User-generated content (UGC) is anything your customers create about you: photos, short videos, reviews or posts. You encourage it by making it easy and rewarding to share, and you use it legally by asking permission for each reuse, keeping a record of that permission, and being honest about any incentive you offered. Tagging a brand does not hand over the right to republish a photo.
Why permission matters
Copyright generally sits with the person who made the image or video. The Australian Copyright Council states that copyright is not “waived” when you publish text or images on the internet, and that reusing someone’s online photo generally needs permission even if you are not making money from it. Crediting the creator is not a substitute for asking.
In practice, a share button inside a platform is one thing, and downloading a customer’s photo to put on your website, a brochure or a paid ad is another. The second needs your own permission, separate from the platform’s terms. This article is general information, not legal advice. For paid campaigns or anything involving people’s faces, get professional advice.
Ways to encourage UGC
- Give people a reason to post. A distinctive product moment, a packaging detail or a venue corner that photographs well gives customers something to share.
- Ask directly. A card in the parcel or a message after purchase asking for a photo works better than hoping.
- Use a simple hashtag or prompt. Keep it short and specific to one campaign.
- Run a themed request. For example, a cafe might invite photos of the first coffee of the day for a week, then feature selected entries.
- Show you read it. Reply and thank people. Visible attention encourages more contributions.
If you offer a prize or discount for posting, see the incentive rules below. The wider value of this material is covered in content repurposing.
A permission workflow that scales
- Find content that fits your brand and shows nothing sensitive (other people, children, private homes, competitors).
- Message the creator with exactly where and how you plan to use it: organic social only, website, email or paid ads.
- Get a written yes. A reply in the same message thread is a record. Screenshot it and file it with the post link.
- Keep the credit you promised and agree how long you can use the content.
- Remove on request. Decide in advance how fast you will take content down if the creator changes their mind.
- Re-ask for new uses. Permission for a social repost is not permission for a billboard.
| Use | Minimum you should have |
|---|---|
| Repost with credit on your own social account | Clear written yes naming that use |
| Website gallery or email | Written yes naming website or email |
| Paid ads | Written yes naming paid use, ideally a short signed licence |
| Photos of identifiable people other than the creator | Their consent too |
Incentives, reviews and honesty
The ACCC says a business must not create fake or misleading reviews or arrange for others to do so. Its guidance on online reviews also says that if you offer discounts or free gifts for reviews, you must apply them whether the review is positive or negative, and the incentive must be clearly disclosed.
The same page says suppressing, editing or removing genuine negative reviews may mislead consumers. Moderation is therefore about spam, abuse and clearly fake content, not about keeping only the flattering material. Do not edit a customer’s words to sound better.
Moderation rules worth writing down
- Remove content that is abusive, unlawful, or that shows people who have not consented.
- Do not feature content that makes product claims you cannot support yourself. If a customer says a product “cured” something, you are responsible once you republish it. The ACCC’s guidance on false or misleading claims says the rule on accurate claims applies to any communication by a business, including social media and testimonials.
- Keep a short public policy on what you will feature and how to request removal.
- Review reposted material against your visual standards, as described in consistent visual identity.
Measuring whether it works
Track reach and enquiries from UGC posts separately from your produced content, as outlined in measuring creative campaign performance. UGC often feels more credible, but whether it converts better for your business is something to test, not assume.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Growth and Marketing division plans social and campaign programmes, and the Studio produces short-form and social video when customer content alone is not enough. To discuss a UGC programme, get in touch.
Sources
- Copyright myths, Australian Copyright Council
- Online reviews for products and services, ACCC
- False or misleading claims, ACCC
