Your Customers Are Your Best Marketers,
The Data Just Proved It, Again
If you’ve ever debated whether investing in user-generated content is worth it, please allow us to settle this debate once and for all, with receipts.
Backlinko just updated its comprehensive UGC statistics report, and the numbers are, honestly, staggering. 93% of marketers using UGC say it outperforms traditional branded content. 79% of consumers say UGC influences their purchasing decisions. And 82% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from a brand that uses UGC in its marketing. On top of that, UGC in email marketing increases click-through rates by 78%, and 57% of shoppers say customer ratings and reviews are the most important element on a product page when completing a purchase. These are not marginal gains. These are category-defining advantages.
What makes this even more interesting is how it intersects with the AI search conversation happening across the industry right now. Platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and LinkedIn, all heavy on authentic, user-generated discussions, are the most-cited sources in AI-generated answers. Meanwhile, ChatGPT’s new ad platform is rewarding brands with strong “AI trust,” which is built through exactly the kind of authentic, consistent, multi-platform presence that UGC helps create. And Threads, which just opened up globally to advertisers, is a platform built entirely around real-time, conversational, human content, which is essentially just UGC with a social feed.
The Maroon Marketing take? UGC isn’t a tactic. It’s a trust infrastructure. The brands that make it easy for customers to share, review, and engage are building something that pays dividends in organic reach, paid performance, and AI visibility all at once. Start collecting it intentionally, showcase it everywhere, and watch what happens to your conversion rates.
Read the full Backlinko UGC statistics report: backlinko.com
Read the Threads 2026 update for UGC and social proof context: embedsocial.com
Read the Digiday ChatGPT ads piece for the AI trust angle: digiday.com