Agency
The Rise of User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC quietly rewrote the influencer model. The value is no longer only in who has the audience, but in who can make content real enough for brands to run across their own channels, ads, and funnels. It opens a creator career that does not require influencer-level fame, and a cheaper, more authentic content supply for brands.
The Rise of UGC studies that new layer. NeoReach surveyed over 1,000 UGC creators in late 2023, sourced through Instagram and TikTok across all sizes, on their platforms, earnings, industries, workload, brand relationships, and views on where UGC is headed.
Inside, the report shows UGC as both a brand solution and a creator path, and it is honest about how young and uneven the category still is. Most creators are early, many are part-time, income is modest, and the hardest part is rarely the filming. It is pitching brands, setting rates, and turning creativity into a business. For brands weighing authentic, conversion-focused content against polished ads and expensive sponsorships, the report maps what UGC does well and where it falls short.
UGC is heavily female and young: 96% of surveyed creators are female, and the largest age group is 25-34 (50.5%).
Earnings are still modest: average estimated total UGC earnings are $12.3K, but the median is just $1K.
TikTok is the primary UGC platform (54%), ahead of Instagram (42.1%), though Instagram is used by nearly all creators (99.94%).
The category is new: 59% have done UGC for less than a year, and the number of UGC creators rose 145% over the prior year.
Most work part-time (62.3%) and across brands: 67% have worked with six or more.
The hardest part is the business side: 57% say reaching out to brands is the toughest part, and 66% say brands choose UGC for authenticity.