#7 The Shopify Shortcut: How UGC Turned My Content Into a Conversion Machine
How I Got My First UGC
Let me be blunt: If you’re creating all your content yourself, you’re wasting time.
When I finally started using user-generated content (UGC)—that’s customer photos, videos, and even silly unboxings—my engagement doubled, my ads converted better, and I got more SEO traction.
It’s the most underrated growth hack on Shopify.
And the best part? It costs $0.
Here’s what UGC does instantly:
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✅ Builds trust (real people, real products)
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✅ Improves conversion rates (especially with new traffic)
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✅ Boosts SEO (people share, link, mention your site)
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✅ Fuels your ads with high-performing creative
And if you're in a niche like comedy gifts (like me)? UGC is pure gold. People want to share their reactions. You just have to make it easy.
How I Got My First UGC
Before I had any customers, I faked it—ethically:
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Asked friends to record funny unboxings
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Did quick mock deliveries with sample products
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Pulled "customer reviews" from testers and beta buyers
Once real orders came in, I added:
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Post-purchase email asking for photos + reviews
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Instagram hashtag prompt
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Incentive: 10% off next order for a tagged post
Boom. First real UGC in the wild.
My UGC Funnel
Here’s how I made it work automatically:
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Email after delivery → “Show it off and save 10%”
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Auto-tagged Instagram photos
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Video testimonials collected via Dropbox link
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Carousel on homepage with UGC
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Featured customer videos on product pages
It turned passive buyers into brand fans.
UGC and SEO = 🔥
When people:
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Mention you on blogs
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Embed your posts
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Share your site via their links You gain domain authority.
Google sees your brand as "alive."
That helped me go from no traffic to ranked blogs in under a month.
UGC and Ads = 💰
When I tested UGC vs branded creatives, results weren’t close:
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Branded Ad: 1.8% CTR, $0.94 CPC
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UGC Ad: 3.6% CTR, $0.39 CPC
Same product. Same audience. Just swapped the video for a customer reaction.
ChatGPT Prompt for Generating UGC Scripts
"Write a short, funny UGC video script for a customer unboxing a personalized comedy plaque. Include a laugh moment and ending CTA to tag us on Instagram."
Tweak that for your tone. Send to your customers or friends.
Free Tools for UGC Collection
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Loox – photo reviews + Shopify integration
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Stamped.io – great for video + emails
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DropEvent – lets customers upload content to your gallery
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Canva – UGC video templates
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ChatGPT – script writing for promos
How to Ask for UGC (Without Being Pushy)
Don’t beg. Reward.
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"Show off your order, get 10% off your next one!"
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"Tag us to be featured — we pick winners weekly!"
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"Want to star in our next ad? Upload your reaction!"
UGC is a Shopify Shortcut You Can’t Ignore
If you’re tired of making content every day, stop. Let your customers become your content team.
It’s more believable. More relatable. And more profitable.
Start today — one email, one post-purchase popup, one Instagram story. That’s all it takes.
And when it clicks? You’ll wonder why you ever worked so hard.
— Stephen Matthews, Teka Originals
Part #1: Mistake Shopify Beginners Make
Part #2: Optimize Before You Advertise: Why SEO First Saves You Thousands