How to become a UGC creator is one of the questions most often asked by people interested in making content for brands, even without a large social media following.
In this guide you will find the most important steps to get started, build your portfolio and land your first collaborations.
What is a UGC creator?
A UGC creator is someone who makes content for a brand in a natural, close-up style, as though they were sharing their real experience with a product or service. The company can then use that content on its social profiles, in advertising campaigns, on its website or through other agreed channels.
UGC stands for user generated content. In this context the content may look spontaneous, but it is normally created to a brief and in exchange for payment.
For example, a cosmetics brand might hire you to film a video in which you:
receive and open the parcel;
show the product and its packaging;
explain how it is used;
share your first impression;
show the result;
answer a question their audience often has.
The aim is not to produce a sophisticated advertising shoot. The brand wants a video that feels close, easy to follow and believable to the person watching it.
A UGC creator and an influencer are not the same thing
Yes, you can become a UGC creator without a large following. That is one of the main differences from influencer work.
An influencer creates content for their own audience and normally publishes it on their own profiles. For that reason the size of their community, their engagement levels and their relationship with followers all feed into the collaboration and the fee.
A UGC creator, by contrast, creates content for the brand to publish or use in its campaigns. The company is not necessarily hiring you for the reach of your profile, but for your ability to film, present and edit a piece that connects with their audience.
This means a small account, or even a profile with no real community yet, can be enough to start. What brands will look at is your style, how you communicate, the quality of your videos and your ability to follow a brief.
What kind of content can a UGC creator make?
The term UGC can describe many kinds of content made by users: reviews, comments, photographs, social posts or ratings on specialist platforms.
When we talk about paid work for UGC creators, the most common formats are short videos and product photography. Some examples:
unboxing videos;
reviews and testimonials;
product demonstrations;
tutorials;
problem-and-solution videos;
lifestyle content;
first impressions videos;
comparisons;
answers to frequently asked questions;
voiceover videos;
photography for social media or product pages.
A technology brand might ask you to show how an app works. A food company might need a simple recipe. A hotel might want a video showing what a stay feels like, while a fashion brand might ask for content showing how to put several pieces together.
Each format demands a different way of filming, but they all have one thing in common: they have to communicate an experience clearly and credibly.
What makes a good UGC video?
There is no single correct way to make UGC, but several elements tend to make the difference.
Naturalness and authenticity
The content should look like it was made by a real person, not like a traditional ad read out word for word. That does not mean you have to improvise everything. In fact, preparing a structure or a short script will help you speak with more confidence.
The point is that the finished result should not sound forced. Explain the benefits of the product, but use the language you would normally use recommending something to someone else.
A clear proposition
In the first few seconds, the video needs to make clear what problem it addresses or what product is being shown. An introduction that runs too long will lose the viewer before you reach the part that matters.
For example, instead of opening with a general explanation about a face cream, you can set up a specific situation:
"If your skin feels tight after cleansing, this is the routine I have been trying."
That line places the viewer and tells them why they should keep watching.
Attention on the product
Your personality matters, but the product or service belongs at the centre of the video. Explain what it is, how it is used, who it helps and what your experience with it was.
There is no need to exaggerate results or present an opinion you do not actually hold. Trust evaporates the moment the content reads as an obvious sell.
Solid technical quality
A UGC video can be simple in style, but it has to look and sound good. A dark image, noisy audio or a careless frame can get your content rejected even when the idea behind it is strong.
Natural and well made are not opposites. You can film at home and keep the style close while still taking care of light, sound, stability and editing.
12 tips for starting out as a UGC creator
1. Get familiar with the format
Before you offer your services, watch how products are presented on TikTok, Instagram Reels and other short-video platforms. Study the first few seconds, the pacing, the way people speak, the shots they use and the kind of call to action.
This is not about copying other creators. The idea is to understand what techniques they use and find the style that suits you.
You can also read our guide on what user generated content is to understand the concept and how brands apply it.
2. Put together a simple but sufficient kit
To get started you usually do not need a professional camera. A smartphone with a good camera gives perfectly adequate results if you film somewhere well lit and pay attention to composition.
These accessories help:
a tripod to keep the phone steady;
a light, especially if you film indoors;
a lavalier microphone to improve the audio;
a tidy surface or background;
a power bank if you film away from home.
You will find more ideas in this guide to UGC creator equipment.
You do not have to buy everything on day one. Start with what you already own, work out what is actually limiting the quality of your videos, and buy gradually.
