21 User-Generated Content Stats You Need To Know

If you’ve ever checked out product reviews before buying something, or seen a friend’s post about their new favorite brand of shoes, you’ve been looking at user-generated content.

With the rise of social networks, UGC has found its way into so much of the content we consume. People have more ways than ever before to share their honest opinions about brands… which means your customers also have the potential to be your best marketers.

Need to be convinced?

Here are 21 UGC stats you need to know to stay on top of this marketing powerhouse:

1. 87% of consumers still trust reviews and recommendations from family and friends who received a free brand experience, and 71% still trust bloggers, vloggers or social media stars who have gotten the same treatment
2. Customer reviews are trusted 12 times more than marketing coming directly from the organization.
3. Two-thirds of consumers say they trust the opinions of other customers posted online.
4. 85 percent of consumers find visual UGC more influential than brand photos or videos.
5. Roughly 30% of the time millennials spend consuming all media is spent on UGC.
6. 48% of customers say that UGC is a great way to discover new products.
7. 41% of consumers will be tempted to purchase a product with as few as one to four reviews.
8. Millennials are of the opinion that UGC is 35% more memorable than other media.
9. Brand engagement rises by 28% when consumers are exposed to both professional content and user-generated product video.
10. 84 percent of millennials report that user-generated content has some influence on what they buy.
11. 92% of consumers trust word of mouth more than any kind of advertising.
12. Placing user-generated content directly on product pages can improve conversions by up to 64%.
13. User-generated videos on YouTube get 10 times more views than content created and uploaded by a brand.
14. Across all ages, 55 percent of consumers trust UGC over other forms of marketing.
15. 25 percent of search results for the world’s 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content.
16. 86 percent of millennials say that user-generated content is generally a good indicator of the quality of a brand or service.
17. 70% of consumers place peer recommendations above professionally written copy.
18. Millennials say that information received through UGC is trusted 50% more than information from other media sources, including TV, newspapers and magazines.
19. Placing customer reviews on a product page increases pageviews 10% over just two days.
20. 51% of millennials say that user-generated content from strangers is more likely to influence their purchase decisions than recommendations from friends, family and colleagues.
21. 71% of customers agree that user-generated reviews make them feel more secure in their decision to purchase a particular product over another.

Three key takeaways from these UGC stats

1. People trust other people more than they’ll ever trust your marketing alone. Rather than hearing from a brand, they’re getting the genuine opinions of consumers just like them. By showcasing social proof, you’re instantly positioning your brand as more trustworthy.
2. With their increased use of social media channels to help drive purchases, millennials are relying more on UGC than any previous generation. Since they’re soon to be the generation with the most purchasing power overall, why not get on their good side?
3. Visual UGC helps convert and build trust more than any other medium because consumers get to see exactly how their peers are interacting with your brand. Plus, seeing a photo or video is a lot more convincing than just seeing text (check out these stats about visual marketing for more proof!).

User-generated content is a must-have in every brand’s marketing strategy

Intrigued? Here is some more content to read up on:

• The Top Benefits of User-Generated Content: Why UGC is Important For Your Brand
• User-Generated Content Rights: Top FAQs From Marketers
• 9 Standout Examples of UGC Marketing Campaigns

Read our Guide to UGC for Travel and Tourism Brands, an eBook created in partnership with Skift. It’s full of actionable ideas, tips on getting rights to photos, and examples from global museum, airline, resort, and destination brands.