UGC Statistics 2026

1. 1

   Bazaarvoice's Shopper Experience Index (November 2024) found that 65% of global shoppers rely on UGC such as ratings, reviews, photos and videos in their buying decisions.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Experience Index Vol. 18 (press release) (Nov 2024) · 8,000+ consumers in the US, UK, Germany, France, India, Australia and Canada (fielded by Savanta, September 2024)

2. 2

   TikToks that promote a brand had a median of about 57,000 views in Revid's index, 29% fewer than the 80,000 of non-branded posts (517,105 posts analyzed).

   Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

3. 3

   Meta reported in December 2025 that adding partnership ads (creator content run as ads) to business-as-usual campaigns delivers 19% lower CPAs and 13% higher click-through rates, on average.

   Source: Meta, New AI-powered tools to scale creator and brand partnerships (Dec 2025)

4. 4

   In a June 2025 PowerReviews survey of 21,279 consumers, 95% said they regularly read product reviews as part of their shopping journey.

   Source: PowerReviews, The Complete Guide to Ratings & Reviews (Aug 2025) · 21,279 consumers, June 2025

5. 5

   In Deloitte Digital's 2025 State of Social research, 83% of US consumers said they see the influencers or creators they follow as trusted sources of information.

   Source: Deloitte Digital, 2025 State of Social Research (May 2025) · 1,000 US consumers aged 18 to 75, active on social media and online buyers in the past 30 days (fielded April 10 to 19, 2025, by Lawless Research)

6. 6

   IAB projected that US creator economy ad spend would reach $37 billion in 2025, up 26% year over year and growing about 4 times faster than the media industry overall.

   Source: IAB, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report (press release) (Nov 2025)

7. 7

   IAB's January 2026 study with Sonata Insights found that 82% of ad executives believe Gen Z and Millennial consumers feel positive about AI-generated ads, while only 45% of those consumers actually do.

   Source: IAB, The AI Ad Gap Widens (Jan 2026) · 500+ Gen Z and Millennial consumers and 100 advertising executives (IAB with Sonata Insights, via Attest)

8. 8

   In Aspire's State of Influencer Marketing 2026 research, 77% of brands said they repurpose creator content in their paid ads.

   Source: Aspire, The State of Influencer Marketing 2026 (2026) · Nearly 900 marketers and creators, plus Aspire platform data

Revid analyzes every TikTok in its index for brand promotion, production format and shooting style. Here is what that shows about branded posts and the UGC formats brands copy.

1. -29%

   TikToks that promote a brand had a median of about 57,000 views in Revid's index, 29% fewer than the 80,000 of non-branded posts (517,105 posts analyzed).

   Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

2. 5.9%

   Branded TikToks earned 5.9% likes per view in Revid's index, against 7.8% for non-branded posts: about a quarter less engagement per view.

   Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

3. 8.4%

   8.4% of branded TikToks in Revid's index passed 1 million views, compared with 12.2% of non-branded TikToks.

   Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

4. 19%

   19% of the popular TikToks posted in 2025 that Revid analyzed promoted a brand, product or service (468,667 posts with 1,000+ likes).

   Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

5. 26%

   In Revid's cross-platform index of high-engagement posts, 26% of analyzed Instagram posts and 25% of analyzed X posts promoted a brand, against 15% on Threads.

   Revid dataSource: Revid cross-platform inspiration index (176,788 analyzed posts, October 2026)

6. 5.4%

   Across Instagram, X and Threads in Revid's index, 5.4% of branded posts reached the top "viral" engagement tier, against 7.2% of non-branded posts.

   Revid dataSource: Revid cross-platform inspiration index (October 2026)

7. 9.9%

   Talking-head TikToks, the classic UGC selfie format, earned 9.9% likes per view in Revid's index, the highest of any common production format (6,938 videos classified).

   Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

8. 38%

   Talking head (UGC selfie style) is the most common production format of branded TikToks: 38% of the 2,742 branded videos whose format Revid classified.

   Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

9. 9.3%

   Selfie-shot TikToks earned the most likes per view of any shooting style in Revid's index (9.3%) but about half the median views of handheld videos (67,000 against 141,000).

   Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

10. 2x

    Among branded TikToks, faceless videos had a median of about 114,000 views in Revid's index, 2x the 56,000 of branded videos built around one person (551 and 37,530 videos).

    Revid dataSource: Revid TikTok index, 2.39 million TikToks with 1,000+ likes (October 2026)

How much shoppers lean on other customers and on creators before they decide to buy.

1. 97%

   In Bazaarvoice's 20th Shopper Experience Index (June 2026), 97% of shoppers said they consult multiple sources before making a purchase.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Experience Index, 20th edition (press release) (Jun 2026)

   Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software. The release does not state the sample size.

2. 48%

   In Bazaarvoice's June 2026 Shopper Experience Index, 48% of shoppers described themselves as an "Influencer's Best Friend" during product discovery, while 38% said they go straight to search engines during research to hunt for 1-star reviews and product flaws.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Experience Index, 20th edition (press release) (Jun 2026)

   Archetypes were self-selected by respondents. Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software.

3. 65%

   Bazaarvoice's Shopper Experience Index (November 2024) found that 65% of global shoppers rely on UGC such as ratings, reviews, photos and videos in their buying decisions.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Experience Index Vol. 18 (press release) (Nov 2024) · 8,000+ consumers in the US, UK, Germany, France, India, Australia and Canada (fielded by Savanta, September 2024)

   Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software.

