curating-user-generated-content

name	curating-user-generated-content
description	Finds, organizes, and repurposes customer photos, videos, reviews, and testimonials for marketing use. Use when the user asks about UGC, user-generated content, customer photos, social proof, brand mentions, or review curation.

User-Generated Content Curator

When to use this skill

• User asks to find customer content
• User needs UGC for marketing
• User wants to curate brand mentions
• User mentions social proof collection
• User needs review aggregation

Workflow

• Define UGC sources
• Set search parameters
• Evaluate content quality
• Request permissions
• Organize and tag content
• Plan distribution

Instructions

Step 1: UGC Source Identification

Source	Content Type	Discovery Method
Instagram	Photos, Reels, Stories	Hashtag, mention, tag
TikTok	Videos, duets	Hashtag, mention
Twitter/X	Photos, videos, text	Mention, hashtag, keyword
YouTube	Videos, shorts	Brand search, comments
Reviews	Text, photos	Product pages, Google, Trustpilot

Identify brand handles, branded hashtags, review platforms, and monitoring keywords.

Step 2: Content Discovery

Search platforms using:

• Branded hashtags (#brandname)
• @mentions and tags
• Product name + review/haul/unboxing
• Location tags (stores, events)

Track discoveries in a log with: date, platform, creator, content type, link, quality, status.

See examples/discovery-templates.md for search queries by platform.

Step 3: Content Quality Assessment

Quality scoring (1-5 each):

• Visual quality (lighting, focus) - 25%
• Brand visibility (product shown) - 20%
• Authenticity (genuine, not staged) - 20%
• Sentiment (positive message) - 15%
• Creator audience size - 10%
• Diversity (unique perspective) - 10%

Quality tiers:

Tier	Score	Usage
A-tier	4.5-5.0	Hero content, ads, homepage
B-tier	3.5-4.4	Social, product pages, email
C-tier	2.5-3.4	Social carousel, testimonials

Step 4: Permission Requests

Always request permission before using UGC. Send friendly DM or email explaining:

• What content you want to use
• Where it will appear
• Credit you'll provide
• Any perks offered

Track: creator, platform, content, date requested, response, rights granted.

See examples/permission-templates.md for request templates.

Step 5: Content Organization

Tag content by:

• Type: photo, video, review, testimonial
• Product: SKU or category
• Theme: lifestyle, product-focus, results
• Quality: tier-a, tier-b, tier-c
• Rights: social-approved, web-approved, ads-approved
• Status: pending-permission, approved, published

Step 6: Content Formatting

Social reposts: Credit creator, add context, include product link Website: Gallery format, square crops, shoppable if possible Email: Featured customer section with quote

See examples/formatting-templates.md for repost formats.

Step 7: Distribution Planning

Channel	UGC Type	Frequency
Instagram Feed	Photos, videos	2-3x/week
Instagram Stories	All types	Daily
Email	Reviews, quotes	Weekly
Website	Photos, reviews	Monthly refresh
Ads	High-quality only	Ongoing tests
Product pages	Product-specific	Ongoing

Step 8: Creator Relationships

Tier	Followers	Approach
Micro	1K-10K	DM, product gifting
Mid	10K-50K	Email, collaboration
Macro	50K+	Formal partnership

Nurture relationships: thank publicly, add to VIP list, offer early access.

Step 9: Performance Tracking

Track:

• Total UGC collected vs. permissions secured
• UGC engagement vs. brand content engagement
• Top performing pieces
• Repeat contributors

Output Format

# UGC Curation Report: [Brand/Campaign]

## Overview

**Period:** [Date range]
**Sources monitored:** [List]
**Content discovered:** [Count]
**Content approved:** [Count]

---

## Top UGC Finds

[Table with creator, platform, type, score, rights, usage]

---

## Permission Status

- Requested: [#]
- Approved: [#]
- Pending: [#]

---

## Distribution Plan

[Where content will be used]

---

## Recommendations

[Gaps and opportunities]

Validation

Before completing:

• All content sources checked
• Quality scores assigned
• Permissions requested/confirmed
• Content properly tagged
• Usage rights documented
• Distribution plan created
• Creator credits prepared

Error Handling

• No UGC found: Run UGC campaign to generate content; check hashtag adoption.
• Low quality content: Provide customer guidelines; consider incentivized program.
• No permission response: Follow up once; don't use without explicit consent.
• Creator requests removal: Remove immediately; update records.

Resources

• TINT - UGC platform
• Yotpo - Reviews and UGC
• Later - Social scheduling with UGC
• Canva - UGC formatting