We analyzed 1,000 UGC videos: this is what the best-retaining ones had in common

We analyzed the first 1,000 videos produced by brands on HICARI's UGC platform and share what the videos with the best retention had in common—in other words, the ones that performed best.

Here's a summary:

We analyzed videos:

• Published organically on brands' accounts
• On Instagram and TikTok
• Without paid media, so the results were organic

This may interest you: real examples of UGC videos that worked (real cases with HICARI)

Let's get into the insights. That said, this isn't about making every video you create go viral, but about giving it a better chance of reaching a wider audience:

Especially in social/organic content.

First:

• Problem
• Situation
• Emotion
• Curiosity
• Need
• Common doubt

Then the product appears. Or it appears in the background, or subtly. Or it doesn't appear at all.

Brands that show the product too quickly often look like an ad before they have generated interest.

And this is interesting because they were always VERY carefully thought out and scripted.

But visually:

• Mobile
• Natural light
• Real room, street, everyday places

Nothing too polished.

The more it looked like “content,” the better it retained viewers. The more it looked like a “campaign,” the worse it performed.

A video with poor voice-over and poor audio quality (without a good mic) drops off very quickly, even if it is well edited.

What's more, many visually ordinary videos retained viewers extremely well because:

• The voice sounded natural
• There was energy
• The speaking pace was good
• It felt like a real conversation

There's a mix of creators who clearly show their mic and/or speak into a handheld mic, and others where the mic is subtly hidden.

Audio hooks that generated curiosity through identification worked extremely well (based on a specific profile: mothers, a particular profession, real needs, etc.), rather than generic curiosity for its own sake:

• “This always happens to me”
• “No one talks about this”
• “If you work in…”
• “I hate it when…”
• “I thought I was the only one”

Much less clickbait than people think.

Aggressive editing isn't necessary.

But you do need:

• A shot change every 2–3 seconds
• A slight zoom
• Text to reinforce key messages
• Gestures
• Changes in energy

If nothing happens visually for too long, retention drops.

And this is important: brands no longer want videos with effects that look like they came from a PowerPoint presentation 10 years ago. They want clean cuts, with just the occasional elegant cut and zoom.

Instead of:

• “Buy now”
• “Use my code”

These worked better:

• A reflection that invites people to share their opinion
• A funny ending
• A question
• Personal experience
• A POV-style comment

This may also interest you: How to create a UGC strategy from scratch.

Brands that create collaborative videos (on Instagram) with creators who have loyal, even if small, communities tend to achieve better performance. This is because the creators themselves get involved in giving the content visibility, and it is usually shown to their followers—even if they only have 2K.

Disclaimer: this doesn't mean that all content has to be collaborative, but it does mean you can alternate between formats and include some of this content in your strategy (you can do this with HICARI).

Especially on TikTok/Reels.

When the creator tried to explain EVERYTHING:

• Benefits
• Features
• Context
• CTA

Retention drops. And you can see it in the fact that the views don't take off.

The videos that worked:

• Focused on ONE idea
• ONE feeling
• ONE problem
• ONE solution

Example:

• Worse: “this cream is incredibly hydrating”
• Better: “I hate to admit it, but this actually works”

An opinion creates more trust than a typical brand claim.

And precisely because of that, they converted better.

Very typical.

When it felt like:

• Voice-over artist
• Presenter
• TV ad

Retention dropped.

What worked better:

• Conversational tone
• Imperfect energy
• Naturalness

And that’s normal: users don’t want brands talking about their products. They want people like you and me talking about a problem, a solution, or simply telling a story or entertaining them.

Something that breaks the scroll:

• Start while walking
• Show something unusual
• Start speaking right away
• Camera movement
• Unexpected phrase

You don’t need to do anything crazy, but you do need to break the feed.

This is a VERY valuable insight for brands.

The most natural videos usually came from briefs that were simple, clear, and flexible.

Not from endless PDFs with 14 key messages.

Detailed scripts are ideal for Ads videos, but for social, it’s best to provide a core idea and ask the creator for a point of view and script (for approval).

Ultimately, the videos that retained viewers best didn’t look optimized; they looked human. And right now, that’s probably the greatest optimization possible.