The Benefit of UGC for Tech Companies
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User-generated content (UGC) is an amazing way for tech companies to build trust, improve engagement, and enhance brand credibility with their audience. User-generated content comes in many forms, and there isn't only one way to create UGC content, and that's the beauty of UGC content.
As long as the content created adheres to various advertising regulatory bodies, is honest, and is created to help your community, you can benefit from user-generated content. The logistics of tech UGC are also quite simple since no product needs to be shipped to the creator. In this article, I share some of my experiences and some of the benefits of UGC for tech companies.
5 Reasons Why UGC for Tech Companies is Essential
Every tech company has people in their audience who are at different stages of the buyer's journey; the same goes for people who learn differently.
We all consume content differently, and the same goes for how we learn. In my corporate training days, I used to create content in various formats and different learning activities, knowing that everyone in training had a different learning style.
When you work with various UGC creators to create content, you are appealing to a wider audience because people relate to people, and working with various creators gives your community more chances to feel like they belong. In addition, if you create different styles of UGC videos, you give your community more chances to learn.
Let's dive into some of these reasons in more detail.
1. Building Trust and Credibility
People are naturally skeptical when they see content that is overly polished. Is highly produced content needed? Yes, everything has its place when it comes to marketing, but tech companies need to tap into UGC content to build trust with their community. As I've said earlier in this post, people relate to people, and they want real opinions, real experiences, and proof that a tech product or service works as promised.
Tech UGC content can come in short videos, guides, blog posts, YouTube tutorials, and so much more. One of the most popular formats is short-form videos since they are easy to use across various platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and LinkedIn.
Tech UGC content can be especially powerful in industries where trust is a key purchasing factor, such as SaaS platforms and other digital tools and websites.
2. Encourages Discussion and Product Adoption
One thing that is often underrated is that UGC content fosters discussions. This goes back to the fact that people relate to people, and people in your community are more likely to engage with your content if it's relatable. According to Cloudinary, 70% of Gen Z and 78% of Millennials find UGC content helpful when it comes to making purchases.
When people see tutorial videos or user-generated content that they can relate to, they finally get to understand a product and see how it would benefit them. One simple UGC video or blog post could be exactly what someone needs before they purchase a subscription to your SaaS tool or purchase a license to your software.
This type of content can also potentially reach people who already have your product but haven't used it to its full capacity, and more and more, with UGC content, they learn new tips and tricks, and this can contribute to client retention.
Let's have a look at Notion, a productivity app that has built an entire ecosystem of templates and workflows created by users. These contributions not only help Notion refine its product but also strengthen its community and attract new users.
Notion is the perfect tool for both beginners and advanced users, and simple yet detailed video tutorials could be what's missing to help a user go from the free plan to a paid subscriber or start using the tool to its full potential.
3. Cost-Effective Marketing
One of the benefits of UGC, not only for tech companies, is that you can find UGC creators of all experiences and budgets. You'll also find so many different creators who create and support different content formats, such as short or long-form videos, blogs, case studies, long-form tutorials, and more.
Many brands partner with UGC agencies that typically represent a pool of talented UGC creators. Many tech companies will also partner with independent UGC creators as they sometimes find that there could be more flexibility vs using an agency.
Both are a great idea depending on what your brand is looking for and the budget you are working with.
4. Supports Different Stages of The Journey
Depending on the tech product, there's usually a lot of research that happens before making a purchase. UGC for tech companies can help bridge the gap by creating content for the various stages of the journey.
In most cases, when you work with a tech UGC creator, you can provide a script or brief that represents a video (or piece of content) for a specific stage of the buyer's journey.
Later in this article, you’ll find some UGC content ideas for the different stages of the buyer's journey. You'll also find that many of these ideas could cater to various business sizes and UGC budgets.
Scripts are normally created for an additional fee, while some UGC creators may have this built into one of their packages. I always encourage brands to let me help with the script so that it shows the features they want to highlight while remaining authentic. Are you looking for tech UGC content? Send me an email here.
5. Drives Higher Engagement on Social Media
One of the other benefits of UGC for tech companies is that it drives more engagement for brands. In marketing, we're always chasing algorithm changes and staying on top of trends, but what's great about UGC is that it can also be created around evergreen topics.
Based on some of your evergreen topics, you can work to create engaging content that you can use for years to come if what is shared in that content is still valid, of course.
I always recommend incorporating both ideas that are based on trends and evergreen content in your UGC content strategy to ensure that your investment goes a little further.
How Tech Companies Can Encourage UGC
Tech UGC content is everywhere online. You can find it on most social media platforms, online forums, blog posts, and so on. Tech companies should approach this from two angles. You should hire tech UGC creators and encourage UGC on social media.
A simple tip is to create a company hashtag and share it on social media if users tag you and use the hashtag in their posts, you will share their content on your social media accounts.
If we take Notion again, for example, here's what this could look like. "Use hashtag #NotionForCreators for a chance for us to feature your template on our account."
The reason you 100% want to both hire and also encourage those in your community is that when you work for paid content, you get to work with a creator for an exact brief.
When you encourage your community to tag you in the content they create about your brand, this is great, but it may not always align with your strategy.
Tech UGC Content Ideas
Awareness Stage (Problem Recognition)
Usually, the goal here is to capture attention and generate more brand awareness. At this stage, you'll also help introduce the problem you solve with your products or services. In this process, your ideal buyers generally also recognize the problem they have.
UGC Video Ideas:
"A Day in My Life with [Problem]" – Show people how they struggle without your solution (e.g., slow internet, outdated software, poor time management, etc).
Tech Myths Busted – Have creators react to common misconceptions in your industry and highlight the need for better solutions such as your product.
First Impressions/Unboxing – Have people share your tool in an unboxing or first impression-style video where they get to talk about how their experience was setting everything up. This type of video can help with product adoption for upcoming users as well.
