User-Generated Content Strategy for Australian Businesses: How to Get Customers Creating Content for You
Here’s a truth most brands won’t admit: your customers are better marketers than you are.
They have permission and trust. They have audiences. They have credibility you can’t buy. When a customer posts about your product on their own Instagram, their followers listen. When you post the same thing on your brand account, they scroll past.
User-generated content (UGC) is the most underutilised asset in Australian business marketing. It costs almost nothing to orchestrate, it converts 2-3x better than brand content, and it builds communities instead of just audiences.
The problem: most businesses either don’t ask for UGC, or they ask poorly. You need a system.
This guide shows you how to build that system—how to encourage customers to create content, how to legally use what they create, how to repurpose UGC in ads (where it performs best), and how to make UGC the backbone of your social strategy.
Why UGC Outperforms Brand Content
The data is clear:
- 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know (including other customers) over brand messages
- UGC increases conversion rates by 5.3% on product pages
- UGC-driven ads have 79% higher engagement than brand-produced ads
- Customers who engage with UGC are 4x more likely to convert
- UGC is considered 5x more trustworthy than brand-produced photos and videos
Why? Because UGC is unfiltered. It’s real. It shows the product in someone’s actual life, not a studio setup. It shows real people getting real results, not actors pretending to be customers.
For Australian businesses specifically, UGC works because Australians are naturally skeptical of marketing. We distrust corporate spin. But we trust our peers. A customer testimonial with a photo outweighs a thousand polished brand posts.
Types of UGC You Should Be Collecting
1. Customer Photos
What: Pictures of your product in use, unfiltered and unscripted.
Where it works: Product pages, social media ads, Instagram grid.
How to collect:
- Post-purchase email: “How are you loving your [product]? Tag us in a photo!”
- Instagram Stories: Ask for tags with a branded hashtag
- Point-of-sale: “Share a pic of your purchase and tag us for a feature”
Example: A coffee roaster asking customers to share photos of their morning brew. Real kitchens, real people, real coffee. Better than any styled product shot.
2. Customer Videos
What: Short clips of customers using your product, saying what they like, or showing a transformation.
Why it works: Video is the most engaging UGC format. A 15-second customer testimonial video is worth more than 100 brand posts.
How to collect:
- Email: “Quick question—would you share a 30-second video on how [product] has helped you?”
- Social media DM: Follow up with engaged followers
- Incentive: Free product, discount, or feature in your newsletter
Example: A fitness coach collecting short videos of clients showing their transformation. Raw phone footage, genuine reactions. Gold.
3. Customer Testimonials (Written)
What: Written reviews, comments, or short testimonials about your product/service.
Where it works: Product pages, emails, landing pages, social media captions.
How to collect:
- Review platforms (Google, Trustpilot, industry-specific)
- Email: “Would you mind sharing a quick line on how we helped you?”
- Post-purchase survey with a testimonial section
Example: “This service saved us 10 hours per week. Worth every penny.” —Simple, specific, believable.
4. Case Studies & Transformation Stories
What: In-depth customer stories showing problem, solution, result, with photos or video.
Where it works: Website, LinkedIn, email, landing pages, ads.
How to collect:
- Email to happy customers: “We’d love to feature your story. Could we do a quick chat?”
- Incentive: Featured prominently, case study credit, referral bonus
Example: A business software company: “How [client] increased pipeline velocity by 30% in 6 months using [software].” Full write-up with results and client quote.
5. Behind-the-Scenes Customer Content
What: Customers’ photos/videos showing your product at their workplace, home, or event.
Where it works: Instagram feed, Stories, Reels, ads.
How to collect:
- Create a branded hashtag and ask customers to use it
- Run a monthly contest: best photo wins a prize
- DM engaged followers and ask them to share
Example: A productivity tool asking customers to share their desk setups using the app. Real workspaces, real humans, real usage.
6. Social Media Comments & Shares
What: Positive customer comments on your posts, shares with their networks, tag suggestions.
Where it works: Community building, engagement metrics, algorithmic boost.
How to collect:
- Encourage comments: “How are you using [product] this week? Comment below!”
- Ask for shares: “Know someone who needs this? Tag them below”
- Respond to comments with recognition
Example: A marketing agency posting: “What’s your biggest SEO challenge this year?” Comments from customers become social proof and future content ideas.
