Recently, content creation has become increasingly popular as social media continues to be widely used. Content creators create online content such as videos, blog posts and reels for audiences. As platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok gained popularity, content creation became popular as a profession. Content creators can earn money through affiliate marketing, sponsorships and ad revenue. Content creation has become more popular, especially in recent years, as it is a job people can do anywhere.
As content creation grew as a job, user-generated content (UGC) also began to be used by influencers. UGC is a type of content creation done for brands where consumers create content to give reviews on products for free. It has become a new source of income for influencers, as it create more public attention for companies. Brands hire UGC creators to review their products, according to Forbes. This is done to create authentic and relatable content to connect with consumers through realistic advertisements. UGC content can be found in various categories, from beauty to travel, according to Forbes.
“I think [UGC] has become popular because it’s on a lot of platforms like TikTok and such, where a lot of people see it,” FHS sophomore Oviya Vasudevan said.
UGC content has increased in popularity because UGC posts get more views and higher click rates, or the percentage of people clicking on advertisements they see, according to Forbes.
“I think nowadays, social media and content creators have started becoming really popular, and companies have noticed that,” FHS sophomore Jahnavi Gupta said. “So, they realize that if they get content creators to endorse their brands, then it gets them a lot more revenue. So I think that’s why it’s become a way more popular way to get money.”
With UGC, there are benefits for influencers as well as their viewers. For audiences, UGC content can provide trustworthy reviews of products compared to other advertisements, as consumers who have used the product can give realistic reviews.
“I think it makes viewers think a certain way about the product,” Gupta said. “For example, if they see a content creator they really like endorsing a certain product, it’ll make them see the product as ‘Oh, it’s a really good product,’ or ‘Oh, I really want to get it, because my favorite content creator is talking about it.’”
Additionally, UGC has benefits for influencers. For example, it helps content creators earn more money. Usually, after influencers have started out with doing UGC for free, brands can look to work with them to continue marketing their brand in a new and authentic way. So, influencers can earn more money through UGC.
“I think [UGC] is a pretty useful way [for influencers to earn money], since the people following the content creators already kind of like trust them to an extent, so they’ll trust what they promote,” Vasudevan said.
This results in content creators earning money for the content they produce. Brands would continue to pay them as they keep producing content about the company and its products. Because of this, UGC has become another way for content creators to quickly earn money through posting content on social media.
