How to Leverage User-Generated Content in Merchandising Strategies
User-generated content is created by customers instead of professionals working for companies and includes ratings, written reviews, videos & demos, and social media posts. eCommerce brands utilizing UGC can expect better engagement from their communities, boosts to SEO, and higher sales as a result.
Published June 8, 2025.
In the competitive landscape of eCommerce, capturing and holding customer attention is a necessity. While traditional marketing efforts are still relevant, a powerful and increasingly essential tool for online retailers is user-generated content (UGC). In fact, 82% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that leverages user-generated content in its marketing strategies.
This makes UGC an invaluable asset for enriching your eCommerce store, providing social proof, inspiring purchases, and driving significant sales growth. Here's everything you need to know about leveraging user-generated content in your eCommerce merchandising strategies.
» Boost the effectiveness of your UGC with our AI-powered eCommerce solutions
What Is User-Generated Content?
Far from simple testimonials, UGC encompasses everything from customer reviews and ratings to social media posts, unboxing videos, and shared photos featuring your products in real-world settings.
This authentic, organic content acts as a digital form of word-of-mouth marketing, building genuine trust and rapport with potential buyers in a way that polished brand messaging often cannot.
» See these tips to elevate branding in eCommerce merchandising
UGC vs. Brand-Created Content
UGC vs. Brand-Created Content
UGC
Unpaid content created by customers (e.g., reviews, social media posts, photos, videos) that authentically showcases their experiences with a brand or product.
Brand-Created Content
Professionally produced content (e.g., ads, product photos, promotional videos, blogs) designed and funded by the brand to market its products/services.
| Feature | UGC | Brand Content |
|---|---|---|
| Tone & Authenticity | Raw, conversational, and trust-building Example: GoPro’s customer adventure challenge videos | Polished, on-message, and often sales-driven Example: A scripted TV advert |
| Impact & Trust | 92% of consumers trust UGC over traditional ads | Perceived as less trustworthy but offers controlled messaging |
| Purpose | Builds social proof and a sense of community | Drives brand identity and campaigns |
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The 4 Main Types of UGC
1. Ratings & Written Reviews
Customer reviews and star ratings are simple but powerful tools. They help build trust, give potential buyers confidence, and improve search visibility. They also offer valuable feedback that businesses can use to improve products and experiences.
» Struggling to get UGC? See our guide to getting and using product reviews
Industries that benefit:
- eCommerce & retail: Buyers rely heavily on peer feedback before making online purchases for almost all products—especially with unfamiliar brands or stores.
- Hospitality (hotels, restaurants, travel): Ratings significantly influence booking decisions.
- Healthcare & wellness: Health is one of the most critically debated facets of people's lives. Patient testimonials can build trust and credibility for practices and treatments.
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Amazon's review system significantly impacts conversion rates, with products having 50+ reviews seeing a 270% increase. Additionally, customers can rate the quality and helpfulness of different reviews to help prevent negative review bombing.
An academic study by Northwestern University suggests that five quality reviews can increase conversion rates by 270%.
2. Product Photos
When customers share their own photos, it helps others get a real sense of what a product looks like in everyday use. This kind of authenticity helps set clearer expectations, which can reduce uncertainty and even lower return rates.
Industries that benefit:
- Apparel & fashion: Helps customers see fit, fabric, and style on real people instead of struggling to identify the proportions of flat pieces of clothing.
- Home décor & furniture: Allows shoppers to visualize items in real living spaces for a better sense of space.
- Beauty & skincare: Shows real-world results, which can be more convincing than marketing images.
Glossier's use of UGC has led to the brand increasing sales, with 70% of their online sales coming from photos shared on Instagram by customers they repurpose on their own social media channels.
3. Video Reviews & Demos
Video content—like customer reviews or product demos—brings items to life. It shows how something works, what it looks like in use, and helps people decide whether it meets their needs. This not only builds trust but also helps reduce buyer hesitation and product returns.
Industries that benefit:
- Consumer electronics & tech: Shoppers want to see how gadgets function and if the advertised performance specs are true before buying.
- Fitness & wellness products: Demonstrations highlight ease of use and effectiveness.
- DIY & tools: Step-by-step user videos can reduce friction and increase purchase confidence.
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Peloton’s main Instagram account shares engaging video content that celebrates customers' progress, like a user video showing off a week of workouts, as well as customer progress stories. This has helped boost retention rates by keeping customers motivated.
4. Social Media Mentions
When people share their experiences on social media, it boosts brand visibility in a natural way. These posts often feel more relatable than ads, extend reach through personal networks, and foster community engagement.
Industries that benefit:
- Food & beverage: Highly shareable content (meals, drinks, & recipes) thrives on social platforms.
- Travel & experience-based services: Inspires others through authentic, aspirational content.
- Fitness & lifestyle brands: Build aspirational communities and social proof through user stories and progress.
GoPro asks users to use a #GoPro hashtag so their social media team can pick it up and choose which videos to post on GoPro’s platforms. GoPro users generate roughly 6,000 GoPro videos online every day.
According to GoPro, UGC contributes to 50% of their video content, 80% of their social media photo content, and 40% of their imagery on GoPro.com.
