Influencer or UGC creator? Here’s what you need to know!

Influencer or UGC creator? Here’s what you need to know!

As digital marketing continues to evolve, many businesses are asking the same question: Should we work with influencers or UGC creators?
The two roles are often mixed together, but there are clear differences that can have a big impact on your strategy.

In this article, we break down the difference between an influencer and a UGC creator—and how to choose the right solution for your business.

What is an influencer?

An influencer is someone with a large or highly engaged following on social media. Influencers make their living by creating content for their own channels and influencing their audience through trust, entertainment, or inspiration.

Characteristics of influencers:

• Have an established platform (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.)

• Often measured by reach, views, and engagement rate

• Their content primarily lives on their own channels

• Businesses pay for access to the influencer’s audience

When you collaborate with an influencer, you are essentially paying for access to their followers.

What is a UGC creator?

A UGC creator (User Generated Content creator) produces content for a company’s channels—not their own. The focus isn’t on the creator’s personal brand, but on creating authentic content that feels like real user-generated material.

Characteristics of UGC creators:

• Create content that’s used in a company’s marketing

• No requirement for a large audience

• Deliver videos, images, or text for use in paid ads

• Measured on content performance (conversion, ROAS)

UGC creators are therefore more of a production partner than a distribution channel.

Influencer vs. UGC creator – what’s the difference?

The influencer is the channel. They provide their reach and followers.
The UGC creator is the content producer. They provide the actual creative assets.

With an influencer, you buy distribution.
With a UGC creator, you buy content.

When should you choose an influencer?

Influencers are strong when you want to:

• Build brand awareness and reach

• Leverage a personal brand ambassador with trust

• Target a specific audience through their followers

Example: A beauty influencer with 200,000 followers can create massive visibility for a new skincare line.

When should you choose a UGC creator?

UGC creators are ideal when you want to:

• Get authentic content for your ads

• Scale your campaigns with many variations

• Focus on performance rather than reach

Example: Testing 10 different UGC videos in Meta Ads can quickly reveal which message and format delivers the best ROAS.

The holistic approach – use both

Instead of choosing one or the other, consider a combined strategy:

• Let influencers create visibility and trust.

• Use UGC creators to produce performance-focused content for testing and scaling.

This way, you get both distribution and content—and can maximise LTV and retention by following the customer through the full product journey.

Conclusion

The difference is clear:

The influencer is the voice you borrow.
The UGC creator is the content you own.

Want awareness, reach, and credibility? Choose an influencer.
Want scalable, authentic ad content for your own channels? Choose a UGC creator.

The strongest brands combine both in a unified strategy.