4. 80%

   In Bazaarvoice's 2024 Shopper Experience Index, 80% of Gen Z shoppers said UGC is crucial in their decision-making process.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Experience Index Vol. 18 (press release) (Nov 2024) · 8,000+ consumers in the US, UK, Germany, France, India, Australia and Canada (fielded by Savanta, September 2024)

   Bazaarvoice adds that Gen Z prefers photos and videos from social media influencers, while Baby Boomers rely more on ratings and reviews.

5. 86%

   Bazaarvoice's 2024 Shopper Experience Index found that 86% of shoppers engage with creator content before making a buying decision.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Experience Index Vol. 18 (press release) (Nov 2024) · 8,000+ consumers in the US, UK, Germany, France, India, Australia and Canada (fielded by Savanta, September 2024)

   Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software.

6. 83%

   In Deloitte Digital's 2025 State of Social research, 83% of US consumers said they see the influencers or creators they follow as trusted sources of information.

   Source: Deloitte Digital, 2025 State of Social Research (May 2025) · 1,000 US consumers aged 18 to 75, active on social media and online buyers in the past 30 days (fielded April 10 to 19, 2025, by Lawless Research)

   The number appears as a callout figure on the page.

7. 56%

   Bazaarvoice's Shopper Preference Report 2025 found that 56% of shoppers aged 18 to 34 have made purchases based on creator recommendations, compared with 11% of shoppers aged 55 and older.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Preference Report 2025 (blog summary) (Apr 2025)

   Bazaarvoice says the survey covered six countries; sample size is not stated on this page. Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software.

8. 43%

   In Bazaarvoice's Shopper Preference Report 2025, 43% of shoppers said they trust creators who share both the pros and cons of a product, and at least 44% said they lose trust when creators refuse to mention a product's flaws.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Preference Report 2025 (blog summary) (Apr 2025)

   Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software.

9. 78%

   In a Google and Kantar study of US video viewers (December 2025 to January 2026), 78% of viewers agreed that YouTube has the most trusted creators for product recommendations.

   Source: Google (Think with Google), YouTube ROI: Creator marketing that compounds (Jun 2026) · Google/Kantar Future of Video study, US, n=968 YouTube viewers and n=7,621 weekly video viewers aged 18 to 64, December 10, 2025 to January 12, 2026

   Research by YouTube's parent company; the comparison set was nine TV, streaming and social platforms.

10. 76%

    Meta said in December 2025 that 76% of Gen Z are open to hearing about brands from creator content, and that 71% of consumers say they make a purchase within a couple of days after seeing creator content across Meta's apps.

    Source: Meta, New AI-powered tools to scale creator and brand partnerships (Dec 2025)

    Meta cites its own research in a footnote whose methodology is not shown on the page.

11. 81%

    In MASV's 2024 State of User-Generated Content survey with Dynata, 81% of consumers said they trust user-generated video more than professionally created brand content or influencer marketing, and 85% said they rely on UGC video before making a purchase.

    Source: MASV, The State of User-Generated Content 2024 (2024)

    MASV sells video file-transfer software. Sample size is not stated on the page, which now redirects to masv.io.

12. 86%

    In EnTribe's April 2023 survey of more than 1,000 US consumers, 86% said they are more likely to trust a brand that publishes user-generated content than one that uses influencers, and 90% said they would prefer brands to share content from actual customers.

    Source: EnTribe, EnTribe UGC survey insights (press release) (Jun 2023) · Over 1,000 American consumers, April 2023 (third-party administered)

    Vendor survey (EnTribe sells UGC software). 2023 data, included because it is still widely quoted.

13. 88%

    Nielsen's Trust in Advertising survey, reported in 2021, found that 88% of global respondents trust recommendations from people they know more than any other channel.

    Source: Nielsen, Beyond martech: Building trust with consumers and engaging where sentiment is high (2021)

    Older (2021) but it is the newer version of the widely quoted 2012 '92%' figure. It measures word of mouth from people you know, not UGC from strangers.

Reviews are still the most consulted form of customer content, and their volume, honesty and authenticity shape sales.

1. 95%

   In a June 2025 PowerReviews survey of 21,279 consumers, 95% said they regularly read product reviews as part of their shopping journey.

   Source: PowerReviews, The Complete Guide to Ratings & Reviews (Aug 2025) · 21,279 consumers, June 2025

   PowerReviews sells ratings and reviews software.

2. 43%

   In the same June 2025 PowerReviews survey, only 43% of consumers said they would buy a product with zero ratings or reviews.

   Source: PowerReviews, The Complete Guide to Ratings & Reviews (Aug 2025) · 21,279 consumers, June 2025

   PowerReviews sells ratings and reviews software.

3. 46%

   PowerReviews reports that 46% of shoppers overall, and 53% of Gen Z shoppers, are suspicious of products with a perfect 5-star average rating.

   Source: PowerReviews, The Complete Guide to Ratings & Reviews (Aug 2025)

   The guide (published August 2025) does not date the specific survey behind this figure.

4. 42%

   BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2025 found that 42% of US consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, down from 79% in its 2020 survey.

   Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2025 (Jan 2025) · Representative panel of 1,026 US adults (SurveyMonkey)

   Covers reviews of local businesses, not product reviews.

