---
name: user-generated-content
description: "Creates UGC campaigns with submission guidelines, incentive structures, rights management, and curation workflows. Use when planning campaigns that encourage customers to create content for your brand."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# User-Generated Content

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Design a UGC campaign that encourages customers to create content
- Build submission guidelines and incentive structures for contributors
- Create a content rights and permissions framework
- Plan a curation and publishing workflow for user-submitted content

**DO NOT** use this skill for influencer campaigns, paid partnerships, or creating content yourself. This is for organic customer-created content.

---

## Core Principle

THE BEST UGC CAMPAIGNS MAKE PARTICIPATION EASY, REWARDING, AND FUN — IF CREATING CONTENT FEELS LIKE WORK, NOBODY WILL DO IT.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Product / brand** | "What are customers creating content about?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Campaign goal** | "Social proof, brand awareness, content library, or community building?" | Social proof |
| **Target platforms** | "Where should UGC be submitted and shared?" | Instagram + TikTok |
| **Customer base** | "How many active customers do you have?" | 100+ |
| **Budget for incentives** | "Do you have a budget for rewards or prizes?" | Product discounts or free items |
| **Campaign duration** | "Is this ongoing or a time-limited campaign?" | Ongoing |

**GATE: Confirm brief before designing the campaign.**

---

## Phase 2: Outline

```
1. Campaign Concept — theme, hashtag, CTA
2. Submission Guidelines — what to create, format, rules
3. Incentive Structure — rewards for participation
4. Rights & Permissions — legal usage terms
5. Curation Workflow — how to collect, review, and publish
6. Launch Plan — how to promote and sustain the campaign
```

**GATE: Approve outline before full plan.**

---

## Phase 3: Write

### 1. Campaign Concept

```
## Campaign Overview

**Campaign name:** [Catchy, memorable name]
**Hashtag:** #[BrandHashtag]
**CTA:** "Share your [experience/result/use] with #[hashtag] for a chance to [incentive]"
**Theme:** [What makes this campaign fun or meaningful for participants]
**Platforms:** [Where content should be posted]
```

### 2. Submission Guidelines

```
## What to Create

**Content types accepted:**
- Photos: [Specific guidance — product in use, before/after, lifestyle shot]
- Videos: [Length, format — unboxing, tutorial, testimonial, day-in-the-life]
- Text: [Reviews, stories, tips]

**Quality guidelines:**
- Good lighting (natural preferred)
- Product or brand clearly visible
- Authentic — no heavy filters or staged setups
- Include the campaign hashtag in caption

**What NOT to submit:**
- Content featuring competitors
- Offensive, unsafe, or inappropriate material
- Content that misrepresents the product
```

### 3. Incentive Structure

```
## Rewards

| Tier | What They Do | Reward |
|------|-------------|--------|
| Participation | Submit any UGC with hashtag | [Discount code / entry into draw] |
| Featured | Selected for brand repost | [Product gift / larger discount / shoutout] |
| Top Creator | Best UGC of the month | [Free product / gift card / exclusive access] |

### Incentive Rules
- Keep the barrier low — anyone who submits gets something
- Featured creators get additional recognition (repost with credit)
- Monthly or quarterly "top creator" awards maintain long-term participation
```

### 4. Rights & Permissions

```
## Content Rights Framework

**When someone submits UGC:**
1. Submitting with the campaign hashtag grants a non-exclusive license to use their content
2. Credit the creator when reposting (tag their account)
3. For use in paid ads, get explicit written permission first
4. Never alter the content in a way that misrepresents the creator's intent

**Permission request template:**
"Hi [Name], we love your [post/video] about [product]! We'd like to feature it on our [channel/ads/website]. You'll be fully credited. Would that be OK? If so, here's a quick permission form: [link]"

**Permission form must include:**
- Where the content will be used
- Duration of use
- Credit/attribution terms
- Right to withdraw permission
```

### 5. Curation Workflow

```
## Curation Process

**Step 1: Collect**
- Monitor hashtag daily
- Save/bookmark qualifying submissions
- Track in a spreadsheet: creator, platform, content type, quality rating

**Step 2: Review**
- Quality check: lighting, brand visibility, message alignment
- Brand safety check: no offensive content, competitors, or issues
- Rate 1-5 on quality and relevance

**Step 3: Request permission**
- DM or email creators of content rated 4-5
- Wait for explicit permission before reposting

**Step 4: Publish**
- Repost with creator credit and hashtag
- Send the creator a thank-you with their incentive
- Add to your UGC library for future use

**Step 5: Track**
- Measure engagement on UGC reposts vs branded content
- Identify top-performing UGC themes for future campaigns
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Campaign Checklist

```
## UGC Campaign Checklist

- [ ] Campaign name and hashtag created
- [ ] Submission guidelines are clear and specific
- [ ] Incentive structure rewards participation at multiple levels
- [ ] Permission and rights framework documented
- [ ] Curation workflow defined (collect, review, request, publish, track)
- [ ] Launch announcement drafted for email + social
- [ ] Tracking spreadsheet or tool set up
- [ ] First 5-10 pieces of seed UGC identified or created
```

### 2. Launch Sequence

```
Week 1: Announce campaign on all channels. Seed with 3-5 pieces of UGC from loyal customers.
Week 2: Repost first featured UGC. Announce first rewards.
Week 3-4: Continue featuring submissions. Share participation stats.
Monthly: Announce top creator. Refresh campaign messaging.
```

---

## Example: UGC Campaign for an Online Course

```
Campaign: #MyTransformation
CTA: "Share your biggest win since taking [Course Name] with #MyTransformation"
Content types: Before/after screenshots, video testimonials, written stories
Incentive: All submissions get a bonus template pack. Featured creators get 1:1 coaching call.
Curation: Check hashtag daily, repost 2-3/week with credit
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **No incentive** — expecting customers to create content for free, with no recognition, gets zero submissions.
- **Complicated submission process** — if it takes more than 2 minutes to participate, they will not bother.
- **Reposting without credit** — always tag and credit the creator. Failing to do so damages trust and may violate rights.
- **Using UGC in paid ads without permission** — reposting on your feed is usually fine with a hashtag license. Paid ads require explicit written consent.
- **Launching without seed content** — an empty campaign hashtag looks dead. Seed with 5-10 pieces before launching.
- **One-and-done campaigns** — UGC works best as an ongoing program, not a one-week sprint.

---

## Recovery

- **No submissions:** Lower the barrier — ask for a simple photo instead of a video. Reach out personally to 10 happy customers and ask directly.
- **Low-quality submissions:** Provide better examples. Share a "how to create great UGC" guide with visual references.
- **Rights disputes:** Always have a clear permissions process. If a creator objects, remove their content immediately and apologize.
- **Campaign lost momentum:** Inject energy with a time-limited challenge or increased reward for the next 2 weeks.
- **Cannot find UGC:** Search for organic mentions of your brand on social media. Customers may already be posting about you without the campaign hashtag.