» Did you know? Effective social media marketing drives consumer behavior
How to Apply UGC for Specific Use Cases
Product Detail Pages (PDPs)
To help shoppers feel more confident and boost conversion rates, brands should use user-generated content in the correct spots on product detail pages (PDPs).
You can also use UGC on PDPs in the following ways:
- Answering FAQs: Short video reviews that answer common questions (like fit, performance, or ease of use) can help reduce returns by up to 20% and boost your store's SEO by answering questions like “Can this blender actually crush ice?”
- Revolving galleries: Adding a gallery or carousel between the product description and customer reviews can highlight top-rated products and the most relevant customer opinions.
Category and Collection Pages
Retailers can make category or collection pages way more helpful and inspiring by adding user-generated content like star ratings, quick review quotes, or real customer photos right next to the products.
When someone is browsing multiple options, seeing that other people have bought and loved a certain item can help them feel more confident about what to click on next.
» Here are the differences between Shopify categories and collections
Imagine someone is scrolling through a page full of dresses. It’s a lot to take in—but if they see photos of real people wearing a dress or a short review saying it fits perfectly, that extra context can make a big difference. It’s like giving shoppers a soft nudge in the right direction.
UGC in these spots doesn’t just build trust—it also makes the experience more personal and fun, which leads to more clicks and better conversion rates.
» Need help? Here's our guide to optimizing product collections through merchandising
Dynamic Content
User-generated content can play a key role in improving dynamic merchandising features that boost engagement and trust. Retailers can use real-time data from reviews, ratings, and social mentions to create live-updating “Trending Now” or “Most Loved” sections—automatically surfacing top-performing or frequently reviewed items.
Real-time social proof pop-ups like “Sarah from Los Angeles just bought this!” are another smart way to use UGC to show that products are in demand. These features work especially well during peak shopping periods or when launching new collections.
Seasonal Campaigns
Showing real people using or wearing your product adds authenticity you just can’t fake. This makes user-generated content a great way to bring special launches and seasonal campaigns like Black Friday to life for holiday seasons, limited-edition items, or themed sales:
- For limited editions and seasonal campaigns, UGC builds excitement and FOMO. Highlighting early buyers in your emails, product pages, or social posts can nudge others to act fast before it sells out.
- Encouraging customers to share their own content with branded hashtags helps keep the momentum going. You can also incentivize them to share content with a giveaway or competition that promotes higher engagement, relatability, and sense of community.
» Here are our tips for effective seasonal merchandising
Personalized Merchandising
UGC can add a powerful layer of trust and relevance to AI-driven personalization. By combining UGC with tools like recommendation engines and behavioral data, retailers can show customers not just products they might like, but also real reviews, photos, or videos from people with similar preferences or shopping habits.
» Take control of your store with these eCommerce personalization strategies and platforms
For example, if a customer frequently browses running gear, AI can highlight top-rated products in that category, along with UGC that reflects real-world use by similar shoppers. This helps create a more tailored, engaging experience and builds confidence during the decision-making process.
» Don't believe us? Here are the benefits of AI in eCommerce personalization
UGC Merchandising FAQs
How often should UGC elements be refreshed or re-curated to keep merchandising efforts relevant?
UGC should ideally be updated every 30–60 days to keep things fresh, relevant, and reflective of where your brand is now and not where it was months ago. Consumers are more aware than ever that businesses change over time with new products, new staff, and better service, and old reviews don’t always tell the full story. Outdated reviews may even do more harm than good, especially if they reflect seasonal issues or no longer match current quality or products.
How can you ensure constant UGC updates for future merchandising efforts?
To keep a consistent flow of UGC, brands should build review requests into their post-purchase email flow, encourage customers to share their experiences on social, and run seasonal campaigns and promotions to collect content that aligns with current messaging.
What are some unique or interesting UGC campaigns that real brands have utilized?
It’s worth highlighting how some brands have taken creative, unexpected approaches to UGC, and gone viral doing it. These campaigns went beyond simply asking for reviews, they invited people to participate in the brand story:
- Doritos launched their “Crash the Super Bowl” contest, where fans could submit their own homemade commercials. The best ones actually aired during the Super Bowl, turning everyday consumers into creators and generating massive buzz and reach.
- Lego ran a campaign that let fans design their own mini-figures online. Some of those designs were featured in official catalogs, giving fans a real sense of contribution and ownership.
- Airbnb encouraged travelers to share authentic stories through its “Live There” campaign. Instead of typical travel photos, they showcased personal experiences in real homes, helping shift their brand from just bookings to community-driven travel.
Connect With Your Audience the Fast Way
User-generated content represents a fundamental shift in how eCommerce brands connect with their audience. By weaving authentic customer voices, images, and videos into your merchandising strategies, you're not just showcasing products; you're building trust, fostering community, and providing invaluable social proof.
But it doesn't have to be a difficult process. Platforms like Fast Simon use AI for intelligent merchandising, eCommerce site search, and personalization capabilities that can elevate your user-generated content. By leveraging Fast Simon's advanced AI, businesses can strategically display products enhanced by social proof, personalize customer journeys based on what real users love, and optimize product visibility to ensure that compelling UGC directly translates into increased conversions and average order value.
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