5. 4%

   In BrightLocal's 2025 survey, just 4% of US consumers said they never read online business reviews.

   Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2025 (Jan 2025) · Representative panel of 1,026 US adults (SurveyMonkey)

6. 76%

   In a September 2026 Bazaarvoice study, 76% of consumers said they require visual reviews (customer photos or videos) before buying an unfamiliar product recommended by AI, and 75% require written user reviews.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Joint Bazaarvoice and Kiri Masters research (press release) (Sep 2026) · 3,600+ members of Bazaarvoice's Influenster community in the US and EMEA

   Respondents belong to a product-review community, so they may be more review-minded than the average shopper.

7. 57%

   In Bazaarvoice research released in September 2026, 57% of consumers said authentic reviews and star ratings are what make them trust an AI product recommendation most, ahead of brand reputation, price or the AI's own explanation.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Bazaarvoice and Bluefish partnership (press release) (Sep 2026) · Two Bazaarvoice studies: February 2026 (1,300+ US adults) and September 2026 (1,700+ adults in the US, APAC and EMEA), all screened for active AI use

   Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software.

8. 59%

   Bazaarvoice and Bluefish reported in September 2026 that 59% of product pages cited by AI tools have 100 or more reviews and 92% have ratings of four stars or higher.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Bazaarvoice and Bluefish partnership (press release) (Sep 2026)

   Based on data from Bluefish's AI-visibility platform; the number of pages analyzed is not stated.

9. 270%

   Northwestern University's Spiegel Research Center found that the purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than for a product with no reviews (research first published in 2017).

   Source: Spiegel Research Center, Northwestern University (Medill), How Online Reviews Influence Sales (2017)

   Old (2017) but still the most quoted academic review stat. The page was republished in December 2025 and says the findings remain relevant.

10. 380%

    The Spiegel Research Center's 2017 research found that displaying reviews raised conversion by 190% for a lower-priced product and by 380% for a higher-priced product.

    Source: Spiegel Research Center, Northwestern University (Medill), How Online Reviews Influence Sales (2017)

    Old (2017). Aggregators often misquote this as 270% for low-priced items or 161% for expensive items.

11. 275M

    Amazon says it proactively blocked over 275 million suspected fake reviews from its store in 2024.

    Source: Amazon, Amazon's latest actions against fake review brokers (Jul 2025)

    Amazon reported 'more than 250 million' for 2023; for 2025 its April 2026 report says only 'hundreds of millions'.

What platforms and vendors measure when customer and creator content runs as paid media, including creative refresh.

1. 19%

   Meta reported in December 2025 that adding partnership ads (creator content run as ads) to business-as-usual campaigns delivers 19% lower CPAs and 13% higher click-through rates, on average.

   Source: Meta, New AI-powered tools to scale creator and brand partnerships (Dec 2025)

   Meta's own measurement; the footnote describing the method is not shown on the page. The lift is from adding creator ads alongside brand ads, not replacing them.

2. 7.5%

   Meta says partnership ads that feature a creator testimonial drive a 7.5% higher offsite conversion rate and a 9.6% higher offsite click-through rate than business-as-usual campaigns, on average (December 2025).

   Source: Meta, New AI-powered tools to scale creator and brand partnerships (Dec 2025)

   Meta's own measurement; methodology not disclosed on the page.

3. 77%

   In Aspire's State of Influencer Marketing 2026 research, 77% of brands said they repurpose creator content in their paid ads.

   Source: Aspire, The State of Influencer Marketing 2026 (2026) · Nearly 900 marketers and creators, plus Aspire platform data

   Aspire runs an influencer marketing platform.

4. 92%

   In LTK's annual CMO study with Northwestern University's Retail Analytics Council (September 2025), 92% of brands said they use creator content in social media ads, allocating 20% of budgets to media that boosts creator content.

   Source: LTK, LTK and Northwestern University Retail Analytics Council annual CMO creator marketing study (Business Wire) (Sep 2025) · 204 marketing leaders at organizations with $10M+ revenue that invested in creator marketing in the past 12 months (July 2025)

   LTK runs a creator commerce platform. Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

5. 6.73x

   Emplifi's Q1 2026 social media benchmarks found that brands using its UGC product saw conversion rates 6.73 times higher with UGC than with non-UGC content, up from 4.27 times in Q4 2025, while website visits were 4.11 times higher.

   Source: Emplifi, UGC drives 6.7x higher conversions: Q1 2026 social media benchmarks (Apr 2026) · Aggregated data from thousands of US brand accounts on Emplifi, January 1 to March 31, 2026

   Vendor data limited to Emplifi customers. The multiplier swings by quarter (10.38x in Q3 2025, 4.27x in Q4 2025), so quote it with the quarter.

6. +43% CVR

   TikTok's Return on Influence report (January 2025) states that Spark Ads built on user- or creator-generated content showed a 30% higher completion rate, 142% higher engagement rate and 43% higher conversion rate than standard in-feed ads.

   Source: TikTok for Business, Return on Influence: How TikTok Creators & Creative Variety Drive Performance (Jan 2025)

   TikTok's footnote dates this comparison to internal data from Q4 2020 to Q2 2021, so the underlying data is older than the report.

7. 87%

   According to TikTok (January 2025), 87% of the top 200 highest-spending Spark Ads involve creators.

