UGC vs influencer marketing - what’s better for your next product launch?
Wondering whether you should invest in influencer marketing or UGC for your next launch? In this blog post, we’re going to break it down — what’s the difference, what’s the actual goal behind both approaches, and how to choose the best option for your next launch.
As always, if you prefer to listen to the podcast episode instead of reading this blog post, click on the player below. Follow my podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, and all the other platforms to get notified as soon as a new episode becomes available!
What’s the difference between influencer marketing & UGC?
Influencer marketing is when you pay (or gift) someone with a following to promote your offer on their platform. You're paying for their audience, their credibility, and the fact that people trust what they say. They're putting your product or service in front of their people. More on influencer marketing here.
UGC, or user-generated content, is when someone (who may or may not have a following) creates content for you to use on your platforms. You’re not asking them to post it — you’re using the video, photos or reviews they’ve created wherever it makes sense for your marketing: organic posts, ads, emails, you name it.
So:
Influencer = content on their feed
UGC = content for your feed
Influencer marketing is great for reach.
UGC is great for trust.
What’s the goal of your launch?
This is the first thing I always come back to.
Are you trying to:
Get in front of new audiences?
Build trust and social proof?
Make your content go further?
If the answer is: “We really need people to know this exists,” then influencer marketing might be the way to go. It’s designed to get attention and drive traffic. You’re borrowing someone else’s audience to spread the word.
If your goal is more like: “We need content that helps people understand and trust the offer so they actually buy,” then UGC is probably the better fit. It’s brilliant for showing what the product looks like in real life, how it works, and why people like it — all things that help convert someone who’s nearly there.
The budget question…
Let’s be honest: launches are expensive enough without throwing money at the wrong thing.
Influencer marketing can be pricey. Even smaller creators usually charge a fee — and rightly so — because you’re getting access to their audience and the trust they’ve built. But the thing is, you don’t have full control over WHEN or IF they share, especially if you’re working on a gifting-only basis - not great for a launch.
UGC, on the other hand, is usually more affordable. You’re only paying for the content — not the distribution — which gives you more flexibility. You can reuse it a million different ways, and it’s not tied to someone else’s schedule.
If you’ve got a smaller budget but need high-impact content you can stretch across your launch, UGC is honestly a no-brainer.
Can you do both?
Yes — and in a dream launch world, you would.
You might:
Line up some micro-influencers to help create buzz and reach new audiences in the weeks before your launch
At the same time, get a few UGC creators to make content that explains, demonstrates, or reviews the product — which you then use across your own channels to build trust and support conversions
That way, you’ve got visibility and credibility covered. You’re not relying on one single post to do all the heavy lifting.
Oh — and don’t forget about EGC
Employee-generated content is such an underrated option, especially if you’re a service provider or have a team behind the scenes.
It could be you or your team showing how something works, walking people through your process, or just giving a behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming. People love seeing the real humans behind a brand, and during a launch, it makes everything feel way more personal and trustworthy.
It doesn’t have to be fancy. iPhone videos work just fine.
A few last Dos and Don’ts:
Things to keep in mind:
If you're commissioning UGC, make sure you’re clear on usage rights — especially if you plan to run ads with that content.
Don’t expect UGC to magically drive traffic. That’s not the job. Its strength is in conversion support and trust-building.
When working with influencers, look at audience fit and engagement, not just follower count. You might find this post interesting: Influencer marketing 101
Repurpose the hell out of good UGC. One video can turn into multiple posts, Story slides, website content, or email snippets.
No one buys from a single post. Influencer or otherwise. Consistency and timing matter.
So… which should you use?
Here’s the short version:
If your launch goal is reach and you have the budget to back it — influencer marketing can be a great move.
If your launch goal is trust and you need content you can reuse and control — UGC will give you more value.
Both can work, but they serve different purposes. And neither will fix a launch that doesn’t have a solid strategy behind it…
If you want help figuring out how to make all this fit your offer and audience, book a strategy session — we’ll map out a content plan that actually supports your launch goals instead of throwing money into the void.
H x