These user generated content statistics will show you why this marketing technique is so powerful and how businesses benefit from it.

How many people use social media? Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2024, over five billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to over six billion in 2028. Who uses social media? Social networking is one of the most popular digital activities worldwide and it is no surprise that social networking penetration across all regions is constantly increasing. As of January 2023, the global social media usage rate stood at 59 percent. This figure is anticipated to grow as lesser developed digital markets catch up with other regions when it comes to infrastructure development and the availability of cheap mobile devices. In fact, most of social media’s global growth is driven by the increasing usage of mobile devices. Mobile-first market Eastern Asia topped the global ranking of mobile social networking penetration, followed by established digital powerhouses such as the Americas and Northern Europe. How much time do people spend on social media? Social media is an integral part of daily internet usage. On average, internet users spend 151 minutes per day on social media and messaging apps, an increase of 40 minutes since 2015. On average, internet users in Latin America had the highest average time spent per day on social media. What are the most popular social media platforms? Market leader Facebook was the first social network to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently boasts approximately 2.9 billion monthly active users, making it the most popular social network worldwide. In June 2023, the top social media apps in the Apple App Store included mobile messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram Messenger, as well as the ever-popular app version of Facebook.

In March 2024, the video platform YouTube reported around 32.5 billion visits from global users. Meta-owned Facebook.com reported around 16.1 billion visits from global users, as Instagram.com and Twitter.com followed, each with 7 billion and 6.1 billion visits from users worldwide during the examined month. Wikipedia.org, which hosts users-generated encyclopedic entries, recorded around 4.4 billion visits, while news aggregator and community platform Reddit.com saw approximately 2.2 billion visits during the examined period.

containing textual data associated with various emotions and related concepts.

As of September 2024, the age group most receptive to user-generated content (UGC) worldwide were individuals aged 18 to 24. ***** in ten shoppers within this age bracket utilized UGC, a trend mirrored by consumers aged 25 to 34.

The User-Generated Content Platform Market is Segmented by Product Type (Blogs, Websites, Advertising and Promotions, Social Media, Audio and Video, and Others), by End-User (Individual, Enterprises), and by Geography. The Market Sizes and Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD) for all the Above Segments.

As of September 2024, the average star rating stood out as the predominant element of user-generated content (UGC) driving consumer purchasing decisions worldwide. Over ** percent of consumers affirmed that they were swayed by rating reviews when making purchases.

User Generated Content Platform Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global User Generated Content Platform market size reached USD 7.85 billion in 2024, driven by the increasing need for authentic content and the widespread adoption of social media across enterprises and individuals. The market is projected to grow at a robust CAGR of 16.2% from 2025 to 2033, reaching a forecasted value of USD 32.93 billion by 2033. This growth is primarily fueled by the rising demand for scalable and interactive content solutions, rapid digital transformation, and the growing significance of community engagement in brand strategies. As per the latest research, the proliferation of mobile devices and the evolution of digital marketing practices are key factors accelerating market expansion.

One of the principal growth drivers for the User Generated Content Platform market is the surging emphasis on brand authenticity and consumer trust. Businesses are increasingly leveraging user generated content (UGC) to bridge the gap between brand messaging and consumer perception. UGC, such as reviews, testimonials, images, and videos created by real customers, significantly enhances brand credibility and fosters deeper connections with target audiences. With the rise of influencer marketing and peer recommendations, companies across various industry verticals are integrating UGC platforms to curate, manage, and showcase authentic content. This not only improves marketing ROI but also strengthens customer loyalty, making UGC platforms an indispensable tool in modern digital marketing strategies.

Another major factor contributing to the growth of the User Generated Content Platform market is the exponential increase in digital content creation, fueled by the widespread use of smartphones and high-speed internet. Social media platforms, online forums, and community websites have become primary channels for content sharing and interaction. Enterprises and SMEs are adopting UGC platforms to harness the vast potential of crowd-sourced content, enabling them to scale their marketing efforts efficiently. The integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning further enhances the capabilities of UGC platforms, enabling automated content moderation, sentiment analysis, and personalized recommendations. This technological evolution is expected to drive continuous innovation and adoption in the market.

Furthermore, regulatory changes and evolving consumer privacy expectations are shaping the User Generated Content Platform market. With data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA coming into force, UGC platforms are prioritizing secure content management and compliance. Enterprises are seeking platforms that offer robust moderation tools, data encryption, and transparent consent mechanisms. This trend is particularly evident in sensitive sectors like healthcare, BFSI, and education, where content authenticity and data protection are paramount. As a result, UGC platform providers are investing in advanced security features and compliance certifications to cater to the growing demand from regulated industries, further propelling market growth.