Before vs. After (Without the Product vs. With It) – A simple comparison video showing the impact of not using vs. using your product.
Consideration Stage (Research & Comparison)
This is where you'll educate potential buyers, provide comparisons, and showcase why your product is better than competitors. This is great for so many UGC-style posts, such as videos, blogs, or even posts in various online forums.
UGC Video Ideas:
"Why I Switched to [Your Product]" – Have the UGC creator explain why they would choose your tech over competitors.
Side-by-Side Comparison Reviews – This is where the UGC creator compares your tech product with a competitor, focusing on features, speed, ease of use, etc.
Product Deep Dive / Hands-On Demo – This is where tech UGC creators showcase how they use your product in their daily lives or workflows. You could even make a day-in-the-life video and have a big portion of the video focus on your product.
Crowdsourced FAQ Video – Answer common questions submitted by users that your brand gets on social media. Send the questions to the UGC creator and work with them on creative ideas to create a final brief.
Other UGC Content Ideas:
Threads Posts – Work with a UGC creator to help you create a "guest" post series on Threads where they share step-by-step guides or personal experiences with your product. You can easily do this by introducing who they are on a graphic or video and ensuring that you tag them in your Threads post.
Guest Blogs - Create a roundtable-style blog post with various Tech UGC creators and invite them to submit their tips and feedback about your product.
Decision Stage (Purchase)
This is where we want to help potential buyers cross that finish line and purchase our product or solution.
UGC Video Ideas:
"What Is Life Like After Using [Your Product]?" – Reflections on what has changed for them and how your product or solution has helped them.
Quick Tutorials for First-Time Users – User-generated walkthroughs for onboarding and product adoption. The same goes for creating quick tutorials about exciting features. This way, you give potential buyers all the tips they need before making the purchase.
Post-Purchase Tips - Things I would do right after buying XYZ. Have the UGC creator share some things they would do right after purchasing from you. These include things like setting up certain features, reading the install guide, joining your online community, etc.
Use Case Video - Have a UGC creator create video content showcasing different ways your product can be used. For example, we all know that a bigger organization would use a tool like Notion very differently than a freelance copywriter. When people can see how a product can be scaled based on their needs, that helps seal the deal.
Post-Purchase & Loyalty Stage
This is where your content should help retain customers, encourage engagement, and turn them into advocates.
UGC Video Ideas:
"How I Set Up My [Product] for XYZ Need" – Work with a UGC creator to create how-to videos; these can also be faceless and show your software or tool on screen with some voiceover audio. A quick note to say that this type of content can do well for most stages of the buyer's journey.
Hack & Productivity Tips Using Your Tech – Videos sharing quick tips on how to make the most of your tool. You can even have a recurring series created so that your community has something to look forward to for a number of days.
UGC Case Study Series – Feature real users telling their success stories. You can reach out to past clients for this and, of course, compensate them for their time.
The beauty of working with Tech UGC creators is that they will likely have experience working in your niche and can also help you come up with various brief and script ideas.
There are endless ways to create UGC content based on your needs, how your community consumes content and the type of product you have. These are just a few examples.
My Experience As a Tech UGC Creator
Talking about my tech UGC creator journey takes me back to my love for corporate training before I started freelancing. In corporate, I held two roles where I was responsible for training new hires, and this included creating training material for various learning styles and materials in different formats. How-to content has always been something I am passionate about.
Fast forward to my freelance marketing career. In the last eight years, I have often created tutorial videos for my client's social media accounts, and the feedback has been encouraging.
Seeing how impactful UGC content is and combining this with my love for creating video content led me to add this to my service offerings. Now, here we are. I currently offer UGC content creation primarily for tech companies, and I have done some non-tech UGC in the wellness and beauty niches as well.
If you're in the marketing space and are currently freelancing, don't mind being on camera, or want to explore other UGC content formats, I highly recommend it. It's a growing niche and something that you can do alongside your current marketing work.
Final Tips for Both UGC Creators and Tech Companies
I hope you found this article helpful, and before I let you know, I want to share a few points and tips for both Tech UGC creators and tech companies.
Tips for creators:
Don't be afraid to try different video styles, such as voiceover, and also venture into other content formats, such as photos, use cases, and text posts.
If you use a teleprompter, try to record in sections so that it doesn't sound like a run-on sentence. If you want to record in one go, take a breath between sections, and don't forget to edit your video to cut the breaths out so it flows better.
I always recommend creators look at the InShot app; I know CapCut is loved by many creators (let's face it, it's great), but InShot is really intuitive. The premium version is great, and I use it to record all of my voiceover content.
If you record voiceover, use a mic. I prefer the quality of a wired mic, but there are some quality Bluetooth ones as well. With either option, try to use a microphone cover to reduce wind or noise.
If you are just getting started, consider using marketplaces like Fiverr and UpWork. I first started using them for UGC in December 2024 and have been getting regular orders.
Create your own samples using apps and tools that you love when you get started. Even if you are new, showing potential clients what your video styles are will help.
Tips for tech companies:
Trust your experienced creators. For example, we often get overly salesy scripts that don't highlight any pain points your ideal user would be experiencing or even product benefits. If we make suggestions, it's usually for a good reason.
If you like someone's style and it seems like they resonate with your community, you should work with them again, but remember to diversify and work with at least a few creators.
To follow the previous point, embrace diversity, different age groups, and creator styles. This will really help your community connect.
According to a 2024 report by Salsify, about 40% of shoppers find UGC content important when it comes to making purchases.
With that said, brands should also consider sharing UGC platforms outside platforms such as TikTok and Instagram and explore YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, and even Reddit, which are also big players in the UGC world. So, will you consider working with a UGC creator in 2025?