Resources / Guide for brands
UGC vs influencer marketing:
how to choose?
Before choosing a creator, decide what their content needs to achieve. The deciding question is often this one: who distributes the message, and to which audience?
Two needs, two ways of distributing
In an influencer campaign, a brand works with someone who posts to their own community. The aim is to introduce an idea, a product or a story through a voice that audience already follows.
When a brand commissions UGC from a creator, it first wants content it can run on its own channels, within the agreed usage: social media, ads, website or other media. The creator brings their perspective, their interpretation and the ability to produce the right format.
The same person can make a video for the brand and post a collaboration on their account. Both uses just need to be planned from the start, in the brief and in the agreement made with them.
Content for your brand
Explore UGC production when you need to feed your channels with videos or photos built for a specific goal.
A story carried by a creator
Explore an influencer campaign when posting to the creator’s community is part of the expected result.
Start with the goal, then choose the format
The right format depends less on a label than on the result you want and the channels the brand can act on.
| Your priority | Possible starting point | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Feed your social accounts or create several videos to test | UGC production | Angles, formats, variations and content usage |
| Introduce an offer to a specific community | Influencer campaign | Audience, creator fit, message and posting |
| Combine discovery and reusable content | Combined approach | Posting, separate deliverables and rights for each channel |
For example, a brand that already has an audience but lacks videos to explain its product can start with UGC. A brand that wants to introduce a launch to a relevant community can start with influencer marketing. These are illustrative scenarios: the final decision depends on the context, the budget and the planned distribution.
When both work together
UGC and influencer marketing can complement each other when a brand needs to get its message known and to produce content for its own communication. In that case, it helps to separate two deliverables: what the creator posts on their account and what they hand over to the brand.
This distinction avoids expecting a single post to meet every need. It also lets you define the approvals, versions, channels and usage rights attached to each piece of content.
A combined campaign isn’t necessary for every project. If your main need is clear, start there and keep the option to expand later.
The five answers to prepare before briefing
- The result you want: being discovered, explaining, reassuring, or having content to distribute.
- The audience: who needs to see the message and what they need to understand.
- The channels: the creator’s account, the brand’s accounts, ads or website.
- The deliverables: posts, videos, photos, versions, formats and schedule.
- The measurement: which signals will show whether the campaign is really helping the brand.
Add to these answers how the content may be used and the approvals needed. They vary by project and must be agreed with the people involved.
To go deeper into each approach, see our pages REM UGC and Influence.