Hey there! If you’re running a business, you know the drill: marketing is tough. We used to rely on perfectly polished ads you know, the ones that cost a fortune but always looked fake? Well, those days are over.
The internet has changed everything. People are tired of being sold to; they want to hear from real people with real experiences. That’s the core of the new marketing superpower: authenticity.
This shift has created two amazing new content (UGC vs EGC) tools:
- UGC (User-Generated Content): This is all the cool stuff your customers (the users) make like their reviews, TikTok videos, or unboxing photos.
- EGC (Employee-Generated Content): This is the honest, behind-the-scenes content created by your own team (the employees).
In 2025, people trust people, not polished ads.
So, what’s the real difference between these two types of gold? This blog is going to keep it simple. We’ll show you the exact difference between UGC and EGC, why each one is a huge benefit and how to use both for maximum brand growth.
What is UGC (User-Generated Content)?
User-Generated Content, is content created by your customers, not your brand. It can be a simple selfie with your product, a short review, a social media post, or even a YouTube video where someone shares their real experience.
People love UGC because it feels real, not staged or scripted. It’s authentic, emotional and relatable. When potential buyers see others genuinely enjoying your product, it builds trust faster than any ad could.
Think of UGC as modern word-of-mouth marketing: your happy customers become your biggest promoters, helping your brand grow naturally and honestly.
User-Generated Content (UGC) is powerful because it uses the voice of your actual customers, achieving two vital goals:
- Social Proof: UGC shows real people using and loving your products. Consumers trust their peers way more than a brand, instantly creating high credibility and making the purchase decision feel safe.
- Boosts Conversions: When potential buyers see authentic, relatable content from people just like them, it acts like a direct recommendation. This trust is proven to significantly increase sales and drive immediate growth.
What is EGC (Employee-Generated Content)?
User-Generated Content (UGC) is when customers talk about your product. Employee-Generated Content (EGC), on the other hand, is when your employees talk about your company and its culture.
Essentially, EGC is content created by your staff. It offers a genuine look behind the scenes, revealing what daily life at your company is truly like. Because it comes from the people who experience your brand every day, it’s authentic and makes your company feel more relatable than a formal corporate statement.
Employee Generated Content (EGC) is powerful because it makes your brand feel human and believable, achieving two vital goals:
- Hiring Power: EGC shows an honest peek into your company culture. Job seekers trust current employees way more than corporate ads, making it easy to attract the best talent.
- Ultimate Trust: Employees are the most credible voice. Their positive content instantly humanizes your brand, creating deeper personal connections and driving way more engagement than official company posts.
UGC vs EGC: Key Differences
If you’re looking for an easy way to understand the key differences between UGC vs EGC, this table breaks it all down for you.
| Point | UGC (User-Generated Content) | EGC (Employee-Generated Content) |
| Who Creates It | Your customers, fans or followers who use your product. | Your employees or team members who work inside the company. |
| What It Shows | How people use your product in real life photos, videos or reviews. | What happens inside your company culture, people and work stories. |
| Main Goal | To build trust and help more people buy your product. | To show your brand values and attract good talent. |
| Type of Trust | Product Trust If others like it, it must be good. | Company Trust If employees are happy, it’s a good brand. |
| Vibe/Feel | Natural, real, and unfiltered like a friendly review. | Genuine, positive and inspiring like a look inside the team. |
| Brand Control | It’s created freely by users. | Highly guided by your company’s tone and message. |
Benefits of UGC for Brands
Why care about UGC? Because people trust people, not ads.
You do it too. When buying online, you skip the brand photo and check real customer reviews. That’s UGC. That’s what makes brands believable.
Here are the 5 biggest ways UGC helps your brand win:
- Builds Instant Trust: People trust other people more than ads. Real reviews and photos create real belief.
- Feels more human: UGC adds heart to your brand, it’s made by real people, not marketing teams.
- Boosts social proof: When customers share your product, others see it and think, This must be good.
- Saves Content Budget: Why pay for expensive photoshoots when your customers create authenticity for free?
- Strengthens brand loyalty: Happy customers become your most effective, unpaid marketing team.
Benefits of EGC for Companies
We know customers selling for you is great. But you know what’s even better? When the people who actually work for you love the company enough to shout about it.
