What is UGC and how you can use it to attract (new) guests

• 30.06.2025.
• News, Marketing, Social media

In a sea of similar offers, the only thing people truly trust are the experiences of others. In the yacht charter business, where guests plan months in advance and make a significant investment, trust is essential. And that’s exactly why UGC – content spontaneously shared by your guests – can play a key role in making them choose your charter. Because people trust people.

UGC (User Generated Content) is all the content your guests publish on their own, without your control or approval, and which relates to your services, vessels, or destinations.
These are posts from a bay you recommended, reels from the deck of your catamaran, a video of them learning how to tie knots with the help of the skipper, a Google review, or a comment under your post.
All of these are real experiences that future guests can easily imagine as their own, because they see people like themselves enjoying exactly what they’re looking for.

There’s something you can’t buy or achieve with ads. And that’s authenticity.
Through User Generated Content, your yacht charter company no longer speaks for itself – others do it for you.

Research shows that as many as 79 percent of people believe that content from other users strongly influences their booking decisions. Even more importantly, most guests are more likely to trust an amateur photo from a real person than a professional one.

Your guests are definitely talking about you, sharing their photos and experiences. And all of it without you even asking.
So why not make use of what already exists?

What is UGC (User Generated Content)

UGC (User Generated Content) is made up of real experiences on your boats, seen through the eyes of your guests and shared on their social media and other channels.
That’s exactly why UGC carries much more weight than content you paid someone to shoot, produce, and edit.
People are more likely to trust someone who posted a picture of themselves sitting on your catamaran than a professional photo taken with the best drone.

User Generated Content can include many things, such as:

• Photos from the deck, a bay, or lunch that guests post on Instagram while tagging your charter
• Short reels of sailing, jumping into the sea, socializing on the boat, or arriving at a marina
• Reviews and comments on Google, social media, various nautical platforms, etc.
• Instagram Story, Facebook post, TikTok video, blog, YouTube vlog, etc., showing real experiences, sailing moments, and impressions from the boat

Why is this important? Because these are not your words.
You didn’t say how good your guests felt – they said it themselves, publicly, and under their own name.
In digital marketing, such posts are worth more than any paid campaign.
This is the type of content people share with friends, save, and revisit when deciding where to spend their next summer vacation.

Unlike professionally produced content, which guests often perceive as “too polished” or insincere, UGC feels real.
And that is its strength. Posts about experiences on your charter are perceived as a recommendation. Not an ad.

Why UGC is important in nautical tourism

Renting a boat is not an impulsive decision.
Most guests do their research, read reviews, compare other people’s experiences, and look for proof that everything is just as it appears on the website.

In such a process, User Generated Content has a role that even the best ad cannot achieve – it reduces uncertainty and builds trust.

Precisely because of the high service price, limited availability, and the importance of a good experience, potential guests are more likely to trust content shared by other guests than a professional campaign.

Here’s why UGC is especially valuable in the yacht charter industry:

• It provides proof of experience
  People want to know what a day on the boat actually looks like. When they see an honest video, even if it’s recorded with a phone, it reassures them that the experience is real and doable.
• It helps with Google ranking
  Every Google review, every blog that mentions you, and every video tagged with your name affects how search engines “see” you. More UGC content means more mentions, which can improve your position in search results.
• It generates more reactions and shares
  User-created content has better engagement because it feels real. Instead of saying “sail with us,” other people show that they already came, sailed, and had a great time. (Social media algorithms recognize this as more valuable content and amplify it.)
• It connects you with guests after the trip
  When you publicly share a guest’s content, you also build a long-term relationship. Guests appreciate it because they feel like more than just a booking number.
  Such guests return more often and recommend you without being asked.
• It creates a “content archive”
  Guests are actually doing you a favor. They create a bunch of great content that you can use later on. You already have photos, videos, and comments – all you need to do is organize them and know when to post.

How to encourage and use User Generated Content

User Generated Content doesn’t happen on its own, because most guests won’t automatically tag your profile unless you prompt them.
On the other hand, if you mention it, many will gladly do it. Guests want to share their experiences, but they need a little nudge at the right time.