   Source: TikTok for Business, Return on Influence: How TikTok Creators & Creative Variety Drive Performance (Jan 2025)

   Same footnote as the Spark Ads comparison: TikTok internal data, Q4 2020 to Q2 2021.

8. +165%

   TikTok reports that ads made by creators through its Creator Marketing Solutions drew 84% more comments on brand ads and 165% more comments on performance ads than assets made without those tools.

   Source: TikTok for Business, Return on Influence: How TikTok Creators & Creative Variety Drive Performance (Jan 2025)

   TikTok internal analysis of the previous six months, July 2024.

9. +10-12%

   TikTok's internal analysis (January 2024) found that advertisers who use more new creatives in their ad groups and refresh them weekly tend to see 10% to 12% higher conversions.

   Source: TikTok for Business, Return on Influence: How TikTok Creators & Creative Variety Drive Performance (Jan 2025)

   A creative-fatigue data point: TikTok recommends 5 to 7 varied creatives plus weekly refreshes for performance campaigns.

10. 13x

    Google internal data (February 2026) shows that viewers who watch a YouTube video about a brand are 13 times more likely to search for that brand and 5 times more likely to buy from it.

    Source: Google (Think with Google), YouTube ROI: Creator marketing that compounds (Jun 2026)

    Google internal data, global, n=60, February 2026. Google sells YouTube ads.

11. 16%

    Google says that using YouTube ads to boost organic content about a brand increases incremental ROAS by an additional 16% (February 2026 internal data).

    Source: Google (Think with Google), YouTube ROI: Creator marketing that compounds (Jun 2026)

    Google internal data, global, n=60, February 2026.

Where shoppers discover products and how often they now buy inside social apps.

1. 46%

   Sprout Social's Q3 2026 Pulse Survey found physical stores and social media tied at 46% each as consumers' top source of gift inspiration.

   Source: Sprout Social, The state of social media in 2026: Data from Sprout's latest pulse survey (Sep 2026) · 2,250 consumers, August 11 to 18, 2026

   Sprout adds that 54% of Gen Z and 50% of millennials turn to social for gift ideas.

2. 108.3M

   EMARKETER forecast in December 2025 that the number of US social buyers aged 14 and over would grow 6.8% in 2025 to 108.3 million, or 47.9% of social network users.

   Source: EMARKETER, TikTok Shop Makes Up Nearly 20% of Social Commerce in 2025 (press release) (Dec 2025)

   Forecast. Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

3. 31%

   Bazaarvoice's 2024 Shopper Experience Index found that 31% of consumers purchase directly through social media platforms, and the share who never shop on social fell from 55% in 2021 to 24%.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Experience Index Vol. 18 (press release) (Nov 2024) · 8,000+ consumers in the US, UK, Germany, France, India, Australia and Canada (fielded by Savanta, September 2024)

4. 46%

   In Bazaarvoice's Shopper Preference Report 2025, nearly 46% of shoppers said short-form videos (TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts) are the most influential format for purchase decisions.

   Source: Bazaarvoice, Shopper Preference Report 2025 (blog summary) (Apr 2025) · Survey conducted across six countries (sample size not stated on the page)

   Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software.

5. 81%

   In the 2025 Sprout Social Index (January 2025), 81% of consumers said social media drives them to make impulse purchases.

   Source: Sprout Social, The 2025 Sprout Social Index (press release via GlobeNewswire) (Jan 2025) · 4,044 consumers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia who follow at least five brands on social (fielded by Glimpse, September 13 to 27, 2024)

6. 54%

   The 2025 Sprout Social Index found Facebook is the top platform for direct purchases among all consumers (39%), while TikTok leads for Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (47%).

   Source: Sprout Social, The 2025 Sprout Social Index (press release via GlobeNewswire) (Jan 2025) · 4,044 consumers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia who follow at least five brands on social (fielded by Glimpse, September 13 to 27, 2024)

7. 61%

   Deloitte Digital's 2025 State of Social research found that 61% of US consumers discovered a new brand or product on social media in the past 12 months.

   Source: Deloitte Digital, 2025 State of Social Research (May 2025) · 1,000 US consumers aged 18 to 75, active on social media and online buyers in the past 30 days (April 2025)

8. 46%

   In Deloitte Digital's 2025 research, 46% of US consumers said customer reviews make them more likely to buy a product on a social media platform, second only to deals and discounts (62%).

   Source: Deloitte Digital, 2025 State of Social Research (May 2025) · 1,000 US consumers aged 18 to 75, active on social media and online buyers in the past 30 days (April 2025)

9. 31%

   In BrightLocal's 2025 survey, 31% of US consumers said they watch videos from everyday people on social media when looking for information about local businesses.

   Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2025 (Jan 2025) · Representative panel of 1,026 US adults (SurveyMonkey)

   The question asked which formats consumers use when looking for information about local businesses.

10. 200B

    YouTube said in January 2026 that Shorts now averages 200 billion daily views.

    Source: YouTube, Neal Mohan's 2026 letter: The future of YouTube (Jan 2026)

How much brands put behind creators and customer content, and where those budgets are heading.

1. 97%

   In LTK's annual CMO study with Northwestern University's Retail Analytics Council (September 2025), 97% of CMOs said they will expand creator marketing budgets in 2026, ranking creators above AI-driven search, paid social and paid search for increased investment.

