UGC Marketing Statistics
Last updated 2026-06-25 · Compiled from public, third-party sources
Consumers are roughly 2.4x more likely to call user-generated content authentic than brand-created content, according to Stackla/Nosto, and 60% say UGC is the most authentic form of marketing content. The data below shows how that trust gap translates into higher conversions, stronger ad performance, and more social commerce activity.
Key Takeaways
- 60% of consumers say UGC is the most authentic content, vs. only 16% for branded content (Stackla/Nosto).
- 84% of consumers say they trust peer recommendations above all other forms of advertising (Nielsen).
- 86% of consumers trust a brand more when it publishes UGC rather than influencer content (EnTribe, 2023).
- UGC-based ads earn roughly 4x higher click-through rates and a ~50% lower cost-per-click (Bazaarvoice).
- Featuring UGC can increase revenue per visitor by 154% (Bazaarvoice).
The Statistics
Consumers are about 2.4x (nearly 2.5x) more likely to say UGC is authentic than brand-created content.
The core authenticity gap between customer content and brand content.
Source: Stackla / Nosto
60% of consumers say UGC is the most authentic form of content, while only 16% say the same of branded content.
A nearly 4:1 trust advantage in favor of UGC over brand-made content.
Source: Stackla / Nosto
86% of consumers say authenticity matters when deciding which brands they like and support.
Authenticity is a primary driver of brand preference.
Source: Stackla / Nosto
While 92% of marketers believe most or all of their content resonates as authentic, 51% of consumers say less than half of brands create content that feels authentic.
A documented disconnect between how marketers and consumers judge authenticity.
Source: Stackla / Nosto
84% of consumers say they trust peer recommendations above all other sources of advertising.
Peer/word-of-mouth content outranks traditional advertising on trust.
Source: Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising
92% of consumers trust recommendations from other people over branded content.
A foundational word-of-mouth trust statistic widely cited in UGC research.
Source: Nielsen (2021)
86% of consumers say they trust a brand more when it publishes user-generated content versus influencer content.
From a third-party survey of over 1,000 American consumers.
Source: EnTribe (2023)
90% of consumers prefer that brands share content from actual customers.
Strong stated preference for real-customer content over polished brand assets.
Source: EnTribe (2023)
82% of consumers would be more inclined to purchase if a brand incorporated UGC into its marketing.
Direct link between UGC presence and purchase intent.
Source: EnTribe (2023)
81% of consumers say influencer use has no impact or a negative impact on their perception of a brand.
Consumer skepticism toward influencer content relative to real-customer UGC.
Source: EnTribe (2023)
80% of consumers prefer seeing real customer photos over stock photos.
Visual UGC outperforms staged stock imagery for shoppers.
Source: Bazaarvoice
53% of shoppers say UGC makes them more confident in purchases than professional photography.
Customer photos can outrank studio shots for purchase confidence.
Source: Bazaarvoice (2022)
Conversions increase by 10% when UGC is included in the online purchase path.
A commonly cited baseline lift for adding UGC to the path to purchase.
Source: Salesforce (2016)
Featuring UGC increases revenue per visitor by 154%.
One of the strongest revenue-impact figures for on-site UGC.
Source: Bazaarvoice
62% of shoppers are more likely to buy if they can view customer photos and videos.
Visual UGC drives purchase likelihood on product pages.
Source: Bazaarvoice
Shoppers who interact with gallery (UGC) content on product pages convert at 140% higher rates.
Interacting with on-page UGC galleries sharply lifts conversion.
Source: Bazaarvoice (2022)
Interacting with UGC gallery content drives a 308% increase in time on site.
UGC boosts engagement and dwell time, not just conversion.
Source: Bazaarvoice (2022)
UGC-based ads achieve roughly 4x higher click-through rates than average ads.
Real-customer creative outperforms typical brand ads on CTR.
Source: Bazaarvoice / Shopify
Ads featuring UGC see about a 50% reduction in cost-per-click versus ads without it.
UGC creative can lower paid acquisition costs.
Source: Bazaarvoice
40% of shoppers say UGC makes them more likely to buy a product from an ad.
UGC in ad creative directly influences purchase decisions.
Source: Bazaarvoice (2022)
86% of brands believe more authentic UGC in paid and owned media would improve ad performance.
Marketer-side recognition of UGC's ad-performance upside.
Source: Bazaarvoice
97% of shoppers say they have made a purchase through social media.
Social commerce is now mainstream consumer behavior.
Source: Bazaarvoice
97% of Gen Z consumers say social media is their top source of shopping inspiration.
UGC-heavy social feeds drive discovery for younger shoppers.
Source: Bazaarvoice (2022)
User-generated content generates about 6.9x higher engagement than brand-generated content on social media.
UGC consistently outperforms brand posts for social engagement.
Source: Stackla / Nosto
Brand engagement rises by 28% when consumers see a mix of professional and user-generated content.
Blending UGC with brand content lifts overall engagement.
Source: Stackla / Nosto
43% of brands rank customer photo and video as the most influential content for their sales efforts.
Marketers themselves rate UGC visuals, including video, as top performers.
Source: Bazaarvoice
Turn these numbers into sales
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Try PixelPanda FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Do consumers trust UGC more than brand-created content?
Yes. Stackla/Nosto research finds consumers are about 2.4x more likely to call UGC authentic than brand content, and 60% say UGC is the most authentic content format versus only 16% for branded content. Nielsen reports 84% of consumers trust peer recommendations above all other advertising.
How much does UGC improve conversions?
Salesforce found conversions increase about 10% when UGC is added to the online purchase path, while Bazaarvoice reports a 154% lift in revenue per visitor and 140% higher conversion rates when shoppers interact with on-page UGC galleries.
Does UGC make advertising perform better?
It tends to. Bazaarvoice and Shopify data show UGC-based ads earn roughly 4x higher click-through rates and about a 50% lower cost-per-click than typical ads, and 40% of shoppers say UGC makes them more likely to buy from an ad.
How does UGC compare to influencer content?
Consumers favor real-customer content. EnTribe's 2023 survey found 86% trust a brand more when it publishes UGC rather than influencer content, 90% prefer brands share content from actual customers, and 81% say influencer use has no impact or a negative impact on brand perception.
Is UGC important for social commerce?
Yes. Bazaarvoice reports 97% of shoppers have purchased through social media and 97% of Gen Z use social media as their top shopping-inspiration source, while Stackla/Nosto finds UGC drives about 6.9x higher engagement than brand content on social platforms.
Do visual UGC and video matter for shoppers?
They do. Bazaarvoice found 80% of consumers prefer real customer photos over stock photos, 62% are more likely to buy when they can view customer photos and videos, and 43% of brands rank customer photo and video as their most influential sales content.
Can AI tools help brands produce UGC-style video?
Given the consistent trust and conversion advantages of authentic, real-customer-style content, brands increasingly look to scale it efficiently. PixelPanda, for example, generates AI UGC video ads to help brands produce UGC-style creative without filming each one.