10 Challenges With Ugc and How to Overcome Them
User-generated content (UGC) has become a powerful marketing tool, but it comes with its own set of challenges. This article delves into the complexities of UGC and offers practical solutions to overcome common obstacles. Drawing from insights provided by industry experts, readers will discover effective strategies to harness the full potential of UGC in their marketing efforts.
- Guide UGC with Specific Templates
- Create Guided Content Frameworks
- Highlight Imperfect Behind-the-Scenes Content
- Implement Community Immersion for Creators
- Balance Brand Consistency with Authenticity
- Ask Specific Questions for Natural Responses
- Incorporate Branding Through Clever Product Design
- Use Curated Prompts for Sensitive Industries
- Spotlight Unfiltered Customer Stories Monthly
- Simplify UGC Process with Photo Prompts
Guide UGC with Specific Templates
One of the biggest challenges I've faced with UGC (user-generated content) is getting quality content that actually aligns with the brand.
Early on at Design Hero, I encouraged clients to share photos of their new branding in the wild. I'd say, "Tag us when you post!" or "Send a photo if you use the logo on signage."
The results? Random, low-quality shots—bad angles, poor lighting, inconsistent styles. It was UGC, technically. But it wasn't usable.
That's when I realized: the issue wasn't the audience—it was the brief (or lack of one).
Here's how I solved it:
I stopped asking for content and started giving a template for content.
Instead of vague asks like "Share your experience," I started giving clients:
1. A specific request ("Can you send a 10-second video of you unboxing your new packaging?")
2. Examples of what other clients had done
3. Simple do's and don'ts ("Landscape, not portrait"; "Include your logo in frame"; "Show the product in use")
4. Light incentives (like reposting their video to our 10k+ audience)
I also added a mini "UGC kit" to our offboarding process—a prewritten email that said exactly how they could get featured, what kind of content we loved, and how it helped both of us grow.
That one change had a massive impact.
Not only did I start getting usable, high-quality content—I saw a shift in how clients felt about contributing.
Because I framed it as a spotlight, not a favor.
Now, UGC fuels about 30% of our social media pipeline. It builds trust, shows proof, and reduces our content production workload.
So here's the lesson:
Don't just ask for UGC—guide it.
Structure gets you quality. Specificity gets you results.
And the best UGC doesn't feel like marketing. It feels like celebration.
If you want more of it, make it easy, fun, and valuable for the people creating it.
That's what turns customers into advocates—and scattered posts into a brand story.
Create Guided Content Frameworks
Customers often create visually appealing content that fails to address the specific concerns potential buyers actually need answered, resulting in beautiful but commercially useless user-generated content (UGC). Our biggest challenge wasn't generating customer content—it was getting content that provided practical value for prospects rather than just aesthetic appeal.
My solution involved creating "guided content frameworks" where I provide customers with specific questions to address in their posts rather than requesting generic reviews. Instead of "share a photo of your piece," I ask them to answer: "What surprised you about the process?" "What would you tell someone hesitant about memorial jewelry?" and "What practical advice would help families prepare for consultation?"
The breakthrough was recognizing that customers don't intuitively know what information influences purchasing decisions—they focus on emotional aspects while prospects need practical reassurance. Our framework-guided UGC increased consultation requests by 89% compared to spontaneous customer posts because it addressed specific decision-making concerns rather than general satisfaction.
The most effective element was providing customers with "conversation starter" prompts that naturally led to useful information sharing. This approach transformed pretty but empty UGC into detailed testimonials that actually helped prospects overcome hesitation and move forward with consultations. The key insight: customers want to help but don't know what helpful looks like—providing specific guidance creates valuable content while making participation easier for contributors.
Highlight Imperfect Behind-the-Scenes Content
One of my biggest hurdles with UGC has been getting genuine participation—not just likes or brief comments, but real stories or visuals that reflect how people connect with the brand. The tricky part is that people often assume what they share has to be polished or influencer-level perfect.
To work around that, I started highlighting imperfect, behind-the-scenes content in our stories—whether that's a blurry photo or a casual, unfiltered testimonial. It made the whole thing feel more human. Once people saw that there was no pressure to be "camera-ready," submissions started feeling more authentic and frequent. It's all about making space for the real, not just the curated.
Implement Community Immersion for Creators
My biggest UGC challenge is finding creators who actually understand that we're building communities, not just making pretty content. Most creators approach event marketing as if they're selling a product—they focus on flashy visuals and engagement metrics instead of genuine connection. I think this stems from creators treating every brand the same way, without grasping that event-based content needs to feel like an invitation rather than an advertisement.