Here are some concrete and practical ways to do it:

1. Ask guests to tag you
   On the day of disembarkation, send a short message or email with a sentence like: “Thank you for sailing with us. If there’s a moment from your trip you’d like to share, feel free to tag us @companyname – we love seeing your impressions.”
   This message doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be warm, human, and not salesy.
2. Share the content guests post
   If a guest posts a video from your route or a photo of the boat, share it on your Instagram Story or Facebook page, along with a simple thank-you note.
   Example: “Thank you Ivana for this beautiful sunset photo near Vrgada. If you have one too, we’d love to share it!”
   This not only shows that you care about your guests, but also encourages others to do the same.
3. Organize giveaways based on UGC content
   The prize doesn’t have to be big. It just needs to be clear and appealing.
   Example: “Post a photo from our boat with #sailingwith_companyname and win a one-day trip next season.”
   This encourages guests and boosts your visibility without investing in ads.
4. Physically encourage content sharing on board
   Print a small card (business card size) and place it in the welcome folder.
   It can say: “Taking photos? Share them. Tag @companyname. We feature the best ones on our profile!”
   Add a QR code that links to your profile. Many will instantly recognize this as a sign that they’re welcome to post.
5. Include UGC in your ad campaigns
   If you have guests who have given you permission, use their posts and quotes in your ads.
   Example ad: A guest photo on the bow with the text: “We’ve never been this close to dolphins. Thanks @companyname!”
   An ad with authentic content often draws more attention than a stock photo.
6. Create a folder of UGC content you’re allowed to use
   Ask guests for explicit permission to use their photos. Most will gladly agree, especially if you tag them.
   Organize the content by destination, boat type, or experience. You can later use it in newsletters, blogs, and promotional materials.

In the end, it’s important not to treat UGC just as a tool for your marketing and promotion. These are real memories of your guests.
If you respect that and communicate in a human way, UGC can become the most authentic content source you have. And it’s free.

User Generated Content examples 

User Generated Content is not the result of big campaigns nor does it depend on influencer collaborations. Often, the most effective examples are those that are simple and achievable using existing resources, such as:

• Example 1: A gift that encourages posting
  Give each guest at check-in a small magnet with your company logo and a message saying “See you again?” along with a QR code that leads to their Instagram.
  The goal is for guests to use the QR code to post on their profiles, tag your yacht charter company, and write a few sentences about their experience. At the end of the trip, they’ll take the magnet home as a souvenir.
  In one month, such a small “gesture” can lead to around twenty new posts and about a hundred new followers.
• Example 2: Weekly challenge with a simple reward
  Start an online series called “Weekly moments from the deck.” Each week, publish one photo from a guest who captured a memorable moment on board – for example, morning yoga, a rainy day playing cards, or a child learning to tie a knot.
  Post the photos guests send you with a tagged guest profile and a short thank-you note.
  The prize can be a bottle of wine or a discount voucher for their next booking, but what guests appreciate most is that you publicly shared their photo as the “best one.”
  After one month, you’ll have a gallery of content you didn’t have to create yourself, which naturally shows the onboard atmosphere.
• Example 3: “Story of the Week” in a seasonal newsletter
  Each week, you can feature one guest story in your newsletter. One photo and a few sentences are enough. Guests can send you this content via social media or email. This section in your newsletter can become its most noticeable part, with the highest click-through rate.
  People love seeing other people. And even more, they love when someone sees them.

These examples are not intended as large-scale projects, but rather as something that can help your yacht charter company connect with real people and make use of content that already exists – you just need to know how to ask for it, recognize it, and share it.

UGC has value, but you need to know how to recognize it

User Generated Content can bring you more bookings, better visibility, and stronger connections with your guests and audience on social media… All without any additional cost of content production.

Your guests are already posting photos and sharing impressions from your boats. They’re not asking for anything in return, but if you give them a little encouragement, you can get content that’s worth more than paid ads.

And that’s why starting today, you can:

• place QR codes in your correspondence, in welcome messages, and in visible areas on the boat
• schedule a weekly guest content post in your social media calendar
• ask for permission to use photos in your newsletter
• enter this season with a clear plan of what you want to do and how

If you don’t know where to start or need support with ideas, content, or strategy, get in touch with us.
We work with yacht charter companies that want to build long-term trust with their guests. We understand how your guests behave online and what works when done smartly and consistently.

User Generated Content is not something you do on the side. It’s the most natural way to show who you are, through the eyes of those who know you best – your guests.

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