How to Get More UGC with the Right Incentive
User-generated video content (UGC) is one of the most powerful tools in a brand’s marketing toolkit. It’s authentic, affordable, and—when done right—can significantly boost trust and engagement with your audience. At StoryTap, we’ve spent over a decade helping brands collect video stories, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this:
To get great UGC, you need the right incentive.
Why Incentivize for UGC?
While some organizations—especially charities with strong emotional ties—can get customers to share video stories without offering anything in return, this is the exception, not the rule. For most brands, giving your customers a little extra motivation goes a long way.
But here’s the catch: not all incentives are created equal.
Know the Rules Before You Offer Incentives
Before you start handing out rewards for customer videos, it’s critical to understand the latest guidelines on reviews and testimonials. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released updated guidance that outlines exactly what’s allowed when incentivizing UGC.
Here’s a quick summary:
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You cannot incentivize for a positive review. That means you can’t say “we’ll give you a gift card if you say something nice.”
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You must disclose all incentives. Transparency is key. Make it clear to both the creator and the audience that the content was incentivized.
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You can’t cherry-pick reviews. Don’t claim a handful of positive videos represent “all reviews” if they don’t.
👉 Read our full article breaking down the FTC guidelines here
What Incentive is Right for Your Audience?
Choosing the right incentive depends entirely on your product and your customer’s mindset.
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High-value, infrequent purchases (like cars or mattresses)? Offering a discount on the next purchase probably won’t resonate.
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Low-cost, frequent purchases (like baby formula or cosmetics)? A discount code or loyalty points can be a great motivator.
However, one type of incentive continues to outperform across all industries and customer types: contest entries.
Why Contests Work
Contests tap into that sense of fun and possibility that customers love. They’re simple, low-commitment, and can offer meaningful rewards without requiring brands to give something to every participant.
In our experience at StoryTap, a contest entry for a compelling prize—like a $500 gift card—has consistently been one of the most effective ways to encourage customers to record video content.
The Easy Button: StoryTap Contests
To make it easy, we’ve built this right into our platform. When you launch a video campaign with StoryTap in the USA or Canada, you can simply select the StoryTap Contest option. Every customer who submits a video is automatically entered into a quarterly draw for a $500 USD gift card.
No legal reviews. No administrative hassle. Just effortless incentivized UGC.
Ready to start collecting high-quality customer videos?
👉 Book a demo or sign up for free and see how easy it is to build trust with real stories from real customers.
