What Is a UGC Creator (and How to Become One)?
- Philip Romano
- Oct 6
- 7 min read
User-generated content has become one of the fastest-growing ways to make a living online in recent years.
User-generated content, also commonly referred to as “UGC”, has been deemed of much value to brands that now crave authentic, relatable content over the polished ads. For those with a good eye for aesthetics or an infectious personality, you can make a real killing with user-generated content.
Want to know more? In this guide, we’ll define what a UGC creator is, what you can expect to earn, and how to start.
What is a UGC Creator?
A UGC creator is an individual who creates original content for brands for use in advertising and social channels outside of their own.
This differs from affiliate collabs or paid sponsorships as UGC creators get paid for their content creation, not for their reach or following. This means you typically won’t be responsible for posting anything publicly; you’ll solely be responsible for filming and submitting the content to the brand.
You may have seen UGC just browsing through your TikTok feed – many video ads showcased on the platform nowadays were filmed by UGC creators. This can be anything from product unboxings to video game playthroughs, typically featuring aesthetic product shots and authentic reviews.
Why Brands Pay for UGC
It’s no secret that short-form video has been dominant in today’s social media culture. It’s been found that 73% of consumers prefer short-form videos to search for products or services, and they receive around 2.5 times more engagement than other content styles.
Aside from being popular right now, it’s also cost-effective for brands. Running mass affiliate campaigns takes time and resources, and traditional clear ad production runs high costs. By focusing on working with UGC creators, the brand gets all the benefits of traditional ad production while also keeping the authenticity of working with real creators.
As well, UGC typically costs significantly less than both affiliate marketing and ad production alike, making for a pretty clear-cut decision for brands looking to obtain new advertising material.
How to Become a UGC Creator
Although becoming a UGC creator may seem daunting at first, it has a low bar for entry.
There are a few required and nice-to-have skills upfront before jumping into the deep end of UGC creation. Before deciding if this is right for you, ask yourself:
Am I comfortable on camera?
Do I understand how to tell a story effectively?
Do I have a good eye for aesthetics? (Do your videos look good? Do you know how to compose a shot appealingly?)
Do I have the right equipment for this? (lighting gear, editing apps like CapCut, etc)
If you find yourself saying yes to most of these or are willing to learn, then you’ll be perfect as a UGC creator! It’s a relatively easy skill set to learn, but a challenging one to master. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about how to actually get into UGC creation.
Define your niche and style
The best way of getting booked and staying booked as an amateur creator is to not focus on too much of the pie.
Think of it this way – if you were truly focused on every single industry, then you’ll never truly gain the experience needed to excel in each one. By focusing on one or two niches that interest you directly, you not only gain more experience, but you also will likely enjoy it more and prevent burnout.
It also helps brands find you more easily. For example, if you were exclusively a beauty UGC creator, beauty brands could both locate you more easily and make you more appealing to book as someone with a lot of experience in that brand’s target.
Build a portfolio
Building a portfolio can be daunting as a new UGC creator, but it’s a fantastic exercise to get you familiar and consistently improve with filming UGC-style content.
If I were starting nowadays, I’d recommend filming at least 5 UGC-style videos and then editing them all to completion. I’d review each video and ask myself, “What could I do better next time?”. From there, try improving at least one thing every time you film a video, and pretty soon you’ll have a few favorites of yours. Those are the ones you should put into your portfolio.
As for the portfolio itself, there are plenty of sites with templates that are perfect for UGC portfolios. We recommend trying Canva out, as it’s user-friendly and easy to pick up.
Set competitive (and realistic) rates
Let’s make something clear: the world of UGC has an extremely wide pay range. Many creators get paid anywhere from $100 per video to upwards of $2,500 per video.
But that doesn’t mean you’ll be jumping in and making thousands out of the gate – you’ll need experience and a portfolio to really start making money consistently. Pay varies depending on many factors, including experience, usage rights, content quality, and complexity.
