-generated content campaigns
Votes, challenges, submissions, and community decisions
Featuring audience contributions in brand channels
Rule: People support what they help create.
Feedback & Validation
Insight: Recognition drives repeat engagement and loyalty.
How brands do it:
Respond to comments and DMs
Highlight users, testimonials, and community posts
Use likes, shares, shout-outs, or rewards as signals of recognition
Rule: Attention given back multiplies attention received.
Takeaway
Customers don't want to be sold to everywhere, especially if there isn't a genuine demand. Digital communities and social media platforms should serve as value-exchange spaces where marketers provide something significant in exchange for attention, such as insight, connection, relevance, or identity.
Trust (and sales) follows when brands connect with people instead of just talking at them.
Source Note: This insight is informed by the Uses-and-Gratifications framework developed by Guosong Shao, a scholar known for his research on user-generated content and digital media behavior.
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