   Source: LTK, LTK and Northwestern University Retail Analytics Council annual CMO creator marketing study (Business Wire) (Sep 2025) · 204 marketing leaders at organizations with $10M+ revenue that invested in creator marketing in the past 12 months (July 2025)

   LTK runs a creator commerce platform. Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

2. 87.49%

   Influencer Marketing Hub's Benchmark Report 2026 found that 87.49% of respondents expect their influencer marketing budget to increase in 2026, while 5.55% expect a decrease.

   Source: Influencer Marketing Hub, Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2026 (2026) · 600+ respondents (brands, agencies and marketers)

3. 50%

   In Influencer Marketing Hub's 2026 benchmark, 50.00% of respondents planned to grow their work with UGC creators (35.71% increasing and 14.29% starting), and 0% planned to reduce or stop.

   Source: Influencer Marketing Hub, Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2026 (2026) · 600+ respondents (brands, agencies and marketers)

4. 31%

   In Influencer Marketing Hub's Benchmark Report 2026, 31% of brands ranked UGC as highly effective.

   Source: Influencer Marketing Hub, Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2026 (2026) · 600+ respondents (brands, agencies and marketers)

5. 74%

   Aspire's State of Influencer Marketing 2026 found that 74% of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing budgets in 2026.

   Source: Aspire, The State of Influencer Marketing 2026 (2026) · Nearly 900 marketers and creators, plus Aspire platform data

   Aspire runs an influencer marketing platform.

6. 61%

   Kantar's Media Reactions 2025 found that 61% of marketers globally expect to boost their budgets for influencer and creator content the following year.

   Source: Kantar, Media Reactions 2025: Where do people prefer advertising? (2025) · 21,000+ consumers in 30 markets and 1,000+ marketers worldwide

7. $29.5B

   IAB's 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend and Strategy Report found that US creator economy ad spend more than doubled from $13.9 billion in 2021 to $29.5 billion in 2024.

   Source: IAB, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report (press release) (Nov 2025)

   Counts brand-directed creator ad spend in the US, not the full creator monetization ecosystem. Produced with Advertiser Perceptions.

8. 48%

   In IAB's 2025 Creator Economy report, nearly half (48%) of US ad spenders said they consider creators a "must buy," ranking only behind social media and paid search.

   Source: IAB, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report (press release) (Nov 2025)

   IAB also reports that 40% of buyers rank overall ROI as their top KPI for creator campaigns.

9. 24%

   Deloitte Digital's 2025 State of Social research found that creators took 24% of brands' total yearly social media marketing spend on average in 2024, making them the top budget priority.

   Source: Deloitte Digital, 2025 State of Social Research (May 2025) · 390 director-level or higher marketers at US B2C companies with 500+ employees and $500M+ revenue (April 2025)

10. 21.2%

    HubSpot's 2026 State of Marketing found that just 21.2% of brands say they use influencer marketing (23.6% of B2C and 18.6% of B2B brands).

    Source: HubSpot, 2026 State of Marketing (Apr 2026) · 1,500+ global B2B and B2C marketers

    HubSpot's respondents skew toward B2B and smaller companies compared with influencer-specific surveys.

11. 62%

    In LTK's September 2025 CMO study, 62% of CMOs said they leave interpretation to creators with only general brand guidelines, while almost 40% give creators full creative control.

    Source: LTK, LTK and Northwestern University Retail Analytics Council annual CMO creator marketing study (Business Wire) (Sep 2025) · 204 marketing leaders at organizations with $10M+ revenue that invested in creator marketing in the past 12 months (July 2025)

    Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

How many people create, what UGC costs brands, and how creators are paid and credited for usage.

1. 35%

   Collabstr's 2026 Influencer Marketing Report found that UGC campaigns more than doubled in 2025, rising from 15% to 35% of all influencer campaigns on its marketplace.

   Source: Collabstr, 2026 Influencer Marketing Report (2026)

   Marketplace data from Collabstr only, which skews toward small businesses. Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

2. $197

   On Collabstr's marketplace, the average cost of a UGC campaign fell 5.7% year over year, from $209 to $197 (2026 Influencer Marketing Report).

   Source: Collabstr, 2026 Influencer Marketing Report (2026)

   Collabstr says over 40% of UGC campaigns on its platform come from companies spending less than $5k. Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

3. 93%

   Collabstr's 2025 State of Influencer Marketing Report, based on first-party data from more than 40,000 advertisers and 100,000 creators, found that the number of UGC creators grew 93% year over year.

   Source: Collabstr, 2025 State of Influencer Marketing Report (PR Newswire) (Feb 2025) · First-party data from 40,000+ advertisers and 100,000+ creators on Collabstr

   Measures growth on one marketplace, not all UGC creators.

4. 80%

   In Influencer Marketing Hub's Benchmark Report 2026, roughly 80% of responses put UGC creator costs under $500, with most of the rest between $500 and $2,000.

   Source: Influencer Marketing Hub, Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2026 (2026) · 600+ respondents (brands, agencies and marketers)

5. 67%

   In Aspire's 2026 survey of nearly 900 marketers and creators, 67% of brands said they include paid usage rights in the creator's initial contract or rate.

   Source: Aspire, How brands and creators are navigating content usage rights in 2026 (Feb 2026) · Nearly 900 marketers and creators

6. 43%

   When brands pay extra for paid-ad usage of creator content, 43% pay under $500, according to Aspire's 2026 research.