Regionally, North America continues to dominate the User Generated Content Platform market, accounting for the largest revenue share in 2024 due to the early adoption of digital technologies, a mature e-commerce ecosystem, and a high concentration of social media users. Europe follows closely, driven by strict data privacy laws and a strong focus on community engagement. The Asia Pacific region is witnessing the fastest growth, with a surge in internet penetration, mobile-first consumers, and an expanding digital economy. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are also emerging as promising markets, supported by increasing digital literacy and investments in digital infrastructure. The regional dynamics reflect a global shift towards interactive and community-driven content strategies, with each region presenting unique opportunities and challenges for market players.

In late 2023, **** in five Gen Z consumers living in the United States considered user-generated videos to be a vital source of information when researching products to buy. In general, many consumers valued visual content from other shoppers. Where do Gen Z consumers discover new products? In the first quarter of 2023, the majority of Gen Z consumers began their shopping journeys online, either in online stores or on search engines. In addition to the internet, Gen Z consumers displayed a tendency to discover new products via celebrity endorsements and reviews by well-known individuals or expert bloggers. In other words, many Gen Z consumers discover new products online, as opposed to in person. Gen Z shopping preferences When surveyed, Gen Z shoppers around the world preferred to do most of their shopping online, as well. In an online environment, certain factors were more likely to increase the possibility of a purchase. User-generated content, for example, was important, as a post with lots of “likes” or good comments on social media would increase the likelihood of a purchase by about ** percent.

User Generated Content (UGC) Platforms Market size was valued at USD 5.4 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 26.12 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 20.4 % during the forecast period 2024-2031.User Generated Content (UGC) Platforms Market DriversGrowth of Social Media: The proliferation of social media platforms has significantly boosted the creation and sharing of user-generated content. Social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are prime examples where UGC thrives.Digital Marketing Trends: Businesses are increasingly incorporating UGC into their digital marketing strategies to increase authenticity, trust, and engagement. UGC provides social proof, which is highly valued by consumers.Consumer Trust and Authenticity: Consumers tend to trust content created by their peers more than traditional advertisements. UGC offers a sense of authenticity and credibility that brands can leverage to build trust.Cost-Effective Content Creation: UGC platforms allow brands to crowdsource content, reducing the need for expensive in-house content creation. This is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises.Enhanced Customer Engagement: UGC encourages interaction and engagement between brands and consumers. This engagement fosters a sense of community and loyalty among customers.Influence of Online Reviews: Online reviews and ratings are a critical component of UGC, influencing purchasing decisions. Platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Amazon thrive on user reviews.Mobile Device Penetration: The widespread use of smartphones and mobile devices facilitates the easy creation and sharing of content on the go, driving the growth of UGC.Technological Advancements: Innovations in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics are enhancing the capabilities of UGC platforms, allowing for better content curation, moderation, and personalization.Integration with E-Commerce: E-commerce platforms are increasingly integrating UGC features such as customer reviews, Q&A sections, and user photos to enhance the shopping experience and drive sales.Regulatory Support: Governments and regulatory bodies are recognizing the importance of UGC and are creating frameworks to protect both content creators and consumers, fostering a safer and more trustworthy environment.

According to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight on August 2023, ** percent of respondents in Singapore stated that they engaged with user-generated content such as reviews, videos, blogs, and social media posts created by people. The same survey revealed that videos of products were the most interesting content type according to those surveyed.

The User-Generated Content (UGC) Platform market is experiencing robust growth, driven by increasing consumer trust in peer recommendations and brands' need for authentic marketing content. The market size in 2025 is estimated at $5 billion, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18% from 2025 to 2033. This significant expansion is fueled by several key factors. Firstly, the rise of social commerce and the integration of UGC directly into e-commerce platforms are accelerating adoption. Secondly, advanced analytics capabilities embedded within these platforms provide brands with valuable insights into consumer preferences and campaign effectiveness. Finally, the increasing sophistication of UGC platforms, offering features like moderation tools, content scheduling, and rights management, is enhancing their appeal across diverse industries. This growth is projected to continue throughout the forecast period, reaching an estimated market value of $15 billion by 2033. However, challenges remain. Maintaining data privacy and managing the volume of user-generated content effectively are key concerns for businesses. Competition among established players and emerging startups is also intense, demanding continuous innovation and adaptation. Nevertheless, the long-term outlook for the UGC platform market remains positive, with substantial opportunities for companies that can effectively address the evolving needs of brands and consumers alike. Key market segments include e-commerce, social media, and review platforms.

