Breaking Down the Types of UGC

Understanding the Real Difference Between UGC, EGC, FGC, and Creator Content

If you’ve been on LinkedIn or TikTok lately, you’ve probably noticed that UGC has become the marketing world’s favourite buzzword. But not all UGC is created equal, and most of what’s called UGC today isn’t truly user-generated at all.

Brands are investing heavily in creator-led content, but the terms UGC, influencer content, and creator-generated content (CGC) are used interchangeably, which can lead to wasted budgets and missed opportunities.

So, let’s clear it up once and for all.

1. UGC: User-Generated Content

UGC is created by real customers who have purchased and used a product, without being paid or prompted. It’s unfiltered, spontaneous, and often a bit rough around the edges, and that’s exactly why it works.

When a customer posts a TikTok about how Naked Life Spirits helped them enjoy nights out alcohol-free, or a parent raves about Only Organic’s soups for their kids, that’s true UGC. It’s driven by experience, not by brief.

UGC builds trust and relatability because it answers the question: “Do people like me actually use this?”

2. CGC: Creator-Generated Content (Sometimes called ‘Faux UGC’ or ‘Paid UGC’) 

This is where much of today’s confusion lies.

Creator-Generated Content looks and feels like UGC but is commissioned by the brand. A creator is paid or gifted product to produce content that mimics a real customer testimonial while following a brief and key messaging. Confusingly, most who call themselves “UGC creators” actually sit in this category.

This distinction matters. UGC sparks discovery and trust, while CGC is usually used to turn that authenticity into a repeatable, strategic engine for performance and conversion.

CGC does offer brands greater control over quality, messaging, and alignment as well as pre-negotiated usage rights however the challenge is how to stand out. As more brands adopt the same playbook and even the same UGC creators, feeds are becoming flooded with repetitive, lookalike content that audiences scroll past.

3. EGC: Employee-Generated Content

Your people are your best storytellers.

Employee-Generated Content (EGC) showcases real staff members, their day-to-day experiences, team culture, and pride in what they do. It adds transparency and relatability that polished brand content simply can’t replicate.

Think of Bunnings Warehouse staff TikToks or Flight Centre’s behind-the-scenes travel hacks.

EGC boosts authenticity and recruitment appeal, reminding audiences that brands are made up of people, not just products.

4. FGC: Founder-Generated Content

Founder-Generated Content comes from business owners and senior leaders, the people who are the brand.

When founders, CEOs, or executives share their stories, lessons, and behind-the-scenes moments, they humanise their business, build trust, and elevate both their personal brand and the brand of their company.

Think of Janine Allis from Boost Juice sharing insights on resilience or Simon Griffiths from Who Gives A Crap making sustainability engaging.

FGC performs because it’s personal, credible, and emotionally grounded, the perfect bridge between thought leadership and brand storytelling.

5. Influencer Content

Influencer content sits somewhere between UGC and CGC.

It’s created by influencers with established audiences and typically comes under a paid partnership. These creators bring reach, expertise, and influence, but less spontaneity.

Think of a skincare creator posting a #paidpartnership for Mecca, or a fitness coach reviewing a new Nike release. The value isn’t just the content; it’s the audience and trust the influencer has built over time.

Influencer content is best for awareness and credibility at scale, not for raw authenticity.

6. Brand-Created Content

This is your owned, polished content, made by your in-house team or agency.

It’s consistent, on-brand, and often highly produced: think campaign shoots, paid ads, or product reveals. While it’s not authentic in the social sense, it’s essential for shaping your brand’s tone, consistency, and professionalism.

The trick is balance, pairing polished brand content with human-led UGC and CGC to keep your social presence both credible and relatable.

So Which One’s Right for You?

If you want to build trust and connection, focus on real voices such as UGC, FGC, and EGC. 
If you need control, consistency, or conversion, invest in creator or influencer content. 

The best strategies don’t choose one over the other, they blend them. UGC builds credibility. Creator content scales it. Brand content reinforces it. 

Looking to Make the Most of UGC?

Whether you want to tap into genuine voices that build trust or create strategic, high-performing creator content, get in touch.

We help brands turn UGC into an engine for growth - balancing authenticity and performance to deliver real impact through real people.

Because great content doesn’t just look authentic, it feels it.