   Source: Aspire, How brands and creators are navigating content usage rights in 2026 (Feb 2026) · Nearly 900 marketers and creators

   Aspire also reports 14% pay $500 to $1,000 and 11% pay $1,000 to $2,500.

7. 15-35%

   Aspire's 2026 research found that 37% of creators charge $500 or less for paid usage of their content, and that many creators price usage at 15% to 35% of their base rate per 30 days.

   Source: Aspire, How brands and creators are navigating content usage rights in 2026 (Feb 2026) · Nearly 900 marketers and creators

8. 47%

   In MASV's 2024 State of UGC survey with Dynata, 47% of creators whose content had been used by brands said it was used without permission; three-quarters of those creators had not been paid and nearly 40% got no credit.

   Source: MASV, The State of User-Generated Content 2024 (2024)

   Sample size not stated on the page. MASV sells video file-transfer software.

9. $3B

   Meta says Facebook paid content creators nearly $3 billion in 2025, a 35% increase from the previous year and its highest annual total.

   Source: Meta, Creator Fast Track: grow your audience and earn money on Facebook (Mar 2026)

   Payouts from Facebook's creator monetization programs; Meta says 60% went to Reels.

10. $100B

    YouTube says it paid over $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies in the four years before January 2026.

    Source: YouTube, Neal Mohan's 2026 letter: The future of YouTube (Jan 2026)

    Includes music artists and media companies, not only independent creators. YouTube also says over 500,000 creators are in YouTube Shopping.

11. 50M

    Goldman Sachs Research estimated in April 2023 that there are 50 million creators globally and that only about 4% are professionals earning more than $100,000 a year.

    Source: Goldman Sachs, The creator economy could approach half-a-trillion dollars by 2027 (Apr 2023)

    2023 estimate, still the most quoted creator headcount. Goldman says brand deals are about 70% of creator revenue.

12. 303M

    Adobe's Future of Creativity study (August 2022) counted 303 million creators globally and found that influencers make up only 14% of the creator economy.

    Source: Adobe, Adobe Future of Creativity study (press release) (Aug 2022) · About 9,000 online creators in nine markets, May 2022 (with Edelman Data & Intelligence)

    Old (2022). Adobe counts anyone posting creative work at least monthly to grow a social presence, a much broader definition than Goldman Sachs uses.

How people react to AI-generated ads and reviews, and the labeling and fake-review rules that now apply.

1. 82% vs 45%

   IAB's January 2026 study with Sonata Insights found that 82% of ad executives believe Gen Z and Millennial consumers feel positive about AI-generated ads, while only 45% of those consumers actually do.

   Source: IAB, The AI Ad Gap Widens (Jan 2026) · 500+ Gen Z and Millennial consumers and 100 advertising executives (IAB with Sonata Insights, via Attest)

   The gap widened from 32 points in 2024 to 37 points in 2026.

2. 39%

   In IAB's 2026 AI ad study, 39% of Gen Z consumers said they feel negative about AI-generated ads, nearly double the 20% of Millennials.

   Source: IAB, The AI Ad Gap Widens (Jan 2026) · 500+ Gen Z and Millennial consumers and 100 advertising executives (IAB with Sonata Insights, via Attest)

3. 73%

   IAB's 2026 study found that 73% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers say knowing an ad was made with AI would either increase or make no difference to their likelihood to buy.

   Source: IAB, The AI Ad Gap Widens (Jan 2026) · 500+ Gen Z and Millennial consumers and 100 advertising executives (IAB with Sonata Insights, via Attest)

4. >50%

   In IAB's 2026 study, more than half of Gen Z and Millennial consumers wanted advertisers to disclose ads that are 100% AI-generated or use AI video or images, and nearly half wanted disclosure of AI voices or AI avatars.

   Source: IAB, The AI Ad Gap Widens (Jan 2026) · 500+ Gen Z and Millennial consumers and 100 advertising executives (IAB with Sonata Insights, via Attest)

   Relevant to AI-avatar UGC-style ads. IAB published an AI Transparency and Disclosure Framework the same day.

5. 95%

   IAB's 2025 Creator Economy report found that 95% of advertisers have concerns about using AI in creator marketing, with loss of human connection as the top concern.

   Source: IAB, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report (press release) (Nov 2025)

6. 50%

   Sprout Social research published in March 2026 found that 50% of Gen Z have already blocked, muted or unfollowed a brand or creator because their content felt like "AI slop," and 56% of consumers see AI slop often or very often in their feeds.

   Source: Sprout Social, Social Media is Now the Top Source for Breaking News, New Sprout Social Research Finds (press release) (Mar 2026) · 2,250 social media users in the US, UK and Australia (Glimpse, February 5 to 9, 2026)

   Sprout says the top thing consumers want brands to stop doing in 2026 is posting AI-generated content without clearly labeling it. Corroborated on Sprout's blog ('Half of Gen Z will block or unfollow an account for posting AI slop').

7. 84%

   Sprout Social's Q3 2026 Pulse Survey found that 84% of consumers are concerned about running into AI-generated deepfakes, and 38% say that concern makes them more skeptical of ads in general.

   Source: Sprout Social, The state of social media in 2026: Data from Sprout's latest pulse survey (Sep 2026) · 2,250 consumers, August 11 to 18, 2026

8. 32%

   In Klaviyo's December 2025 survey of 8,000 consumers in eight countries, nearly 1 in 5 said they see low-quality or generic AI content from brands weekly, and 32% said it makes them trust brands less.

