You’ve heard of UCG (user-generated content), but have you heard of EGC (employee-generated content)? What used to be a nice-to-have addition to your online efforts has become a must-have for growing your digital presence. Here’s why.
Have you noticed that brands online — especially on social media — are seeming a lot more human lately? Behind-the-scenes content, day-in-the-life videos, and real employee stories are taking the place of previous stale graphics or content that just didn’t resonate with users. EGC is changing the game for how brands build trust and visibility online.
If you aren’t utilizing ECG in your current marketing strategy, you’re already falling behind. It’s not just another marketing buzzword — it's one of the most authentic, cost-effective ways to amplify your brand's reach and credibility. Whether you're a law firm, healthcare provider, or ecommerce brand, giving your team a voice online can pay off in ways traditional marketing never could.
What is EGC in marketing?
EGC, meaning employee-generated content, is content created by your employees for your digital platforms (your website, social media channels, email lists, etc.) that showcases your company, products, services, or culture. Think of it as your team becoming your brand ambassadors, but in a way that feels organic and real. It's your employees telling your brand's story in their own words, from their own perspectives.
Unlike polished ad campaigns, EGC shows the real people behind your business. It gives your audience a peek behind the curtain and helps them connect with your brand on a human level. When people see real faces and authentic experiences — not just logos and sales pitches — they're more likely to trust you.
Why EGC works so well — and why you should be doing it
Users (especially younger users) are increasingly becoming more distrustful of brands online every day. They know when they’re just being sold something, and if it doesn’t appeal or resonate, they scroll. But employee-generated content doesn’t have a hidden agenda, and that is the secret weapon.
EGC works because it hits on key factors that traditional marketing often misses:
- Authenticity always wins. Your audience is tired of overly produced content that feels like a sales pitch. They want to see what your company culture actually looks like, not what you claim it is. Content showcasing team members delivers that authenticity by showing real moments from real people.
- Your reach expands exponentially. When your employees share content, they're tapping into their own networks that you wouldn't otherwise reach. In fact, employee posts get reshared up to 24 times more than a branded post. This organic distribution extends your brand's visibility without you spending a dime on ads.
- It attracts both customers and talent. Employee-generated content doesn't just help with brand awareness — it's also a powerful recruiting tool. Job seekers want to work for companies with great cultures, and EGC proves yours is the real deal. It's essentially your company culture on display for both clients and potential hires.
- It works on every platform. Whether you’re trying to beef up your Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn content strategy, ECG does numbers on every channel. For example, 30% of LinkedIn engagement comes from employee-generated content rather than brands posting on their own feeds. Crazy.
What is the difference between EGC and UGC?
For the past decade, user-generated content (UGC) or influencer marketing was the ideal way to spread the word about your business. And while that is still true to this day, employee-generated content just gives audiences a little something extra (while also saving you money).
UGC is content created by your customers — product reviews, unboxing videos, testimonials, and social media posts featuring your brand. It's valuable because it acts as social proof, showing potential customers that real people love what you offer. However, social media influencers in particular have lost some of that community trust over the last few years, making the success of that investment a gamble. Nowadays, it seems like users want to hear what real people have to say.
EGC, on the other hand, comes from inside your organization. It's your employees sharing their experiences working for you, explaining what they do, or showcasing your products and services from an insider's perspective. While UGC builds credibility with potential customers, EGC builds credibility AND gives insight into who you are as a company.
But employees work for the company, how can we know if they’re telling the truth? Well, that’s actually the beauty of it! While influencer marketing focuses on paying outsiders to showcase your brand, the value comes straight from the horse’s mouth — aka the very people who live and breathe the message every day. No one knows your brand and its mission better than your employees. The best content strategies leverage both UGC and EGC.
EGC vs. influencer marketing: Why employees win
Let's talk more about influencer marketing for a second. Sure, partnering with influencers can get your brand in front of large audiences — but it often comes with hefty price tags and no guarantee of authenticity. Followers are savvy enough to know when someone's being paid to promote something.