The background depends on the kind of content too. For beauty, food or technology it helps to have a fixed, clean, recognisable space. If you want to make content about travel or local experiences, it makes more sense to film in the setting itself.
3. Practise how you speak on camera
How you talk can matter as much as the product you are showing. A UGC creator needs to explain ideas clearly, inspire confidence and keep a natural tone.
Feeling awkward at first is completely normal. Practise by filming yourself with products you already have at home, then reviewing:
whether you speak too fast;
whether your sentences run too long;
whether you look at the camera;
whether the main benefit comes across;
whether your tone sounds natural;
whether the opening actually catches attention.
A simple exercise is to explain the same product three different ways — as a review, as a tutorial and as a problem-and-solution video. That will show you which format suits how you communicate.
You can also ask someone you trust to watch your videos and tell you what they understood, which part interested them most and where they stopped paying attention.
4. Learn to write short scripts
A UGC script does not need to be a sales letter. Its job is to help you organise the message and stop you forgetting the important parts.
A simple structure might be:
Present the problem, or catch attention.
Introduce the product or service.
Explain how it is used.
Show a feature or a benefit.
Share a specific experience.
Close with a call to action, if the brand asks for one.
Imagine you are making a video for an organisation app. You could open by talking about how hard it is to keep track of tasks, show how the app works, and finish by showing what your schedule looks like afterwards.
Talk about concrete benefits, not just features. Saying a bottle has an airtight seal is not the same as showing that you can throw it in a backpack without worrying about leaks.
5. Improve your editing
You do not need cinematic editing to work as a UGC creator, but you do need to deliver a clean, well-paced video.
At a minimum, you should be able to:
cut mistakes and silences;
order the clips;
add subtitles;
balance the volume;
add music where appropriate;
use transitions sparingly;
format for vertical;
export at a suitable quality.
You can practise with tools like Canva or CapCut. There are other editing apps too, but what matters is knowing one well enough to work quickly in it.
Subtitles are particularly useful because so many people watch without sound. Even so, always check the text before delivering: automatic errors can change the meaning of a sentence.
6. Choose one or two niches
You can make content for very different sectors, but specialising early helps you build a more coherent portfolio and present yourself more clearly to brands.
Common niches include:
beauty and make-up;
fashion;
cooking and food;
fitness and wellbeing;
technology;
apps and digital services;
books;
travel;
hotels and restaurants;
home and interiors.
You do not have to stay in one category forever. But if your portfolio mixes make-up, computer hardware, recipes and hotels with no connection between them, a brand will struggle to understand what you specialise in.
You can combine sectors that share a similar audience. Beauty and wellbeing fit together well, as do travel and local experiences. What matters is that your selection looks deliberate.
7. Decide who you are talking to
Beyond the niche, think about the kind of audience you know how to address. A sportswear brand might need a creator who connects with people training at home, while a business app might want a more professional tone.
Ask yourself:
What kind of products do I genuinely use?
What experiences can I describe naturally?
Which audience best understands how I communicate?
In which sectors could I bring credible experience?
What kind of video do I enjoy filming?
These answers will help you pick better collaborations and create samples that make sense to the brands you want to attract.
8. Build a professional UGC portfolio
Your portfolio is one of the most important tools for winning work. A brand should be able to look through it quickly and understand what you can do.
Do not wait for clients to start. You can create sample videos with products you already have at home, as long as you make clear they are personal examples and not work commissioned by that brand.
Include a selection of your best pieces, not every video you have ever filmed. Five carefully made, varied pieces beat a portfolio padded with repetitive work that still needs improving.
Your portfolio can include:
a short introduction;
the sectors you work in;
examples of different formats;
a description of the services you offer;
your contact details;
testimonials, if you already have collaborations;
results, but only where you can evidence them;
information on timelines or terms, where relevant.
You can build it in Canva and share it as a link. You can also use a personal page or a professional profile on a UGC platform. We go through the whole process in our guide on how to build a UGC portfolio.
9. Build a professional presence on social media
You do not need thousands of followers to work as a UGC creator, but a well-kept presence makes it easier for brands to get a feel for your style.
Pick one main social network to begin with and publish a few examples of your work. TikTok and Instagram are the usual channels for short video, though the right choice depends on your niche and the clients you want to reach.
Use your profile to show:
how you present products;
what kind of shots you use;
which sectors interest you;
how you handle a review;
what your editing style is.
