Mastering these 7 tips to boost email campaigns is essential in today’s fast-paced digital landscape, where overflowing inboxes and shrinking attention spans make it harder than ever to stand out. To truly connect with audiences, marketers must move beyond generic promotions. In 2025, one of the most powerful ways to do this is by incorporating user-generated content (UGC) to craft emails that feel authentic, personal, and highly relatable.
UGC includes anything your customers create—reviews, photos, videos, or testimonials—that reflects their real experiences with your brand. Unlike traditional marketing content, UGC offers social proof, builds trust, and significantly increases engagement metrics like open rates and click-throughs.
By placing real voices at the center of your emails, you humanize your brand and foster deeper connections with your audience. This blog explores 7 tips to boost email campaigns using UGC effectively. These actionable strategies will help you leverage your community’s voice, enhance credibility, and elevate your email performance—turning everyday customers into powerful brand advocates.
Why UGC is a Game-Changer for Email Marketing
User-generated content (UGC) adds authenticity and trust to your email marketing by showcasing real experiences from real customers. Today’s consumers are more influenced by peer opinions than branded messages, making UGC a powerful tool for increasing engagement. Whether it’s a product review, customer photo, or unboxing video, UGC makes your emails more relatable and credible.
Beyond enhancing trust, UGC also encourages two-way interaction and strengthens community involvement. These 7 tips to boost email campaigns will guide you in using UGC to create impactful, human-centered email strategies that deliver stronger results and lasting customer loyalty.
1. Use Genuine Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are among the most trusted forms of UGC and can be a compelling addition to your email marketing toolkit. Including short, authentic testimonials within your emails serves as social proof—encouraging others to follow suit and make a purchase.
Add star ratings or brief review snippets to product-focused emails, especially in cart abandonment or post-purchase flows. Highlighting positive user experiences builds confidence and directly influences decision-making.
Tip: Use reviews that mention specific product benefits, and format them with bold fonts or colored boxes to catch the reader’s attention instantly.
2. Add UGC Photos in Product Highlight Emails
Visuals play a major role in user perception. Replacing or supplementing polished studio photos with authentic customer images makes your products appear more relatable and real.
Pull user-submitted photos from Instagram, tagged posts, or customer feedback emails—with permission, of course. These genuine images demonstrate real-world usage and resonate more strongly with potential buyers.
Tip: Incorporate a carousel layout in your email to feature multiple user photos and create a dynamic, scrollable experience.
3. Run User-Generated Content Campaigns
Encouraging your audience to generate content creates a rich pool of fresh, authentic material for your emails. Launch themed campaigns such as “Share Your Style,” “Unbox & Tag Us,” or “My Daily Routine with [Your Brand]” to prompt engagement.
These campaigns not only build community but also turn your customers into brand advocates. Use your emails to promote participation and clearly explain how users can contribute.
Tip: Offer simple incentives like exclusive discounts or email features to encourage more entries and ensure content flow.
4. Create a Strong Email List Based on Engagement
Segmenting your email list is crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of your UGC-rich campaigns. Focus first on your most active users—those who frequently open, click, or purchase from your emails.
These segments are more likely to engage with UGC and respond positively to peer-based content. From there, test different UGC types with broader segments to evaluate performance.
Tip: Use A/B testing to analyze which form of UGC—text, photo, or video—generates the best results across each segment.
5. Highlight the Contest and the Winners
If you’ve hosted a UGC contest or campaign, don’t miss the opportunity to highlight the results. Featuring winners or standout participants in your emails builds excitement and reinforces your brand’s credibility.
Include the winning content—whether it’s a photo, story, or short video—and accompany it with a quote or note from the winner. This humanizes your brand and shows appreciation for your community.
Tip: Use this section to invite new participants for your next campaign, creating a sense of continuity and loyalty.
6. Use Video Testimonials
Video is a high-impact content format that increases email engagement, especially when it features real customers. Whether it’s an unboxing clip, product demo, or short testimonial, video adds personality and depth to your message.
Since not all email platforms support embedded videos, you can use a GIF thumbnail linked to the video hosted on your site or YouTube channel.
Tip: Preview the video with an engaging GIF to increase clicks and ensure the visual stands out in the inbox.
7. Encourage Interaction and Track Performance
The final tip among these 7 tips to boost email campaigns is to invite two-way interaction. Ask subscribers to submit their own photos, leave a review, or vote in contests. This ongoing engagement not only produces more UGC but also helps you refine your email strategy.
Track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to evaluate which types of UGC perform best. Over time, these insights will help you craft even more targeted and impactful campaigns.
Tip: Include simple calls to action like “Share Your Story” or “Tag Us to Be Featured” to keep the engagement loop active.
Building Momentum with Authenticity
Incorporating user-generated content (UGC) into your email marketing strategy is no longer just a creative option—it’s a proven method to enhance credibility, strengthen brand trust, and build lasting community connections. UGC brings a human touch to your campaigns by showcasing real customers, authentic experiences, and relatable visuals, making your messages more engaging and believable.
The 7 tips to boost email campaigns outlined above offer a practical, actionable framework to help brands shift from promotional messaging to meaningful interaction. By inviting your audience to participate—whether through reviews, photos, or videos—you create a feedback loop that keeps your email content fresh, relevant, and emotionally resonant.
When customers see themselves reflected in your messaging, it creates a sense of ownership and belonging. This emotional connection encourages higher engagement and ultimately boosts conversions. With UGC as part of your strategy, you’re not just sending emails—you’re building relationships that last.
Final Word: Boost Email Campaigns Smarter
User-generated content can elevate your email marketing by turning static messages into engaging, community-driven conversations. Whether it’s through real photos, authentic reviews, or video testimonials, UGC builds trust and humanizes your brand.
Start small—choose one of these 7 tips to boost email campaigns, and test its impact. Monitor open rates, click-throughs, and engagement to refine your strategy. As you integrate more UGC, your emails will not only perform better but also create stronger connections with your audience. It’s time to let your customers’ voices lead—and watch your campaign results grow.