One of the key changes in societal trends and lifestyles witnessed over the past few years has been the move on-line of many consumers and the way they have become increasingly sophisticated in their media consumption habits. Have these recent changes to consumer and commercial practices developed in such a way that consumers are (in)voluntarily signing away their fundamental right to privacy? This CONSENT project seeks to examine how consumer behaviour, and commercial practices are changing the role of consent in the processing of personal data. While consumer consent is a fundamental value on which the European market economy is based, the way consumer consent is obtained is questionable in popular user-generative/user-generated (UGC) online services (including sites like MySpace, YouTube and Facebook), whose commercial success depends to a large extent on the disclosure by their users of substantial amounts of personal data. (https://www.consent.law.muni.cz/) WP7: Quantitative measurement of end-user attitudes towards privacy WP8: Qualitative study of UGC users and UGC non-users attitudes towards privacy

According to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in August 2023, ** percent of respondents in the Vietnam stated that they engaged with user-generated content such as reviews, videos, blogs, and social media posts created by people. The same survey revealed that images and videos of products were the most interesting content types according to those surveyed.

The use of social media and location-based networks through GPS-enabled devices provides geospatial data for a plethora of applications in urban studies. However, the extent to which information found in geo-tagged social media activity corresponds to the spatial context is still a topic of debate. In this article, we developed a framework aimed at retrieving the thematic and spatial relationships between content originated from space-based (Twitter) and place-based (Google Places and OSM) sources of geographic user-generated content based on topics identified by the embedding-based BERTopic model. The contribution of the framework lies on the combination of methods that were selected to improve previous works focused on content-location relationships. Using the city of Lisbon (Portugal) to test our methodology, we first applied the embedding-based topic model to aggregated textual data coming from each source. Results of the analysis evidenced the complexity of content-location relationships, which are mostly based on thematic profiles. Nonetheless, the framework can be employed in other cities and extended with other metrics to enrich the research aimed at exploring the correlation between online discourse and geography.

Files include footage from performances of the trEd Dance group (edfest8, edfest9 and edfest10) and Rebecca Wilson's 'The Strawberry Show' (edfest6 and edfest7) taken during Edinburgh Festival 2016 by BBC R&D as part of the COGNITUS project funded from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 687605. BBC©2016. Further details about the content are available in the accompanying paper "An Open Access Dataset of User Generated Videos from Edinburgh Festival 2016". If you have any queries please contact BBC R&D at cognitus-h2020@rd.bbc.co.uk. This notice must remain attached to any copy of the content.

According to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in August 2023, ** percent of respondents in Indonesia stated that they find product videos most interesting among other types of user-generated content. Product reviews or testimonials and social media post were also engaging among those surveyed.

A user generated video dataset captured during the 2016 Edinburgh festival. The provided dataset was collected using a smart phone and is available with no post-processing. The videos mainly cover the Edinburgh streets and the festival atmosphere, and do not cover any performances. The dataset can be used for evaluation of various research tools, such as video quality assessment and enhancement.

In recent years, computational approaches for extracting customer needs from user generated content have been proposed. However, there is a lack of studies that focus on extracting unmet needs for future popular products. Therefore, this study presents a supervised keyphrase classification model which predicts needs that will become popular in real products in the marketplace. To do this, we utilize Trending Customer Needs (TCN)—a monthly dataset of trending keyphrase customer needs occurring in new products during 2011-2021 across multiple categories of Consumer Packaged Goods e.g. toothpaste, eyeliner, beer, etc. We are the first study to use this specific dataset and employ it by training a time series algorithm to learn the relationship between features we generate for each candidate keyphrase on Reddit to the ones in the dataset 1-3 years in the future. We show that our approach outperforms a baseline in the literature and through Multi-Task Learning can accurately predict needs for a category it wasn’t trained on e.g. train on toothpaste, cereal, and beer products yet still predict for shampoo products. The findings from this research could provide many advantages to businesses such as gaining early access into markets.

In 2023, interactions with visual user-generated content (UGC) exerted the most significant influence on conversion rates, revenue per visitor, and average order value. Notably, engagement with photo galleries on the site saw a staggering *** percent increase in revenue per visitor. Reviews experienced the second-highest growth, closely trailed by shopper interactions with the Q&A section.