Making the video
- How long should a UGC video be?60 seconds to 2 minutes gets 1.82x the program median; 15 to 30 seconds gets 0.87x. The gap holds at every creator size we can measure.
- Do UGC slideshows work as well as videos?Slideshows get 0.85x the program median and 3.8% reach 10x; videos get 1.00x and 9.4%.
- How many hashtags should a UGC video use?No hashtags: 1.23x the program median. 4 to 6, the most common count: 0.98x. Original sound beats tracks, 1.02x to 0.93x.
Posting and results
- How many views does a UGC video get?The median brand UGC video gets 751 views; the average is 78K. 9.3% reach 10x their program's median.
- What is a good engagement rate for UGC?The median brand UGC video engages 6.2% of viewers (TikTok 7.2%). It peaks for creators with 10,000 to 100,000 followers.
- Is TikTok or Instagram better for UGC?Close on views per video (0.99x TikTok, 1.07x Instagram), but 84.6% of program videos go to TikTok while 81.8% of UGC creators are on Instagram.
- Should UGC go on the creator's account or a brand account?Own accounts: 14.2% of videos reach 10x the program median. Accounts made for one brand: 5.5%. The typical video is about the same.
- Do boosted UGC posts get more views?Videos with the platform's ad label get 1.20x the program median and reach 10x 2.1 times as often. Only 3.5% of app program posts disclose, against 50.2% for consumer brands.
Hiring creators
- Do UGC creators need followers?For posted videos, yes: 0.78x the program median under 1,000 followers, 1.55x at 10,000 to 100,000, in 14 of 14 programs.
- How many followers does a typical UGC creator have?The median UGC creator has 1,862 followers; 29.5% have under 1,000. Brands' app programs hire around 1.3K, consumer brands around 37K.
- Where are most UGC creators located?45.7% of UGC creators with a known country are in the US, 16.6% in the UK. The top cities are London, New York and Los Angeles.
Running a program
- How many UGC creators does a brand work with?The median program had 7 creators post in 30 days. Consumer brands: 51. Apps: 5. The largest, Celsius, had 141.
- How many UGC videos does a brand post per month?The median program posted 14 videos in 30 days; consumer brands 116, apps 10. A typical active creator posts 0.41 videos a week.
How we answer
Every answer starts with the number. Video answers compare each brand video with its own program's median views, so a viral app and a small skincare brand can sit in the same table; the full method is in UGC video benchmarks 2026. Program answers come from the UGC Brands database (Top UGC programs), creator answers from the UGC Agent creator index (UGC creator statistics 2026). Each page lists its sample, dates and limitations, and has a CSV of its numbers. More studies are in UGC research.