How to Encourage Customers to Create UGC
Asking for UGC isn’t pushy if you do it right. Here’s how to make it easy and rewarding:
1. Make It Easy (Reduce Friction)
Problem: “Send us a video testimonial” feels like work. Most people won’t do it.
Solution: Make the ask specific and simple.
- Instead of: “We’d love to hear from you!”
- Try: “Would you share a 30-second video on your phone answering: How has [product] changed your workflow?”
Specific is doable. Vague is ignored.
2. Provide a Reason
People need to know why you want it.
- “We’re featuring customer stories on our website and social media—we’d love to share yours”
- “We’re building a community around [product]—real users, real stories”
- “We’re showing other business owners what’s possible with [product]”
Humans like being part of something bigger than a transaction.
3. Incentivise (But Not Always Monetarily)
Money isn’t always the answer. Better incentives:
- Feature & exposure: “We’ll feature you on our Instagram and tag your business”
- Discount or free product: “Share a testimonial, get 20% off your next order”
- Community recognition: “Join our customer spotlights program—we feature one customer every week”
- Referral bonus: “Refer a friend and get [reward]. Share your referral code on social”
- Exclusive access: “Beta customers get early access to new features”
The best incentive is visibility. Most customers would rather be featured than given a discount.
4. Ask at the Right Time
Timing matters. Ask when customers are most engaged:
- Right after purchase: “How’s your new [product]? We’d love to feature a photo!”
- After a positive review: If someone leaves a 5-star review, ask if they’d expand it to a video
- During their success moment: When they hit a milestone using your product
- On social media: DM engaged followers asking to share their story
Never ask frustrated customers for testimonials. Wait for wins.
5. Create a System / Program
Random asks don’t scale. Create a formal UGC program:
- Monthly spotlight: Feature one customer (or feature one different customer per week)
- Hashtag campaign: Brand hashtag + monthly contest (best UGC wins a prize)
- Customer ambassador program: Recruit 5-10 loyal customers as ambassadors who regularly share content
- Review request automation: Automated email 7 days post-purchase asking for testimonial or photo
Systems are predictable. Random asks feel desperate.
Legal Considerations: Using Customer Content Safely
This is important: always get permission before using customer UGC publicly.
Get Clear Permissions
Best practice: Write explicit permission.
Include this in your post-purchase survey, email, or forms:
“If you share feedback, photos, or videos, may we feature them on our social media and website with your permission? Yes / No”
For existing content: If a customer has already posted about you on social media (tagged you), it’s generally okay to share their post using the “share” or “repost” feature (most platforms have this built-in). But for commercial ads, ask first.
Give Attribution
Always credit customers when sharing their content:
- Tag them by name and/or business
- Include their handle or link
- Say “Thanks [name]” or “Customer spotlight: [name]”
Attribution is respectful and gives incentive for others to create UGC.
Get Model Releases for Video
If you’re featuring someone’s face in video (especially in ads), get a signed model release. This is legal protection. Most platforms have template releases you can use.
Avoid Misrepresentation
Don’t alter or miscontextualise customer content. If a customer gave a testimonial in a specific context, don’t use it out of context or in misleading ways.
Copyright
When a customer creates content featuring your product, you typically own the copyright to your product appearance, but they own copyright to their creative work. This is a grey area. Best practice: ask for explicit permission and credit.
For Australian businesses, check the ACCC guidelines on endorsements and testimonials. If a customer is being compensated for testimonials, this must be clearly disclosed.
UGC in Paid Advertising
Here’s where UGC shows its real power: in paid ads.
UGC-driven ads outperform brand-produced ads by 2-3x. Here’s why: they look like organic content, not ads. They build familiarity and trust. People see them and think “Oh, real customers are using this?”
Why UGC Ads Work
- They don’t look like ads. They look like customer posts
- They have testimonial/proof. “Real person, real result”
- Lower cost per engagement. Platforms favour content that doesn’t look promotional
- Higher conversion rates. Customers trust peers over brands
How to Use UGC in Ads
On Facebook/Instagram:
- Get permission from customer to use their photo/video in ads
- Create a new ad using their content (not your product photo)
- Include their name in the ad copy: “Sarah used [product] to [result]”
- Optional: include a quote from them
Example:
- Image: Customer’s photo of them using your product
- Headline: “See what Sarah built with [product]”
- Copy: “Sarah increased her productivity by 3 hours per week. ‘Best investment I’ve made,’ she says.”
