Key Takeaways:
Learn which types of UGC resonate most with 2025 holiday shoppers.
Discover how to repurpose customer-created content across social, email, ads, and in-store displays.
See how AI tools like ChatGPT can organize, reframe, and amplify UGC for more authentic holiday marketing.
UGC is the handmade wrapping paper element of your marketing that makes everything feel more exciting and authentic. During the holiday season, customers are eager to share their shopping, gifting, and celebrating experiences. The right user-generated content (UGC) not only amplifies your marketing but also builds trust and gives shoppers the social proof they crave before making purchases.
Here’s how to make the most of UGC this holiday season – from the types you should request, to the ways you can use it, to how AI tools can help you organize and repurpose it more effectively.
“UGC is the handmade wrapping paper element of your marketing that makes everything feel more exciting and authentic.”
– Technology Therapy®️ Group
Types of UGC to Request from Customers
Some UGC formats have stood the test of time:
Customer Reviews & Testimonials remain the backbone of trust.
Per Trustpilot, 66% of US consumers claim that consumer reviews “often” or “very often” influence their purchasing decisions. And, around the holidays, reviews become even more powerful as shoppers want reassurance before buying gifts. Featuring reviews or testimonials on product pages or in seasonal campaigns can help hesitant buyers take the leap.
Customer Photos & Tags continue to create authentic buzz.
Think a shopper showing off their holiday jewelry purchase or cozying up in a new sweater. These types of UGC make your products feel more relatable than any polished brand shoot. According to a recent survey from Nosto, 81% of marketers believe that visual UGC resonates more with customers than either professionally shot photos or influencer content.
Unboxing Moments add a touch of holiday magic.
Encourage customers to capture the joy of opening your packages, especially if your gift wrapping or packaging feels festive. These clips are perfect for TikTok or Instagram Stories.
In 2025, we’ve also seen some fresh UGC formats emerge:
TikTok Duets and Stitches
Customers remix your content with their own reactions or gift reveals.
Unfiltered Stories & “Day in the Life” Clips
Authentic shopping or gifting moments from shoppers.
AI-Assisted Creativity
Customers use playful filters or remix tools to showcase your brand in new ways.
Micro-Influencer Collabs
Local voices share genuine experiences that feel more like UGC than sponsored content.
“81% of marketers believe that visual UGC resonates more with customers than either professionally shot photos or influencer content.”
– Nosto, “How Ecommerce Marketers are Embracing UGC to Boost Their Online Sales” Report
Ways to Use UGC in Your Retail Marketing
Once you’ve collected UGC, the key is to integrate it into your campaigns. This holiday season, think multi-channel:
On Social Media
Mix customer posts into your holiday calendar to balance polished brand campaigns with authentic voices.
On Product Pages
Add reviews, photos, or video testimonials where shoppers make final decisions.
In Email Campaigns
Feature real customers unwrapping gifts or celebrating with your products to spark inspiration.
In-Store Displays
Screens or posters highlighting customer photos or quotes connect your online buzz to your physical space.
Remember: not every trend or customer post will be right for your brand. Choose the ones that align with your values and personality, so your content feels authentic and relevant.
8 Ways to Leverage AI Tools to Gather and Use UGC
AI tools make it easier to collect, organize, repurpose, and amplify the UGC you collect. ChatGPT, for example, can streamline the process so you get more mileage from what customers are already sharing—without losing the authenticity that makes it powerful.
- Organizing Customer Reviews & Testimonials
The holidays bring a rush of feedback: “Fast shipping!” “Loved the festive packaging!” AI can help summarize these reviews into bite-sized captions for Instagram or TikTok, surface recurring themes for ad copy, or even suggest testimonial highlight reels to share across platforms.
- Writing Social Captions That Mirror Customers’ Voices
When a shopper writes, “This was the coziest gift I bought all season!”, AI can spot those phrases and suggest captions that mirror the same tone. Using customer language makes your content feel more relatable in a crowded holiday feed.
- Turning UGC Into Multi-Channel Content
A single unboxing video doesn’t need to stay on one platform. AI can help you transform it into a TikTok script, a product spotlight for your blog, or a festive email snippet encouraging others to shop.
- Generating Prompts to Encourage More UGC
Holiday campaigns thrive on engagement. AI can help draft seasonal prompts like “Show us your holiday sparkle with ✨” or “Snap your coziest winter look featuring [brand].” These cues invite customers to share and expand your reach.
- Tagline & Hashtag Development
Analyzing UGC with AI can reveal how your customers talk about your products. From there, you can build hashtags like #WrappedWithLove or #CozyWith[BrandName] that feel authentic and seasonal.
- Spotting Content Trends in UGC
AI can also show which formats perform best – like before-and-after photos of holiday makeovers, or Stories capturing family celebrations – so you know where to focus your energy.
- Repurposing UGC for Ads
Customer quotes make strong ad copy. A review like, “These earrings were my daughter’s favorite gift this Christmas” can be reworked into curiosity-driven headlines or benefit-based ad lines.
- Storytelling with UGC
The holidays are full of stories—first Christmases, special milestones, family gatherings. AI can help weave customer quotes and images into blog posts, newsletters, or carousel posts that showcase those authentic narratives.
UGC Is the Gift That Keeps Giving
When you highlight UGC in your marketing this holiday season, you let customers tell your story in ways that feel real, trustworthy, and festive. By combining classic reviews and photos with new 2025 formats—and layering in AI tools to organize and repurpose it—you can meet shoppers where they are while staying true to your brand’s personality.
UGC is proof that your brand is loved and trusted during the busiest shopping period of the year. This holiday, use it as your handmade wrapping paper: the finishing touch that makes your marketing memorable.
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