UGC vs. Influencer Marketing: Different Roles, Better Together

In digital advertising, user-generated content (UGC) and influencer marketing are often grouped, but they serve distinct purposes. One gives you relatable, rights-owned content to power paid campaigns. The other gives you reach, credibility, and cultural relevance through creators with a following.

The truth is, you don’t have to choose. In fact, the smartest brands today are using both to build trust, engage audiences, and drive results at every stage of the funnel.

What’s the Difference Between UGC and Influencer Marketing?

At a glance, UGC and influencer content may look similar. But their purpose, usage rights, and media strategy roles are fundamentally different:

	UGC Creator	Influencer
Goal	Content creation	Follower engagement
Audience	May have little or no following	Built-in, engaged following
Usage Rights	Brand-owned and fully repurposable	Limited or negotiated usage rights
Tone	Relatable, unscripted	Polished, aspirational
Where It’s Used	Paid ads, websites, emails	Social feeds, stories, sponsorships
Payment	Per deliverable	Per post, campaign, or commission
Primary Value	Scalable, high-performing creative	Influence, trust, and reach

UGC is content built for the brand, designed to look and feel like it came from a real person. Influencer content, on the other hand, is shared by a real person to their own audience.

Both are powerful. They just play different positions.

When to Use UGC

UGC shines in performance-driven environments. Brands often use it when they need content that looks natural in-feed but is built with conversion in mind.

Use UGC when you want to:

• Launch or refresh paid social campaigns with authentic-looking creative
• Run A/B tests with low-lift, versatile video or image assets
• Add customer voices to your product pages, emails, or Amazon listings to build trust and humanize your brand
• Repurpose creative across multiple channels with full usage rights

Because UGC doesn’t rely on a creator’s following, it’s often more scalable and repeatable, making it ideal for performance marketers who need a steady stream of fresh, rights-owned assets.

When to Use Influencer Marketing

Influencer content is all about amplification. When you want to build buzz, gain access to a niche audience, or boost cultural credibility, influencers bring reach and trust that paid media alone can’t replicate.

Use influencers when you want to:

• Drive awareness during a product launch or seasonal campaign
• Reach Gen Z and Millennials—72% of whom say they’ve purchased because of a creator’s recommendation
• Spark organic engagement or user trends on platforms like TikTok and Instagram
• Align your brand with a particular lifestyle or identity

Just remember: most influencer content has usage restrictions. You’re paying for their voice, not always for the asset.

Why Smart Marketers Use Both

The real power comes when UGC and influencer marketing are used together. Think of it as a full-funnel strategy:

• Top of Funnel: Influencer content drives discovery and credibility
• Mid-Funnel: UGC supports retargeting with relatable, trust-building creative
• Bottom of Funnel: Rights-owned UGC helps convert with scalable, high-performing assets

For example, a brand might partner with a beauty influencer to show off a new product on TikTok, while also commissioning UGC creators to produce testimonial-style videos for use in Meta ads and emails. One drives buzz. The other drives results.

Build a Strategy That Works on Every Level

There’s no need to pick sides—UGC and influencer marketing both play critical roles in today’s digital media landscape. The key is knowing when (and how) to use each.

At Digilant, we help brands do both. From sourcing high-performing UGC to activating trusted influencers, our team builds flexible, full-funnel strategies that meet your goals, on your terms.

Want to see what a combined UGC + influencer strategy could look like? Let’s connect.