Role of User-Generated Content in Enhancing Brand Engagement on E-Commerce Platforms

Abstract

The digital commerce has exponentially increased, and user-generated content (UGC) as a force has become a decisive factor in brand interaction in the context of online retail. This empirical study explores how the dimensions of UGC authenticity, credibility, visual richness and interactivity relate to consumer brand engagement among the Indian online shoppers. The research will measure the effect of UGC on cognitive, affective, and behavioural engagement, determine which of the types of UGC create the most significant engagement lift, and determine the moderating effect of platform type. With a quantitative cross-sectional design, primary survey research data were gathered via a structured questionnaire of 412 active online shoppers in major Indian metro and Tier-2 cities between January and March 2025. Pearson correlation, multiple regression, ANOVA and chi-square analyses were used to test hypotheses. Findings indicate that UGC authenticity (0.482, p<0.001) and visual richness (0.367, p<0.001) make significant predictors of brand engagement, with Instagram as the most promising platform of engagement. The discussion puts these findings into the context of the consumer-brand engagement literature and the digital marketing practice. The paper forms a conclusion that genuine, visually anchored UGC is the most economically friendly lever that online retailers should utilize in the fast-growing e-commerce landscape in India to engage with their brands in a sustainable manner.
Keywords: User-Generated Content, Brand Engagement, Online Retail, E-commerce, Consumer Behaviour.