   Source: Klaviyo, How Your Customers Use AI to Shop (2026 Trends) (2026) · 8,000 consumers aged 18+ in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia and Singapore (December 2025, with Datalily)

   Klaviyo sells marketing automation software.

9. >50%

   Klaviyo's 2026 AI consumer research found that more than 50% of respondents thought an image was AI-generated when it was not.

   Source: Klaviyo, How Your Customers Use AI to Shop (2026 Trends) (2026) · 8,000 consumers aged 18+ in eight countries (December 2025)

   Relevant for real UGC: authentic photos can be mistaken for AI.

10. 90%

    Getty Images' VisualGPS research (April 2024) found that almost 90% of consumers globally want to know whether an image has been created using AI.

    Source: Getty Images, Building Trust in the Age of AI (press release) (Apr 2024) · Four surveys of 7,500 adults each across 25 countries, July 2022 to September 2023 (with MarketCast)

    Getty also found 98% agree authentic images and videos are pivotal in establishing trust.

11. 2 in 3

    Ipsos Consumer Tracker data published in August 2025 found that two in three Americans want humans, not AI, to make marketing content.

    Source: Ipsos, People still largely prefer humans to create content, not AI (Aug 2025)

    US adults; sample size not stated on the page.

12. 64%

    In Bazaarvoice research published in March 2026, 23% of review writers said they use AI at least sometimes to help write reviews, yet 64% of respondents said reviews written with AI are not authentic and only 16% were very confident they could tell AI-written from human-written reviews.

    Source: Bazaarvoice, Bazaarvoice research finds consumers are using AI to help edit reviews, not ghostwrite (press release) (Mar 2026) · Baseline survey of 1,300+ adults aged 18+, plus a follow-up with a subset

    Bazaarvoice sells ratings, reviews and UGC software.

13. 3 billion

    TikTok said in July 2026 that it has labeled over 3 billion videos as AI-generated content, using Content Credentials, creator labeling tools and invisible watermarking.

    Source: TikTok, Helping people spot and understand AI-generated content on TikTok (Jul 2026)

    Up from 'over 1.3 billion videos' in TikTok's November 2025 update. TikTok requires realistic AI-generated content to be labeled.

14. 5-0 vote

    The US Federal Trade Commission's final rule on fake reviews and testimonials, announced August 14, 2024 by a 5-0 vote, bans reviews attributed to people who do not exist, such as AI-generated fake reviews, and lets the FTC seek civil penalties against knowing violators.

    Source: Federal Trade Commission, Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials (Aug 2024)

    The rule also bans incentives conditioned on writing positive or negative reviews. It took effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

15. Aug 2026

    The European Commission states that the EU AI Act's transparency rules, which require deep fakes to be clearly and visibly labelled, come into effect in August 2026.

    Source: European Commission, AI Act: Regulatory framework for AI (2026)

    Applies to AI-generated or manipulated images, audio and video shown to people in the EU.

Forecasts from research firms and analysts; treat them as estimates, not measurements.

1. $37B

   IAB projected that US creator economy ad spend would reach $37 billion in 2025, up 26% year over year and growing about 4 times faster than the media industry overall.

   Source: IAB, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report (press release) (Nov 2025)

   Projection for 2025 (US only), published November 2025.

2. $8.48B

   Fortune Business Insights forecasts that the global user-generated content platform market will grow from $8.48 billion in 2026 to $64.31 billion by 2034, a 28.8% CAGR, after being valued at $7.1 billion in 2025.

   Source: Fortune Business Insights, User-Generated Content Platform Market Size, Share [2034] (Sep 2026)

   Forecast for UGC software platforms, not total UGC spend. Other firms publish different totals for the same market. Page last updated September 14, 2026.

3. $1.35T

   Grand View Research forecasts that the global creator economy will grow from $252.33 billion in 2025 to $1,345.54 billion by 2033, a 23.3% CAGR from 2026.

   Source: Grand View Research, Creator Economy Market to Reach USD 1,345.54 Billion by 2033 (PR Newswire) (Jun 2026)

   Forecast; market definitions vary widely between research firms.

4. $480B

   Goldman Sachs Research forecast in April 2023 that the creator economy's total addressable market could roughly double from $250 billion to $480 billion by 2027.

   Source: Goldman Sachs, The creator economy could approach half-a-trillion dollars by 2027 (Apr 2023)

   Forecast made in 2023; still widely quoted.

5. $87.02B

   EMARKETER forecast in December 2025 that US social commerce sales would reach $87.02 billion in 2025, up 21.5% year over year, and surpass $100 billion for the first time in 2026.

   Source: EMARKETER, TikTok Shop Makes Up Nearly 20% of Social Commerce in 2025 (press release) (Dec 2025)

   Forecast. Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

6. $15.82B

   EMARKETER estimated that TikTok Shop's US sales would grow 108.0% in 2025 to $15.82 billion, or 18.2% of US social commerce.

   Source: EMARKETER, TikTok Shop Makes Up Nearly 20% of Social Commerce in 2025 (press release) (Dec 2025)

   Forecast. Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

7. $10.52B

   EMARKETER forecast in March 2025 that US influencer marketing spending would reach $10.52 billion in 2025, with growth slowing to 15.0%.

