[FAQ]

Our marketing team in Perth is keen to start using more customer photos—UGC images—in our email campaigns. We love the idea of using them for social proof.

Now that we’re looking at the practical side, we want to make sure we do it properly and professionally. What are the best practices for this? For example, what’s the best way to get permission to use someone’s photo? Should we be editing the images at all, or does that defeat the purpose? And how should we credit the original creator in the email itself?

We want to integrate these images in a way that looks great, not messy. Any advice on the do’s and don’ts would be much appreciated. Cheers.

[Jeff Bullas]

A very important follow-up question. How you use UGC is just as important as the decision to use it.

Brief Answer: The best practices for using user-generated images in emails revolve around three core principles: always getting explicit permission, properly crediting the creator, and integrating the authentic images into a clean, professional email design that reinforces your brand.

The goal is to leverage the authenticity of the image without sacrificing the professionalism of your brand or violating the trust of your customers.

First and most critically, you must get explicit and documented permission to use someone’s image. Finding a photo on social media with your brand’s hashtag does not constitute permission for commercial use. The best practice is to contact the user directly via a comment, direct message, or email. Clearly state where you would like to feature their photo—for example, “in our upcoming email newsletter”—and ask for their consent. You must keep a record of this text-based permission. This is a non-negotiable step to protect both your business and the customer.

Second, always credit the creator. This is a simple matter of respect and it encourages more people to share their content in the future. A simple text credit like “@[username] on Instagram” placed clearly next to or below their image is standard practice.

Third, be selective with the images you choose and be careful with editing. Select high-quality, well-lit images that clearly and positively feature your product. While the main appeal of the image is its authenticity, minor edits like cropping for a better composition or a slight colour correction to match your email’s aesthetic are generally fine. Avoid any heavy retouching that would make the photo feel staged or inauthentic, as this defeats the purpose.

Finally, integrate the images thoughtfully into your email design. Instead of just dropping them in randomly, create a dedicated section with a clear text heading like “From Our Community”. Using a clean grid layout for multiple user images can make the section look professional and cohesive, rather than cluttered.

Cheers,
Jeff

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