relevant images and videos for articles. Use in marketing The use of user-generated content has been prominent in the efforts of marketing online, especially among millennials. A good reason for this may be that 86% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands they support, and 60% believe user-generated content is not only the most authentic form of content, but also the most influential when making purchasing decisions. An increasing number of companies have been employing UGC techniques into their marketing efforts, such as Starbucks with their "White Cup Contest" campaign where customers competed to create the best doodle on their cups. The effectiveness of UGC in marketing has been shown to be significant as well. For instance, the "Share a Coke" by Coca-Cola campaign in which customers uploaded images of themselves with bottles to social media attributed to a two percent increase in revenue. Of millennials, UGC can influence purchase decisions up to fifty-nine percent of the time, and eighty-four percent say that UGC on company websites has at least some influence on what they buy, typically in a positive way. As a whole, consumers place peer recommendations and reviews above those of professionals. User-generated content used in a marketing context has been known to help brands in numerous ways. It encourages more engagement with its users, and doubles the likeliness that the content will be shared. It builds trust with consumers. With a majority of consumers trusting UGC over brand provided information, UGC can allow for better brand-consumer relationships. It provides SEO Value for brands. This in turn means more traffic is driven to the brands websites and that more content is linked back to the website. It reassures purchase decisions which will keep customers shopping. With UGC, the conversion rate increases by as much as 4.6%. It increases follower count on various social media platforms. It helps integration with traditional marketing/promotional techniques which in turn drives more conversions for the companies. It helps in increasing profit with significant reduction in costs for the company. It typically low cost promotion since content given by free for firm's customers. User-generated Content Facts & Statistics 86% of companies leverage UGC in their marketing techniques 92% of potential customers seek reviews from existing customers 64% of customers look for reviews, and ratings before they start their checkout process. 90% of brands have seen an evident increase in their click-through