That’s not to say you can’t make good money when starting, it just means you’ll get more traction by setting lower rates to start and then increasing them as you expand your user-generated content business. Start at $50-100 per video just to build a reputation and get your foot in the door with brands, and increase them every few months or annually.
Reach out to brands and agencies
This is the hardest step for many looking to become a UGC creator – pitching yourself to brands.
The reality of UGC work is that brands don’t typically find you; you find them. That means that you can expect a healthy amount of your day to be writing pitch emails to new brands and agencies, while also consistently reaching out to brands you’ve worked with in the past for new projects.
Depending on your niche, there’s a high chance that other UGC content creators like yourself have posted lists of contact information for you to use (the beauty and tech niches notably have many resources like this available publicly).
When you feel ready to start reaching out to brands, make sure that your email is professional, tightly written, not heavy on AI writing (as this will come off impersonal), while also focusing on what value you bring to the brand. Here’s a good example that you can use:
Example email:
"Hi (Brand Contact or Brand Name Team),
My name is (Your Name), and I’m a UGC content creator who specializes in (your niche). I’ve been following your brand for a while and really admire how you (a compliment of some sort).
I’d love to help create high-quality, authentic content for your brand. If you’re currently working with UGC creators or are open to testing new content partnerships, I’d love to chat about how I can best support your next campaign. Here’s a quick look at my work: (Portfolio Link)
Thanks for your time. I’d be happy to send over sample concepts or discuss work that fits your needs.
Best regards,
(Your Name)
(Your social handles)
(Your contact info – email + #)"
Make it a goal to email at least 5-10 brands per day to really get the ball rolling. Those who are actively contacting brands are more likely to hear back from them, so make sure to really put the time and effort in!
Where to Find UGC Work
Emailing brands isn’t the only way to find new UGC work opportunities. Like we said earlier, brands are actively looking for UGC support more than ever, and it’s just a matter of looking for these opportunities in the right places.
You can typically find new UGC opportunities in places like:
Open brand UGC calls on TikTok and Instagram through the feed. It may be easier to find brands that have posted similar calls in the past and follow them, so that when they post another call, you’ll be the first to know.
Creator marketplaces and social commerce agencies. There are many available nowadays! We recommend checking out our Creator-focused programs available at Advanced Creative Media, which give access to many brand opportunities.
Small brands and startups. Smaller organizations will typically not pay as high, but they’ll be extremely eager to work with you and will likely build a fantastic relationship that both of you will benefit from. We highly recommend searching for these smaller companies on LinkedIn.
Other creators. Like we talked about before, other UGC creators will likely post resources that they used to get to where they are now publicly. Everyone loves helping others grow, so don’t be afraid to look for these resources!
Why Should I Become a UGC Creator?
In short, user-generated content is something of a golden ticket with brands nowadays.
They actively know they need more authentic, user-focused photos and videos, and you might hold the key for them. By building your skillset, focusing on getting more experience, and building those brand relationships, you’ll excel in the UGC space and may even be able to go full-time in no time. Create your social profiles, make some videos, and put yourself out there!
If the UGC path isn’t quite right for you, don’t fret – there are many other ways to make a living as a content creator. There are eight other ways we’ve identified to make a living through your social media content. Read the full guide here, or take a look through Advanced Creative Media’s Creator Programs, designed to help creators like you start up and get the ball rolling fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a big following to be a UGC creator?
No, you do not need a big following to be a UGC creator. While having a big following can certainly be helpful, brands aren’t looking for them when looking for UGC-specific creators. They’re looking for creators with a great eye for aesthetics and good storytelling – if you check those two boxes, then you’re set.
How much can UGC creators charge per video?
This varies based on niche and experience, but it’s generally accepted that most projects can be priced anywhere between $100 and $2,500 per video.
Who owns the content I make for brands?
Typically, the creator owns the content but grants the brand an infinite license to use the content in any advertising. You can typically negotiate higher rates depending on licensing or exclusivity.