Employee-generated content offers many of the same benefits as influencer marketing, but with way more credibility and zero influencer fees. Your employees ARE your influencers — and they come with built-in authenticity that paid partnerships can't match.
Think about it: would you rather see a celebrity you don't know talking about a product they may or may not actually use, or an actual employee explaining why they believe in what their company does? For most people, the answer is clear.
We have an e-commerce client that is a local Houston family business. Each family member works at the company, uses the product daily, and creates content showcasing why they love it, how it changed their lives, and how it can help you. Their audience trusts them fully because they know there’s no BS. It’s just good strategy!
What is the difference between EGC and employee advocacy?
These terms often get used interchangeably, but they're not exactly the same thing.
Employee advocacy is when your team members share company content — like reposting your latest article about blogging for SEO or sharing your new product announcement on their LinkedIn. It's your employees amplifying your existing content to their networks.
EGC goes a step further. Instead of just sharing content you've created, employees are creating their own original content either for your official channels or their own. It's their voice, their perspective, their creativity. It's less about distributing your message and more about empowering your team to become content creators themselves. Both strategies are valuable, but employee-generated content tends to feel more authentic and engaging because it's not coming directly from the brand.
How to start using EGC in your content strategy
If all of this sounds a little intimidating or even confusing, don’t worry. The good news is that implementing an EGC strategy doesn't require a massive budget or complicated approval processes. Here's how to make it work:
Invite participation, don't demand it.
The best employee-generated content comes from people who genuinely want to share. Start by inviting team members to post content from their day — behind-the-scenes moments, product demos, or day-in-the-life clips. Make it optional and fun, not mandatory.
Offer simple guidelines, not scripts.
Give your team basic guardrails about what's appropriate to share, but don't over-script their content. The whole point of EGC is authenticity — if everything sounds like a press release, you've missed the mark. While following trends beat for beat is fine for social video strategy, you can create fun, yet personal content that comes from the heart.
For example, as part of their healthcare marketing strategy, one of our clients has a “Talk to Me like a Third Grader” video series where young children ask common healthcare questions and the staff answers in an easy-to-understand language. These videos perform well because they showcase information in an engaging way, all while spotlighting different members of their team.
Make contributing effortless.
The easier it is for employees to create and share content, the more likely they'll do it. Provide simple tools, templates, or even just a Slack channel where people can share ideas. Some companies create content days where employees can film quick videos or take photos together. This is a method we love to implement at Baal & Spots.
For social media for law firms or even our own channels (follow us @baalspots), we plan thorough content shoots that include the entire team — or at least whoever wants to be on camera. The client has a blast, and we create fun, authentic, informative, and on-brand video content that performs.
Keep it organic.
The best employee-generated content doesn't feel forced. Encourage your team to share what they're genuinely excited about, whether that's a client win, a new project they're working on, or even just their favorite thing about working at your company.
Baal & Spots: Helping you plan and execute EGC strategies that work
The numbers don’t lie: brands that embrace EGC are building deeper connections with their audiences, expanding their reach organically, and attracting both customers and top talent — all without busting your budget. You already have everything you need to get started. Your employees are your most powerful marketing asset — you just need to give them the green light to share their stories. For a strategy, it’s best to start small:
- Invite a few team members to create content
- Test what works
- Celebrate the wins
Before you know it, employee-generated content will become a natural part of your brand's online presence — and your audience will reward you for keeping it real. Whether you’re a tech company, a startup, a healthcare practice, a law firm, or a retail brand, this type of content can elevate your social content across all platforms.
However, if executing an EGC strategy just does not fit into your busy schedule, hiring a digital partner like Baal & Spots helps to lighten the load. Balancing business growth and marketing should not fall on your shoulders alone. Our content marketing and social media experts are ready to craft and execute an EGC plan that will bring in results. Let’s get started.
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