Your profile does not have to be an exact copy of your portfolio. It can work as a livelier sample of how you make content and how you come across on camera.
10. Find your first collaborations
Once you have a few examples, you can start approaching brands. One option is a short message explaining who you are, what kind of content you make and why you think you fit that particular company.
Personalise every approach. A brand responds far better when it is clear you know their product and are not sending the same message to hundreds of companies.
You can also create sample content and mention brands whose products you use, always without presenting that piece as a paid collaboration. If the video is good and fits the company's communication, it shows what you are capable of.
Local businesses — restaurants, wellness centres, hotels or shops in your city — can also be a good starting point. In those cases you can often film the experience on site.
Another route is a UGC platform. Huuk connects brands directly with UGC creators and lets you manage collaborations in one place. It is useful if you want to find opportunities while keeping direct contact with companies.
If a brand needs to run a campaign with several creators, define the strategy and delegate the coordination, it can turn to byCreators, our UGC agency, which helps companies create and manage content campaigns. For you, that is another route to work whenever an agency is looking for the right profiles for a project.
11. Learn how to present your rates
There is no universal rate for UGC creators. The price depends on your experience, the type of content, how complex the production is, the number of videos, the revisions and the usage rights the brand wants.
Starting out, it is normal to charge per piece or per package. That makes the work easier to calculate and gives the client a clear proposal.
Before quoting a price, check:
how many videos or photographs are needed;
how long each piece should be;
whether you have to appear on camera;
whether the brand sends the product;
who writes the script;
how many revisions are included;
where the content will be published;
how long it can be used for;
whether it will run in paid advertising;
when payment will be made.
Usage rights deserve particular attention. Making a video for a brand to post organically on its profile is not the same as authorising its use in ads for a fixed period. Those terms affect the fee and must be agreed before you start.
You can read our guide on how much a UGC creator earns to understand the factors that drive prices and rates.
You do not have to work for free to gain experience. If you accept a collaboration at an entry-level rate, make sure the scope, the deadlines and the usage of the content are clear. A good working relationship can bring testimonials and new portfolio pieces, but those benefits do not automatically replace payment.
12. Stay organised and deliver what you agreed
Creativity matters, but brands also need to work with organised people. Replying on time, respecting a brief and delivering files correctly can be the difference between one job and a steady stream of them.
Before starting a collaboration, try to get the following in writing:
the content you will deliver;
the format and length;
the schedule;
the materials the brand will provide;
the number of revisions;
the price;
the usage rights;
the publishing terms;
the payment date or method.
Do not accept instructions you do not understand. If the brief does not explain the audience, the main message or the purpose of the video, ask before filming. Clearing up a question at the start is far easier than reshooting everything afterwards.
How do you make a UGC video that works for a brand?
A good video does not have to look like a traditional advertising production, but it does have to answer a purpose. Before filming, think about what the brand wants that piece to achieve.
They might need to:
introduce a new product;
explain how it is used;
show an experience;
overcome an objection;
drive more visits;
generate sales;
produce a piece for advertising.
Once you know the objective, choosing the tone, the shots and the structure becomes much easier.
A video for social media might open with a question or an everyday situation. A video for an ad campaign might need a more direct proposition and a clear call to action. A tutorial will need more demonstration and less personal opinion.
In every case, aim for the viewer to grasp quickly what is being shown, why it might matter to them and what they should do next.
Do you need a lot of followers?
No. Follower count is not the main criterion for hiring a UGC creator when the brand simply needs content to use on its own channels.
What does matter is your ability to:
appear naturally on camera;
make clear videos;
follow a brief;
inspire confidence;
understand the target audience;
deliver on time;
adapt to different formats.
If you also have an active community, you can offer services related to publishing on your own profile. At that point we are talking about additional reach, which should be priced separately from content creation.
Is it worth building a personal brand?
Building a personal brand is not a requirement for working as a UGC creator. You can concentrate on producing content for brands and charging per piece, without building a large audience of your own.
That said, keeping a professional channel can open other doors. Over time you can publish content about your niche, develop a community and consider collaborations on your own profile, affiliate arrangements or other ways of earning.
Do not mix these activities without being clear about what you are offering. Creating content for a brand, publishing sponsored posts on your profile and affiliate marketing are different services, with different objectives and different terms.
If you decide to grow on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, start with one main channel. Every network has its own formats and dynamics, so concentrating at first lets you practise more consistently.
