UGC on Different Platforms: Tailoring Your Approach for Instagram, TikTok, and More

The internet is a very big place. It has multiple ecosystems, all overlapping but unique, and when exploring the vast digital landscape it’s important to know how to navigate different environments. 

In the same way you’d dress differently for a tropical location than an arctic one, there’s no one style that fits all types of social media ads. You have to tailor your approach to the platform you’re on.

This is especially true for UGC style ad creative. If it’s clear your content doesn’t fit in with the organic content on that platform, the illusion of authenticity is shattered. 

What is UGC?

User-generated content (UGC) is any form of content, such as photos, videos, reviews, and posts, created by unpaid contributors (or users). It is considered organic and is usually a significant part of a brand's digital content marketing strategy. 

UGC ads, which incorporate this organic content into paid advertisements, provide a layer of authenticity and relatability that traditional ads may lack.

For instance, a UGC style video might include real customers showcasing a product in action on platforms like Instagram or TikTok. These real-life endorsements can be more persuasive than branded content, as they offer genuine insights from peers.

What platform is your audience on?

Understanding who’s on each social media platform makes it much easier to make a meaningful connection with your audience. These are broad strokes generalizations, as generations are not monolithic, but this general breakdown can be used as a good starting point.

TikTok - Unless you live under a rock, you know TikTok took the world by storm. Especially amongst Gen Z (people born between ~1996 and 2012). It’s where they get their news, restaurant reviews, and shop. It’s the wild west of middle parts, dance videos, and social media advertising. 

Instagram - You’ve seen the rock climbing gyms, the “it’s wine o’clock somewhere” throw pillows, and reels that were viral TikTok videos 3 months ago. All tell tale signs of millennial social media users. While it feels like everyone and their mother now has an Instagram, it’s millennials who make up the brunt of their active user base posting photos of brunch and shopping for something so algorithmically perfect for them it’s a little scary.

Facebook - Baby boomers use Facebook. It’s why the website is riddled with widely shared misinformation, strange AI generated images, and Marketplace users desperately trying to unload junk. For all the grief we give Facebook for being where our moms and uncles post cringe content, it is a huge and active user base who directly engage with paid posts.

YouTube - Anyone with young children in their family knows YouTube basically replaced all entertainment for the up and coming generation alpha. Ms Rachel will one day be president, but in the meantime everyone has SOME use for YouTube. Whether it’s entertainment while eating a meal alone, tutorials for fixing tech, or reviews of a product, people of all walks of life are on YouTube, and chances are they’re seeing 5 seconds of an unskippable ad before they watch (more on that later.) 

CTV - Connected Television ads (CTV) are the streaming industry’s version of commercials. Unlike advertising on a cable network, streaming allows you to target users much more directly. The people watching Real Housewives on Peacock may not have the same interests as those watching The Boys on Amazon. The audience is still massive (anyone who watches tv is a pretty good get) but it lets you find your niche within that gigantic chunk of people. 

Now that we know who’s using these platforms, let’s talk a little about how to approach them. It should be different. You don’t speak to your close friends the same way you speak to your elderly neighbor, because you have to meet people where they are. 

How do you write UGC Ads for TikTok? 

Although it can feel like Steve Buscemi’s “how do you do, fellow kids?” to advertise in youth speak, TikTok demands it. TikTok is a scrolling video interface, so if one video isn’t for you it’s on to the next. While TikTok paid ads target a lot of people, they’re not what people look for. Once they see it’s an ad, no matter how tailored, they’ll swipe onto the next.

That’s why we create UGC style paid ads on TikTok to mimic real creators. When they see a person interacting with what seems like an actual audience, and speaking from a place of authority, we can entice the viewer a little bit more before they lose interest in an obvious ad. The trick is to get their guard down, so the more native TikTok features you can implement like captioning, questions, and comments help disguise the video as organic content.

We’ve seen certain styles of TikTok ads, like Podcaster, Interview on the Street, and Q&A, crush ROAS goals. You can read more about these styles on our blog.

How do you write UGC ads for Instagram?

Thinking back to what we’ve established with Instagram being the millennial first platform, we can think a little more about that age range. Appealing to 90’s nostalgia works like a charm, but there’s more ways to get creative with how you talk to a now established buying market. 

Whereas Gen Z are younger and have less disposable income due to their career levels (for now) millennials are starting to make bank. That means they can spend, they can’t afford houses, but they can spend. Appealing to a mix of entertainment and education lands exceedingly well with this audience. If you can solve for X in their day to day lives with Y product/service, you’ve got them. 

Instagram ads really lock in on their targets. Their algorithm is scarily good, and can find exactly who needs the service/product you're selling. So, in order to drive conversions, make sure the video explains exactly how your product/service fits into their lives and how it makes their lives better.

How do you write UGC ads for Facebook?

Facebook is where direct response style advertising reigns supreme. People who use Facebook are very passionate, and will let you know in the comments. If they don’t get what the product/service is, feel like you’ve wasted their time, or just don’t like what your brand is doing you will hear about it.

It’s best to focus on value when developing Facebook UGC style video ads. Show real people, talking about real ways the product/service adds value. They want no nonsense, to the point, and utility first. 

They’re likely not buying if it feels too silly or superfluous. So keep it straightforward, and state the value props clearly to slash your CPAs.

How do you write UGC ads for YouTube?

The 6 second window before you can skip an ad is the bane of most people’s (without YouTube Premium) existence. Those 6 seconds are however an advertisers best friend. 

It forces you to create ads a little differently. Sure, some viewers may forget to skip the ad, or get up while it plays to go do something else, but that period before they skip is key. If you cannot deliver a reason for them to convert then and there, or keep watching, don’t bother. 

Think of the first 6 seconds like an entirely unique ad in a Vine style (RIP), and the rest is butter. Delivery is everything here, so frontload your ads with the biggest reasons to believe, and get them to engage and convert ASAP. 

How do you write UGC ads for CTV? 

When you  stream, you’ll notice how ads on connected tv differ right away. There’s less flash than traditional cable or network TV ads in favor of a clean simple delivery. These ads are also shorter. 

While the UGC style works, sometimes it is best to deliver a more polished version. That’s where testimonials come into play. Here at Creative AdBundance, we’ve seen major success with an actor’s portrayal of a customer. It creates a more human connection with the audience, since we’re showing how the product/service best benefits someone in real life.

This means you cannot skimp on research. If a viewer gets even a whiff of inauthenticity from an ad that’s all about honesty, it’s dead on arrival. 

To get a testimonial right, you need to dig into real customer reviews, utilize the language they are using, and really connect with the viewer about how it feels to encounter the problem your service/product solves for. Master this formula and your connected TV ads will capture attention and drive conversions. 

Look, the ins and outs of different platforms is not easy. But our experienced Creative Strategists and Copy Writers have done the research, tested the methods and unlocked the code for creating UGC style social media ads that perform. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our approach to creating UGC style ads, drop us a line at creativeadbundance.com/chat. 

We’re ready and waiting to create tailored ads for your brand, and drive conversions across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, CTV, and YouTube.