the two types of ugc every brand needs
In finance, I was trained to look for patterns. Spreadsheets, ratios, risk models — underneath the noise, the numbers told you a story. And the same thing happens in UGC.
Most brands look at content as one giant bucket. But when I started testing hundreds of videos across different verticals — fintech, SaaS, consumer apps — the same pattern kept showing up: the brands that grew weren’t just “doing UGC.” They were balancing two distinct types of content.
When you see the distinction, you can stop guessing. When you ignore it, you end up with a feed that either sells hard but feels soulless — or one that racks up views without ever driving revenue.
Type 1: Conversion Creative
This is your offense. The demos. The hooks. The problem/solution breakdowns that get straight to the point: “Here’s your pain. Here’s the fix. Here’s why you should act now.”
My analyst brain loves conversion creative because it’s measurable. You can track CTR, CPA, ROAS. You can A/B test hooks like you’d test financial models. It’s direct response at its purest, and when you nail it, you feel the lift immediately.
Examples I’ve run for clients:
A fintech app ad that walks through 3 steps to sign up in under 20 seconds.
A dating app demo that shows the exact feature users were most hesitant about.
A skincare clip that zeroes in on a before-and-after — not 12 benefits, just one transformation.
The common thread? They aren’t trying to be cute. They’re trying to close.
Type 2: Community Creative
This is your defense. The culture-building side of content. The memes, the storytelling, the little moments that make people feel like you “get” them.
Community creative isn’t always trackable in the short term, which makes a lot of founders nervous. But here’s what I learned both in finance and in faith: you need equity. Not just short-term returns. Equity is what sustains you.
Examples:
A playful TikTok that taps into “girl math” but connects it to your product in a wink-and-nod way.
A Reel that riffs on a trending sound, but instead of a hard sell, it highlights the lifestyle around your brand.
A carousel that tells a story about your category in a way that makes people save it, even if they’re not ready to buy today.
Community creative builds the trust that protects you when algorithms shift or when paid ads get more expensive.
Why You Need Both
Here’s the reality: one without the other is a losing game.
If you only run conversion creative, your brand feels transactional. People buy once but don’t stick around.
If you only run community creative, you build vibes with no revenue to back it up.
The brands that thrive balance the two. They use conversion creative to drive action and community creative to build connection. Together, they compound.
And compounding is the name of the game. Whether in finance or in marketing, the wins that last aren’t linear. They stack. They multiply.
How This Shows Up in Campaigns
At Teague Media, we build campaigns with a rule: every rotation should have both conversion and community assets.
For example:
Conversion: Three demo-style videos running on Spark Ads.
Community: Two meme-driven, storytelling posts running organically.
The conversion pieces bring in new customers at lower CPAs. The community pieces keep the brand relevant and loved. Together, they create momentum that neither type could generate alone.
It’s the same principle I saw in capital markets. A balanced portfolio — offense and defense — protects you from volatility and positions you for growth.
The Founder Angle
If you’re a founder, here’s what I want you to take away: stop thinking about UGC as one monolithic strategy. Start thinking about it like a balance sheet.
Conversion creative = revenue side.
Community creative = equity side.
Both matter. Both need investment. And when you manage the mix well, you build something sustainable.
This is also where my faith threads into the way I think about brand building. Conversion is the work. Community is the relationship. You can’t sustain one without the other.
Practical Next Steps
If you’re ready to put this into action, here’s where to start:
Audit your current content. How much of it is conversion vs. community? If you’re 80/20 in either direction, you’re off balance.
Set metrics for both. Track CTR and CPA for conversion. Track saves, shares, and retention for community.
Iterate. Test conversion hooks weekly. Test community formats monthly. Learn what works and double down.
Don’t silo. Your community creative can become conversion creative with the right edit. Your conversion creative can fuel community when repurposed organically.
Closing
UGC isn’t just “make videos.” It’s knowing which kind of videos to make, when to use them, and how to make them compound.
I learned in finance that offense and defense both win games. I learned in strategy that creativity without metrics is just noise. And I learned in faith that the things that last are built on both truth and relationship.
Conversion and community. Sales and connection. That’s the mix every brand needs.