Social media
UGC (user generated content)
UGC is content made by users or creators rather than by the brand itself. It works on social because it reads as a recommendation from someone you know rather than an ad, even when it is paid.
What it means in practice
An important distinction: genuine customer UGC is free but impossible to plan. Paid creator UGC is predictable but needs a usage licence and legally required disclosure of the partnership.
Without a written licence you have no right to use someone else's video in advertising, even if it is about you. That is the most common legal mistake companies hit with UGC.