My solution involves what I call "community immersion" before any content creation begins. I require potential creators to attend one of our smaller events first, perhaps a client webinar or workshop, so they can experience our brand atmosphere firsthand. This might seem excessive, but creators who truly "get" the community vibe produce content that drives actual event registrations, not just likes. The difference in conversion rates is substantial—community-immersed creators generate about 40% more qualified sign-ups compared to traditional UGC approaches.
Balance Brand Consistency with Authenticity
Arguably, the biggest impediment to working with user-generated content (UGC) is maintaining brand consistency while preserving authenticity. UGC is powerful in building trust and fostering engagement, yet it remains a huge umbrella under which variations in tone, quality, and brand messaging exist. Hence, if an organization aims to incorporate UGC into its core marketing, inconsistencies will have dilution effects on the brand narrative.
In our effort to combat this, we have implemented a strategic UGC model that involves proactive guidance and a light-touch approach to moderation. It begins with the creation of a concise UGC style guide that outlines visual standards, tone of voice, and thematic direction suggestions rather than restrictions. Equally important are the structured UGC campaigns, which include prompts or challenges designed to unlock creative inputs within predefined parameters.
For instance, during a recent product launch, the team invited users to submit short videos answering three questions aligned with the brand. This way, the content remained on message, and users could express themselves freely in their own voices. Our team reviewed the submissions using a centralized platform and undertook light editing to maintain authenticity. Additionally, they obtained explicit usage rights to feature the content on paid and organic channels.
The results showed a 42% increase in engagement compared to branded creative alone, with better conversion rates resulting from authentic customer voices that convey trust and relatability.
The key takeaway: provide your community with the tools and guidance to create, all while preserving brand integrity through a careful and scalable review process.
Ask Specific Questions for Natural Responses
Getting usable UGC (User-Generated Content) has always been tricky. What we kept running into was this: clients either had no idea what to say or overthought it and made it sound robotic. We'd ask for a testimonial, and what came back was too generic or just not useful.
What worked better for us was getting specific with the ask. Instead of "share your experience," we'd say something like, "What were you trying to fix before working with us?" or "Was there a moment you realized this was working for you?" Just real, simple questions. That gave us answers that were more natural and helpful to others reading them.
Sometimes we'd even jump on a 10-minute call, no script, just chat. That helped people open up. They weren't writing a review; they were just telling a story. And that's what made the content work.
Incorporate Branding Through Clever Product Design
The biggest hurdle any brand faces is how to incorporate its brand voice or identity within user-generated content (UGC) itself. Without a call-to-action or branded impression, UGC is much less valuable, but it's challenging to maintain an organic and authentic feel if your UGC always includes brand-name callouts.
To overcome this, we include a sleep mask with every order, featuring the brand's logo "Sheets & Giggles" written in calligraphy across it. When someone opens our box, they're greeted with both a surprise eye mask placed on top of the sheets, and they almost always impulsively put it on to see if it fits. The next thing they see is a hashtag and our social media handle printed inside the box, which serves as a subtle call-to-action to tag us on social media.
By putting two and two together, we receive a large number of images showing people holding up their new sheets with the branded eye mask over their face. The key is to set people up properly!
Use Curated Prompts for Sensitive Industries
One of the biggest challenges we see with user-generated content (UGC) in the funeral industry is tone control. In the deathcare industry, even well-meaning posts can feel jarring—consider someone tagging a memorial post with emojis or using humor in ways that don't resonate.
The solution? Pre-framing and curated prompts. Instead of open calls like "Share your story," you can ask specific, gentle questions: "What's one thing you'd want the world to remember about your loved one?" or "What song reminds you of them most?"
UGC works best when it's guided, not forced. Especially in sensitive industries, structure creates space for sincerity—and prevents your brand from becoming a digital free-for-all.
Spotlight Unfiltered Customer Stories Monthly
One of our biggest UGC challenges has been maintaining authenticity without losing control of how our brand is perceived. Sometimes content feels too scripted or overly polished, which takes away from the trust we try to build.
To solve that, we created a monthly spotlight for real customers to share unfiltered stories using our products. We gave them a few prompts but let them speak in their own voice. This not only improved engagement but helped other potential customers relate. It reminded us that people trust people more than they trust perfect campaigns.
Simplify UGC Process with Photo Prompts
My biggest challenge with UGC is getting clients to share content—even when they love the service, they're often too busy or private to post. The solution was to make it ridiculously easy: I started sending quick photo prompts with suggested captions after each service and offered to tag them instead of asking them to post. I also shifted focus to gathering private testimonials and using them (with permission) as quote cards on my social media accounts. It kept the content authentic without putting pressure on clients.
Keagan Stapley
Personal Chef & Business Owner