- CTA: “Learn more”
On Google Ads:
- Use customer reviews in search ads
- Include star ratings and specific quotes
On LinkedIn (B2B):
- Feature customer testimonial videos in sponsored content
- Case study snippets with customer quotes
Performance Expectations
UGC ads typically see:
- 2-3x higher engagement than brand ads
- 30-50% lower cost per click
- 40% higher conversion rates
- Better quality score (Google rewards authentic-looking ads)
Tools for Collecting and Managing UGC
You don’t need expensive software to start, but these tools help at scale:
Free/Low-cost:
- Branded hashtag tracking: TweetDeck, Later (free tier)
- Review aggregation: Google Reviews, Trustpilot, industry-specific platforms
- Survey collection: Google Forms, Typeform, SurveyMonkey
- UGC curation: Pinterest board (pin customer posts), Notion database
- Email collection: Mailchimp, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Paid platforms (if you scale UGC):
- Yotpo ($99+/month): UGC collection, review aggregation, rights management
- Stackla ($500+/month): Enterprise-level UGC curation and rights
- Influential ($2,000+/month): Influencer + UGC management
For most Australian SMBs starting out, a spreadsheet and a branded hashtag are enough. Track customer names, content pieces, permission dates, and where you’ve used them.
Seasonal UGC Opportunities for Australian Businesses
Specific times of year are goldmines for UGC:
- Christmas: Customers sharing unboxings, gift moments
- New Year: Transformation stories, resolutions, goals
- Winter/cold months (June-August): Product-in-use photos in Australian winter context
- Back to school (January-February): Parents sharing student setup with your product
- Tax time (April-May): Business customers showing results with your software
- Summer holidays (December-January): Travel content, vacation usage
The Australian calendar is your asset. Use it.
Building a UGC-First Content Strategy
Here’s how to make UGC central to your social media:
Week 1-2: Set up collection system
- Create branded hashtag
- Add UGC question to post-purchase emails
- Create survey offering incentive for testimonial
Week 3-4: Curate and test
- Collect 10-20 pieces of UGC
- Repurpose and post 2-3 UGC posts per week alongside brand content
Month 2: Integrate into ads
- Use best UGC in 2-3 paid campaigns
- Compare performance to brand ads
- Identify what resonates
Ongoing: Systematise
- Monthly spotlight program
- Automated UGC request emails
- Regular hashtag monitoring
- Quarterly content audit (what worked, what didn’t)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use customer photos without asking permission? Not if you’re using them commercially. Always ask first. If they’ve tagged you on Instagram, the “repost” feature is generally safe, but for paid ads, get explicit permission.
How do I ask without sounding desperate? Be casual and specific. “Hey—we loved seeing how you used [product]. Would you mind if we reposted your photo on our Instagram?” feels natural and gives them an easy out.
What if I don’t have many customers yet? Start with your team. Friends. Early users. Ask them to share honestly (even critical feedback is valuable). Build momentum. Your first 5 pieces of UGC will help you get 10 more.
How much should I compensate customers for UGC? You don’t have to. Offering free product, discount, or exposure is often enough. If you ask for exclusive, professional-quality content, offering $100-500 is reasonable. For casual photos/testimonials, free is fine.
Can I use customer reviews from Google as UGC? Yes, if they agreed to public reviews (which they did by posting). You can screenshot and share them. For ads, get extra permission.
How often should I post UGC? Aim for 30-40% of your content to be UGC or UGC-inspired. Mix it with brand content, educational content, and promotional content.
Will sharing customer content cannib alise my organic reach? No. Actually, it helps. Algorithms favour engagement. UGC gets more engagement, which boosts the algorithm’s assessment of your account overall.
Ready to turn your customers into your best marketers? We help Australian businesses build UGC strategies that drive engagement and conversions. Let’s talk about making your customer stories your strongest asset. Contact Anitech or learn more about our social media management services.