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Monday, July 21, 2025

UGC Case Study: How User-Generated Content Drove a 685% Sales Increase

Daniils Bogdanovs

Background

A well-known footwear brand launched a new line of summer sandals with the goal of boosting product awareness, generating authentic content, and driving direct sales.

Strategy

The brand implemented a user-generated content (UGC) campaign using a dual approach:

  • 9 paid creators were engaged to produce guaranteed social media content.

  • 40 additional creators were gifted free product samples, encouraging organic and voluntary posts.

  • The brand obtained 90-day usage rights for all submitted content, allowing it to be repurposed across ads, websites, and email campaigns. This strategy ensured a steady stream of fresh, diverse, and trustworthy content that could be leveraged across platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Results

The campaign delivered impressive performance metrics:

  • 1.11 million total content views

  • 383,000 unique viewers

  • 3.8% average engagement rate

  • 30,000 link clicks

  • 2,400+ products sold

  • Over $60,000 in direct sales

  • A 685% year-over-year increase in sales of the new sandal line

Why It Worked

  1. Authenticity: Real, unscripted content from actual users resonated more than traditional brand ads.

  2. Diversity: Combining paid and gifted creators expanded reach and made the campaign feel more organic.

  3. Content rights: Ownership of UGC allowed the brand to reuse high-performing content across multiple channels.

  4. Engagement: The content naturally integrated into users’ feeds, increasing visibility and lowering ad fatigue.

Key Takeaways

  • UGC builds trust and converts viewers into buyers

  • Even a modest number of creators (fewer than 50) can generate major results

  • Repurposing creator content increases ROI and marketing efficiency

  • Authenticity outperforms polish in today’s digital ad landscape

Conclusion

This case proves that UGC isn’t just for branding—it’s a powerful performance marketing tool. By activating everyday creators and leveraging their voices across platforms, the brand turned content into revenue and achieved a 685% lift in sales within a single campaign period.

Let me know if you’d like help crafting a similar strategy or adapting this format for your own brand presentation.

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