Let’s face it—people trust other people more than they trust brands. That’s exactly why user-generated content marketing for small businesses is having a major moment in 2025. Whether it’s a tagged Instagram post, a video review, or even a hilarious TikTok featuring your product, content created by your customers is marketing gold. It’s authentic, relatable, and most importantly—it works.
Here’s the deal: UGC (user-generated content) builds trust. According to a report by Stackla (a leader in UGC platforms), 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. That’s more than traditional ads or influencer posts. Why? Because it’s real. It’s not staged, scripted, or polished within an inch of its life. It’s actual humans talking about things they like. And your future customers eat that up.
So how do you tap into it? First, ask for it. Encourage customers to tag you, leave reviews, or post their experience using your product or service. Run a giveaway that requires a photo submission. Feature real customers in your Stories or on your homepage. The goal is to make your audience feel like they’re part of something—because they are.
And here’s the beauty of UGC: it also gives you a content pipeline without doing all the content creation yourself. It’s social proof + free marketing + community-building all wrapped into one. You can repurpose it across your platforms to build a brand that feels trustworthy and human, without constantly coming up with new ideas on your own.
In a world where people are bombarded with ads, user-generated content marketing for small businesses cuts through the noise with something better—believability. So if you’re not already featuring your happy customers, now’s the time to start. They’re your best marketers. You just have to hit “share.”