UGC creators and influencers both make content for brands, but the way that content is used is different. That changes what brands look for and what is expected of you.
What is an influencer?
An influencer shares content about a brand or product on their own social media channels, with their own followers. The brand pays for access to your audience and your recommendation. What matters here is your reach, how engaged your followers are, and how well your audience matches the brand's target group.
What is a UGC creator?
UGC stands for user-generated content. As a UGC creator, you make photos or videos that the brand uses itself: on its website, on its own social channels or in online ads. You often don't post anything on your own account. The brand pays for the content and the right to use it. What matters here is the quality of your content, your style and how convincingly you present a product.
The main differences
- Where the content appears. An influencer posts on their own channels. With UGC, the brand publishes the content on its channels.
- What counts. For influencers, reach and engagement count. For UGC, content quality and presentation count.
- Followers. For influencers, followers are important. For UGC, they are often hardly relevant.
- Usage rights. With UGC, the brand gets the right to use your content, for example in ads. With influencer posts, the content usually stays on your own channel.
Which suits you?
UGC is a great way to start if you don't (yet) have a big following but you do enjoy making good content. Influencer work suits you if you have an engaged community that trusts your opinion. Many creators combine the two: they post on their own channels and also make UGC for brands. Still deciding? UGC creator or influencer: which fits you? helps you choose.
On Influentials
In every campaign's brief you can see exactly what the brand is asking for: content for your own channels, UGC for the brand's own use, or both. Read the brief carefully before you apply.
Ready to start? Sign up as a creator and get matched with brands looking for content like yours.