A decade ago, in just 3 weeks, 4K people joined Starbucks’ #whitecupcontest on Twitter. With minimal cost, this UGC campaign increased awareness about their reusable cups and Starbucks’s initiative to promote sustainability. and brought Starbucks profit from selling the limited edition plastic cups the following year.
And that’s the power of UGC. Achieving great numbers in terms of both impressions and profit at minimal cost.
Today, UGC is more powerful than ever, especially on TikTok because compared to other platforms, TikTok shows the highest engagement rates.
As a company connecting brands and creators from all social media platforms, we know the importance of UGC on TikTok. So, keep reading to find out:
- 5 effective ways to get TikTok UGC
- 4 ways to repurpose the TikTok UGC
- Top 3 TikTok UGC campaign examples
What is UGC on TikTok?
UGC on TikTok (user-generated content on TikTok) refers to any form of content that is created and posted by users of the platform rather than the brand or business itself. UGC is closest to word-of-mouth marketing because they are relatable and the content is typically in a video format.
From the beginning, TikTok content revolved around everyday life and ordinary people doing everyday things. There were dancing challenges, sharing life hacks, tutorials, etc. This type of content built trust among the TikTok users as the content was relatable.
Soon enough, TikTok creators started gaining more followers, views, and engagement in their content. Even sooner, brands realized the potential in the TikTok videos and started collaborating with the creators to raise brand awareness, increase sales, or expand their target audience.
In a nutshell, this is how TikTok UGC became a promotional tool that later expanded its advertising content types to meet other business goals.
Importance of UGC, especially on TikTok
Stats show that content on TikTok is far more engaging than content on other platforms. For example, on average we spend about an hour on TikTok and half an hour or so on Instagram or Facebook.
Rafael Rocha, founder of NuWave, says that UGC is the secret to growth. He says “This cycle begins when a new user spots your product on TikTok, sparked by content they can relate to and trust—not just another ad.”
And we agree. People trust real people nowadays, not commercials. Brands become viral sensations overnight or raise their revenue thanks to the power of UGC.
That’s why TikTok can help you:
- Increase reach
- Drive sales
- Build a community
According to TikTok case studies, Chipotle got $1.7M out of $7.2M revenue from TikTok only and it’s just one of the many examples where brands increased their sales through TikTok videos.
So, let’s see what it takes to get started with TikTok UGC and how to get TikTok UGC.
5 ways to get TikTok UGC
There are a couple of ways to start a UGC campaign and go viral, increase sales, or gain a new audience on TikTok. Here are the top 5 that proved to be the most effective.
1. Use creator dashboards to find and reach out to UGC creators
The best way to get TikTok creators to produce UGC for your brand is by finding and reaching out to creators that are ideal for your brand.
But, finding the right UGC creators takes time, especially if you want to target creators with experience, in a specific niche, etc. Lucky for you, you’re at the right place.
You can use our creator discovery dashboard to easily filter through 80M+ creators and find the right TikTok UGC creators and their email addresses.
Once you find the best UGC creators per your criteria, you have three options:
- Export the list and reach out to creators
- Reach out to those creators directly from the platform
- Let our team of 40+ creator sales experts handle the whole UGC creator outreach process
Over the years, we had an opportunity to work with some of the biggest companies in the field to deliver high-quality UGC content at scale. For one of the rising platforms in the space, we managed to deliver 15K+ UGC posts in 10 months, and we can fully manage your TikTok UGC strategy as well.
Need TikTok UGC creators?
We can help you find, reach out, and work with UGC creators so they can deliver the best UGC content for your brand.
2. Ask your customers after a purchase
You can motivate your customers to share their product in a video and explain why they liked it, how they styled it, or briefly review it. Then, repost the posts of your customers to encourage others to join the trend.
But, given that this can be perceived as a favor, you must strategize the approach.
Start by choosing the right timing. Right after they make the purchase, send them a thank you note to express appreciation for choosing your products in a friendly tone. Then, you can introduce your request, but make sure to point out that it is a mutually beneficial collab. Mention that they may have discounts on other products or getting promoted on their site.
Next, give clear instructions about the purpose of the UGC video, and what you expect. End the email with a call to action, and wait for their reply. If you don’t hear back from them, send a follow-up as a gentle reminder.
When your customers start sharing the UGC videos, make sure you repost all of them, and personalize them with a thank you note.
3. Start a hashtag challenge
TikTok has always been about challenges, and if there is a proven way to get a TikTok audience to do something, that is through hashtag challenges. These challenges allow you to gather all content in one place and create a small entertaining community.
Share the hashtag with the audience, and call your customers to action. In a month or less, you will have loads of UGC content you can share and raise awareness about your audience, or tap into the new customer base.
4. Send products for free
Another proven way to get a product review TikTok UGC video is through product gifting or influencer seeding.
Find creators among your followers or customers as they are most likely to accept your proposal since they are aware of your brand.
The fastest way to do this is by using the enrichment service on our dashboard. Upload your customer/follower list and we will match it with our extensive data of 80M creators.
We will deliver a list of all TikTok UGC creators that were on your list, plus 40+ data points about them such as past UGC collaborations, interests, presence on other platforms, etc.