Most companies are scared to let employees post freely. But in 2025, keeping your team hidden is a huge mistake. EGC is your secret weapon for building a brand that people truly connect with from the inside out.
Here is how EGC helps your company win big:
- Attracts Top Talent: Job seekers trust what current employees say far more than your polished careers page.
- Builds Strong Trust: Audiences believe employees more than official brand posts. Honest voices from your team build deeper trust and credibility.
- Boosts Employee Pride: When your company encourages employees to create content, they feel valued and proud to represent the brand. That energy shows in their work too.
- Shows Authentic Culture: It offers an unfiltered, honest look at what it’s actually like to work with you.
- Creates Content Affordably: You get a steady stream of authentic content without a huge production budget.
Growth of User-Generated Content (UGC) & Employee-Generated Content (UGC)
User-Generated Content (UGC) and Employee-Generated Content (EGC) are the only marketing trends that matter right now.
UGC is exploding with 31% annual growth for one simple reason: we trust real people 92% more than traditional ads. Just one authentic customer photo can boost your conversions by 70%. It’s raw, effective social proof.
But EGC is just as powerful. Your team is your secret weapon. When employees share real stories, they get 8x more engagement and reach 564% further than your official brand pages. Shoppers trust regular staff 3x more than corporate messaging.
Ways to Get More UGC & EGC
So, here are 5 creative ideas I’ve personally found super helpful to get more UGC and EGC for your brand.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
- People love showing off new stuff. Make your packaging so cool they have to Instagram it before they even use the product.
- People love the spotlight. explicitly tell customers, We want to feature YOU on our main page. Ego is a powerful motivator.
- Give them a clear, simple tag (Branded Hashtag) to use so you can find their content easily.
- Promise a small charity donation for every tagged post. Now they aren’t just promoting you; they are signaling to friends that they are a good person.
- Send new products early to a select few. They will post instantly just to flex their exclusive access to their peers.
Employee-Generated Content (UGC)
- Stop expecting them to do it on their lunch break or weekends. Officially designate 30 minutes on Friday afternoons as Community Engagement Time.
- Ask everyone to post one photo of their desk setup (home or office). It’s low-stakes, relatable and humanizes the team instantly.
- Create a Friday ritual where one person shares a mistake they made and what they learned. It builds massive trust in your brand’s transparency.
- Track who got the most engagement on LinkedIn this month and give them a good prize (like an extra vacation day, not a branded water bottle).
- Train them on how to build their personal brand for their own future career. If they see What’s In It For Me, they’ll post more and your company benefits as a side effect.
UGC vs EGC: Which One Should You Focus On in 2025?
If you ask me, both UGC and EGC matter, but the right focus depends on what your brand really needs right now.
If you’re trying to build product trust and attract new customers, then start with UGC (User-Generated Content).
But if you want to build long-term brand trust and show your company culture, focus on EGC (Employee-Generated Content).
Here’s my honest advice: don’t pick one, mix both.
Real-World Examples of UGC & EGC
I can talk about strategy all day, but sometimes you just need to see it in action. Here is what UGC and EGC actually look like in the wild when they are working perfectly.
UGC (User-Generated Content)
Apple’s famous campaign (#ShotOniPhone) uses real photos clicked by users. It’s a perfect example of how honest, user content can build massive brand trust.
Nike – #JustDoIt Moments: Nike often features real athletes and everyday people sharing their fitness journeys. It makes the brand feel relatable and inspiring.
EGC (Employee-Generated Content)
Canva employees regularly post behind-the-scenes moments, product updates and culture stories, building trust and creativity around the brand.
HubSpot encourages its team to share insights, tips, and life at HubSpot. It helps build authority and shows genuine company values.
Summary
At the end of the day, your brand isn’t what you say it is anymore. It’s what your customers and employees say it is. You can either fear that shift, or you can hand them the microphone and let them build your brand for you.
UGC validates your product & EGC humanizes your company. Together, they are the only marketing strategy that actually builds unshakable trust in 2025. Stop overthinking the strategy and start sharing the reality.
If you found this topic on UGC and EGC interesting, you’ll also like the way AI is changing marketing today. I’ve shared a simple breakdown of how AI agents are helping brands work smart and connect better, you can check it out in my post on AI Agents in Marketing.
