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Testimonials or User Generated Content First

Testimonials and user generated content both show other people vouching for you, but they are collected differently and do different jobs. A testimonial is asked for, answers your questions and lives on your site. UGC is what customers post on their own, in their own style, mostly on social feeds. With limited time you start with one. Answer five questions to see which.

  • Five questions about your business
  • A first priority and a runner up
  • What each choice takes to run
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Which should you collect first?

Question 1 of 5

What do you sell?

  • A physical product people like to show off
  • Software or a service with results that take explaining
  • An experience or a visible transformation

3 possible answers. Yours appears after the last question.

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Decision helper

Which should you collect first?

Answer for your business as it is today, not where you hope it will be.

What do you sell?
Where do most buyers make up their mind?
Do customers already post about you without being asked?
Do buyers need specific results before they trust you?
Who would handle permission to reuse a customer’s post?

Answers are scored in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored.

The problem, solved

What gets in the way of either choice, and how StoryProof helps

  • Problem 1

    Customer posts never say what changed

    A happy unboxing clip shows enthusiasm but rarely the result a careful buyer is looking for.

  • Problem 2

    Asked for content feels stiff and staged

    A request with five questions can produce answers that sound rehearsed, which is exactly what UGC fans warn against.

  • Problem 3

    We want both but have one person

    Running a testimonial program and a UGC hunt at once usually means both stall.

  • Problem 4

    A customer sent us their video file

    Great footage arrives by email or chat and then sits in someone’s downloads folder.

  • Problem 5

    Testimonials do not suit our social feed

    A paragraph of text on a plain background gets scrolled past.

Testimonials and UGC compared

TestimonialUser generated content
Who starts itYou askThe customer posts on their own
Where it lives firstYour site, emails, sales materialThe customer’s social accounts
What it coversAnswers to your questions, often a resultWhatever the customer chose to show
Permission to reuseGiven when they submit to youHas to be asked for each post
Best atConvincing a careful buyerShowing the product in real life
Main costWriting and sending requestsFinding posts and clearing rights

In StoryProof

Act on your result in StoryProof

  1. 1

    Set up one collection link

    Customers can record video, leave an audio note or write, so it suits either path.

  2. 2

    Add the questions, and share buttons if sequencing

    From Pro, a multi-step form asks your questions and can end with share buttons.

  3. 3

    Bring in permissioned customer videos

    If you went UGC first, upload the video files creators sent you after they agreed to reuse.

  4. 4

    Approve, tag by source and place

    Approve each one, tag it as asked for or customer posted, and choose which go in each widget.

What happens next: After a quarter, look at which kind you actually used on pages and in posts. That tells you whether to switch focus.

Before you start

Before you choose

What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.

  1. 01

    StoryProof does not find posts

    It does not monitor or pull from social networks. Finding customer posts and asking for permission is work you do outside it.

  2. 02

    Permission is per post

    A customer posting about you has not agreed to you reusing it. Ask each time and keep a record of the yes.

  3. 03

    Rules of thumb, not a model

    The helper weighs a few answers. If you know your buyers behave differently, trust that.

  4. 04

    You will need both eventually

    This picks a starting point. Most businesses end up using both for different places.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Short answers to what usually comes up next.

Is a testimonial a kind of user generated content?

Sources disagree. In practice the difference is who starts it: you ask for a testimonial, while UGC is posted by the customer on their own. That changes how you collect it and what permission you have.

Which works better on a product page?

It depends on the product. For something visual, real photos and clips help. For something that has to prove a result, a testimonial that names the change usually does more.

Can I reuse a customer’s social post on my website?

Only with their permission. Ask the person who posted it, explain where it will appear, and keep their reply.

Should I pay creators for UGC instead?

Paid creator content is a separate decision with its own costs and rules. This page is only about content from real customers who chose you.

Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.

Start with the proof your buyers need

Set up one collection link that works for asked for testimonials and customer videos alike.

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Last updated 2026-11-11.