Find TikTok UGC creators among your customers
5. Create a branded hashtag
Creating a branded hashtag is different from creating a TikTok challenge as this one doesn’t challenge users to do anything. You just need to encourage customers to use the hashtag more naturally when they post something related to your brand.
Therefore, the branded hashtag is timeless and has a function to unify posts for your brand. The challenge hashtags are themed and time-oriented compared to the branded hashtags.
This is an excellent opportunity to collect all content of your brand in one place where your potential customers can take a closer look at the products, find reviews, and get to know your brand better.
4 ways to repurpose TikTok UGC
The best thing about UGC videos is that you can repurpose them to meet different marketing goals. Check out below some of the popular ways:
1. Use TikTok UGC in Spark Ads
Spark Ads is a native ad format that allows you to use TikTok UGC in your advertising campaigns. You can use the posts from real TikTok accounts. The best thing about Spark Ads is that all the views, comments, shares, likes, and follows from TikTok will be attributed to your organic posts, there’s no limit to how many times you can use the same organic TikTok.
Otherwise, Spark Ads is a super flexible format, that doesn’t limit your tagging, resolution, or emojis to name a few. Therefore, there are many options for leveraging this opportunity to come up with the best UGC ad.
To create the Spark Ads, first, you need to go to your Business Center and request and share access to TikTok accounts. Then, follow these steps:
- Make sure the creators allow you to use the UGC posts
- Authorize the video for promotional posts
- Add a video code on TikTok Ads Manager
- Create the Spark Ad
2. Repost the content on other social media channels
TikTok UGCs are all-purpose videos and you can repost them as Instagram Reels, Instagram posts on Facebook, Pinterest, or Tweet. Make sure to share the content from all your accounts across all platforms, to maximize the outcome.
Additionally, for optimal results, make sure you edit and customize your UGC video to the algorithms of the platform. Therefore, make sure you resize, and edit your tags, and hashtags to sound up-to-date.
3. Embed UGC on your website and use it in email campaigns
You can repurpose UGC videos as client testimonials on your website. Select videos highlighting different performances, features, and relatable reasons the creators find the product helpful and post them on your website. Remember to select videos that include different values for the customers.
On the other hand, you can use the TikTok UGC video testimonials for your newsletters or email marketing. If you already know what your audience wants, you can reply with a TikTok UGC or use it as a supporting statement in your email or newsletter.
4. Create TikTok video shopping ads using UGC
Video Shopping Ads on TikTok allow you to turn your videos into a purchasing power. They help your customers find your products and redirect them to your website or app to complete their purchases.
TikTok Shop is an ideal solution when it comes to selling your products through socials. Plus, keep in mind that you can use Video Shopping Ads without the TikTok Shop. That means, despite popular belief that you need a TikTok shop to promote your products through a connected catalog, you can do it from a TikTok integration.
Top 3 UGC campaign examples on TikTok
Let’s do an overview of 3 successful UGC campaign examples on TikTok that can inspire your next campaign.
1. #MyCalvins - Calvin Klein Challenge
Calvin Klein started the #MyCalvins hashtag on TikTok to encourage its customers to share their Calvin Klein outfits. When names like Shawn Mendez and Kendall Jenner joined this challenge, the hashtag tapped into a diverse audience.
The company broke its record as it showed 10x more engagement than one of their most successful campaigns with Justin Bieber in 2015.
2. Chipotle’s #GuacDance Challenge
The Chipotle #GuacDance Challenge is another great example of how to increase engagement and brand awareness through UGC on TikTok.
The brand asked their TikTok audience to join the guacamole dance challenge in honor of July 31st or the National Avocado Day. In exchange, all customers get a free order.
Due to the number of UGC content that was created. Chipotle’s orders increased by 65% that day, and the hashtag stepped over 1.1B views on TikTok.
3. Sephora Tutorials
Tutorials are one of the most-watched videos on TikTok because people trust other people like them who have similar problems they can relate to. So Sephora leveraged this and created a UGC strategy to promote their products on TikTok.
In this video, a TikTok creator shares her routine to prevent hair damage and she’s using the #SephoraSquad hashtag. These videos bond Sephora’s clients and engage them with the brand. Currently, there are 26.7K posts under the #SephoraSquad hashtag where people share various how-to videos to solve each other’s problems.
Start getting UGC on TikTok today!
TikTok UGC offers huge opportunities for brands to increase brand awareness and sales. But also it creates a sense of community among your customers as UGC videos help people relate to each other.
If you want to leverage this opportunity, use the strategies above to find TikTok UGC creators or turn your customers into advocates of your brand.
Lastly, keep in mind that we can help you collect high-quality UGC at a scale that will highlight your products or services in the way they will resonate with your target audience.
We know how to find the ideal creators for any company, plus, we know how to communicate with creators and guide them to deliver good content. That’s how we secured 15K+ UGC posts in 10 months for some of the fastest-growing platforms in the creator economy.
Unlike other self-service UGC platforms, we have a hands-on approach and the best-in-class creator partnerships team that can fully manage your UGC strategy on TikTok.
