User-generated content
Also called: UGC, user generated content, reddit ugc, customer content
Definition
User-generated content (UGC) is content created by users rather than brands: posts, reviews, comments, photos and videos. Reddit is almost entirely UGC, which is why its threads are trusted by buyers and widely used by search engines and AI assistants.
Every post and comment on Reddit is user-generated content. That is what makes the platform valuable to buyers, and it is the reason Google and AI companies have struck deals for access to it.
Why Reddit UGC is valuable
Reddit describes itself, in its February 2024 announcement of an expanded Google partnership, as one of the internet's largest open archives of authentic, constantly updated human conversations. Through that partnership, Google gets access to Reddit content via Reddit's Data API, including new ways to display it across Google products. OpenAI announced a similar arrangement in May 2024 to bring Reddit content to ChatGPT.
For buyers, the appeal is simple: a Reddit thread about a product is mostly written by people who use it, not people who sell it, and readers can check each author's history.
How brands use Reddit UGC
- Research. Reading what customers say about you and competitors is free market research. See social listening.
- [Social proof](/glossary/social-proof/). Linking to or quoting a public Reddit thread where customers discuss your product, accurately and in context.
- Product feedback. Feature requests and complaints in threads often point to fixes before they show up in support tickets.
- Content ideas. Questions that keep appearing in a subreddit are questions your docs or blog should answer.
The rights question
Reddit's User Agreement says users keep their ownership rights in what they post, while granting Reddit a broad license to use it. That license is to Reddit, not to you. Reusing someone's post or photo in an ad or on your site is a different matter from reading or linking it. The safe course is to link to the thread, or ask the author for permission before reproducing their content.
Why it matters for marketers
The value of Reddit UGC depends on it being genuine. Paying for or planting "user" content without disclosure defeats the point, and under the US FTC's Endorsement Guides, material connections such as payment or free products have to be disclosed. On Reddit, fake UGC also breaks the rules on authenticity. See astroturfing and affiliate disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
What is user-generated content on Reddit?
Everything posted by Reddit users: posts, comments, images and videos. Reddit itself does not create the content of its communities; its users do.
Can I use Reddit posts in my marketing?
Linking to public threads is generally fine. Reproducing someone's post, photo or review in your own marketing is safer with the author's permission, since users keep ownership rights in what they post.