   Source: EMARKETER, US influencer marketing spending will surpass $10 billion in 2025 (press release) (Mar 2025)

   Forecast of influencer marketing spend, not UGC spend; EMARKETER expected growth of 15.7% in 2026. Verified on an Internet Archive snapshot of the publisher's page because the site blocks automated requests.

These numbers appear on many statistics roundups. We could not trace them to a primary source, or the source says something different. Quote them with care.

• “92% of consumers trust earned media like UGC (or peer recommendations) over all other advertising.”

  The source is Nielsen's Global Trust in Advertising report of April 2012 (28,000+ respondents in 56 countries): 92% trusted earned media 'such as recommendations from friends and family'. It is 14 years old and is about people you know, not UGC in general; pitchbrand labels it 'Nielsen, 2024'. Nielsen's 2021 figure for recommendations from people you know is 88%.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co, autofaceless.ai, modliflex.com

• “79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions (Stackla).”

  Traces to a 2019 Stackla survey. The original report URL now redirects to Nosto (Stackla's owner) and returns an error, so the wording could not be checked at the source. Nosto's own blog restates 79% but with 12% for branded and 9% for influencer content, not the 13% and 8% often quoted, and gives no survey date. Pitchbrand dates it 2024.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co, autofaceless.ai

• “UGC gets 6.9x more engagement than brand-generated content.”

  Comes from Mavrck's January 2017 Facebook UGC Benchmark Report: user posts featuring a brand drove 6.9x higher engagement than brand posts, based on 25 million Facebook posts from 2016 by people with 500 to 5,000 friends. It is organic Facebook data from 2016, not a current or cross-platform benchmark; pitchbrand labels it 2024.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co, autofaceless.ai

• “UGC drives 28% higher engagement than branded content (Comscore).”

  No Comscore study or press release containing this figure could be found; it appears only on secondary pages without a link to a primary source.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co, autofaceless.ai

• “Consumers are 2.4x more likely to view UGC as authentic than brand content (Stackla).”

  The original 2017 Stackla report is no longer accessible. Nosto (which owns Stackla) now cites a different figure on its own blog: people were 3.1x more likely to call UGC authentic than brand-created content, with no survey date given.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co

• “Pages with UGC see 161% higher conversion rates (attributed to Spiegel Research for expensive products, or to UGC-enabled pages in general).”

  Spiegel Research Center's actual figure for higher-priced products is a 380% conversion lift (190% for lower-priced). The 161% figure comes from an undated Yotpo resource page ('eCommerce average for conversion rate uplift from displaying UGC'), based on Yotpo's own store data; images on that page date from 2017.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co, salesgenie.com, inbeat.agency

• “UGC drives 10x higher conversion rates than brand content.”

  Emplifi reported 10.38x for Q3 2025, for social posts by US brands using Emplifi's UGC product. The same metric fell to 4.27x in Q4 2025 and was 6.73x in Q1 2026, so it is a volatile quarterly vendor benchmark, not a general rule.

  Seen on: autofaceless.ai

• “US brand spending on UGC exceeded $10 billion in 2025, an 11% increase from $9 billion in 2024.”

  No UGC-specific spending figure of this kind was found. EMARKETER's March 2025 forecast says US influencer marketing spending (not UGC) would reach $10.52 billion in 2025, with growth of 15.0%, not 11%.

  Seen on: autofaceless.ai

• “By 2033, 78% of all online content will be user-generated.”

  No research firm, report or press release containing this forecast could be found.

  Seen on: salesgenie.com, modliflex.com

• “93% of marketers say UGC performs better than brand-generated content (TINT).”

  Attributed to a TINT 'State of UGC' report (usually dated 2021, labeled 2024 by pitchbrand). TINT has merged into TrueLoyal and the old report pages return 404, so the number could not be verified. Collabstr's report attributes the same 93% to Billo instead.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co, salesgenie.com

• “Only 16% of brands have a dedicated UGC strategy.”

  No primary survey or report with this number could be found.

  Seen on: autofaceless.ai

• “Including UGC in emails increases click-through rates by 73% (or 78%).”

  Pitchbrand attributes 73% to Salesforce and autofaceless gives 78% with no source. No Salesforce or other primary study with either number could be found.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co, autofaceless.ai

• “Websites with UGC see 29% higher web conversions.”

  Attributed to Yotpo (pitchbrand), Bazaarvoice (other listicles) or Adweek (Collabstr's 2026 report). None of these attributions links to a study, and no primary page with the figure could be found.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co, autofaceless.ai

• “84% of millennials say UGC influences what they buy (Bazaarvoice, 2024).”

  From Bazaarvoice's 'Talking to Strangers' white paper of January 2012 (1,013 US adults surveyed in August and September 2011): 84% of millennials said UGC on company websites had at least some influence (25% 'a lot', 59% 'some'). It is 14 years old, not 2024.

  Seen on: pitchbrand.co

• “Full-time UGC creators in the US earn between $48,000 and $72,000 a year, with the top 10% earning over $100,000.”

  No survey or official data behind this range could be found. Survey-based rate data points much lower per deal: Influencer Marketing Hub's 2026 benchmark puts about 80% of UGC creator costs under $500, and Collabstr's average UGC campaign was $197.

  Seen on: autofaceless.ai