it’s time to turn your passion to profit

WHAT

you’ll create

WHAT IS A UGC CREATOR

UGC CHECKLIST

HOW TO START UGC

MONETISE SOCIAL MEDIA

ESTABLISH PERSONAL BRAND

PITCHING BRANDS

PITCH TEMPLATES

CONTENT EXAMPLES

CLIENT PROCESS

CONTENT HOOKS

CREATE A PORTFOLIO

CREATE AN INVOICE

EMAIL SIGNATURE

CONTRACT TEMPLATE

RATES CARD

What is ugc

UGC stands for user generated content which essentially means organic content created by consumers, users, everyday people.

Brands pay NORMAL people like you and me, BIG money just to produce authentic and relatable content using their unique products.

The great thing about UGC is that it can come in any form of content, such as images, videos, text, testimonials and audio. The UGC community isn’t over saturated and there are tons of opportunities to secure clients with lots of industries to work in.

The reason big brands have been utilising UGC creators is to sky rocket their sales and build brand trust with their audience!

The brands use your organic content on their websites,

social media and in ad campaigns.

There’s UGC in absolutely everything you do in your day to day life. The earning potential is endless!

Theres multiple things you can charge separate fees for when securing a UGC brand partnership e.g content deliverables, hook variations, package deals, usage rights, exclusivity, whitelisting and more which we’ll be covering in this guide.

Ugc checklist

How to start ugc

Follow these simple steps to begin your ugc content creation journey today

You’ll need your phone, a tripod and good lighting. You can start creating content for your portfolio + social media by using products you have at home and use in your daily life.

Step 1 → Determine your niche and audience: Before you can monetise your content, you need to figure out what type of content you want to create and who your target audience is. Once you have a clear understanding of your niche, you can tailor your content to your audience’s interests and preferences.

Step 2 → Build your personal brand: Your personal brand is what sets you apart from other content creators. Your brand should reflect your values, personality + the type of content you create. You can build your brand by creating a consistent visual style, using a unique tone of voice + engaging with your audience.

Step 3 → Optimize your bio: Your bio is an essential part of your social media. It should clearly communicate who you are, what you do, and what you offer. Use keywords and that are relevant to your niche and include links to your website and other social media profiles.

Step 4 → Create a portfolio: A portfolio is a collection of your best work that showcases your skills and abilities as a content creator. It can include photos, videos, blog posts, and other types of content that demonstrate your expertise in your niche. You can use your portfolio to pitch to clients and secure paid partnerships.

Step 5 → Secure clients and partnerships: Once you have built your personal brand and created a portfolio, you can start reaching out to potential clients and pitching your services. You can also use social media platforms to find paid partnership opportunities and sponsorships.

Monetising your social media platform as a UGC creator takes time, effort and dedication.

By following these steps, you can build a strong personal brand, portfolio + secure paid partnerships to turn your passion into a profession.

Establish personal brand

You’ll want to determine a clear aesthetic that is uniform across all of your social media accounts.

You can use other creators social media page’s as inspiration or Pinterest + Google.

Optimise your bio’s in all of your social media accounts utilising search engine optimisation (SEO) to display who you are, what you are and where you are for your clients + audience to know what they can expect from you.

Ensure your social media accounts are set to

Public + Digital Creator.

Start to post more consistently and utilise the relevant hashtags when posting. Study your top performing videos to repeat that same strategy. Use trending audios and clear fonts on all your content.

Do your research! Study the highest performing TikTok and Instagram videos, brands and ads that utilise UGC creators so you can take inspiration from that and incorporate it into your own style.

Post a variation of content, remember trial and error.

If your still figuring out what content works best for you try to post short form, long form, chatty hauls, capcut templates, voiceovers, lifestyle vlogs, skincare routines and so on until you find the content you are comfortable with creating effortlessly.

MONETISE YOUR SOCIALS

APPS YOU’ll need

SOSQUARED

WYSPR

FIVERR

UPWORK

BRANDHEREOS

BRANDBASSADOR

PINGFLUENCE

INVYTED

CANVA

CAPCUT

ADOBE

LIGHTROOM

DOCUSIGN

WETRANSFER

PITCHING BRANDS

The most important thing to remember when pitching to a new client is to DO YOUR RESEARCH!

Create a vision board or a brand checklist to help

you visualise what brands you want to work with and the type of content you want to produce.

Your pitch must be unique to the brand, instead of telling the brand ‘i love your products’ try to focus on communicating what value you can provide the brand.

Do you have content examples or a campaign concept to suggest? Are you willing to make a vision board to help the brand visualise the content you’re capable of producing for them?

If you want to make more money as a UGC creator, you'll need to know where's the bank.

Once you know that, you'll need to adapt your strategy to help you achieve your goal. Your strategy should reflect in the gig you're gonna accept, the brand you're gonna pitch to, the type of video you're gonna put in your portfolio & share across social media.

First you’ll want to create a short and effective pitch template to send to brands via DM on social media this is where you can obtain the marketing email to send your main pitch to.

Use a strong subject line and a call to action (CTA) at the end, for example;

• i’d like to discuss this opportunity with your marketing team
  
• I’d love to discuss your budget for UGC creators
  

PITCHing strategy

1. Strong subject line - Treat your subject line like your HOOK
2. Unique + Personalised email - Do your research!
3. Keep it SHORT - One to three paragraphs tops!
4. Share creative and specific ugc concepts - Showcase that you're ready to create winning content for the brand that their consumers will love!
5. Attach your portfolio that showcases your skill set as a content creator or content examples that resonate with the brand
6. Always add a CTA & link to book a call, or link to an onboarding form
7. Portfolio & socials linked in signature
8. Well organized portfolio, optimized for success, minimal words & not overwhelming
9. Client Reviews - This will strengthen your validity as a content creator
10. Offer a service they cant resist / they'd Regret passing up
    

PITCh exampleS

SKINCARE

As a loyal customer and fan of your products [name] I wanted to pitch an idea for a user-generated content campaign.

I believe that your skincare line has truly transformed my skin and I want to share my experience with others.

My idea is to encourage your customers to share their before and after photos using your products, along with a brief testimonial about their experience. This will not only showcase the effectiveness of your products but also create a community of happy and satisfied customers.

To sweeten the deal, you could offer a discount code or a chance to be featured on your social media platforms for those who participate. I believe this campaign will not only increase brand awareness but also create a sense of trust and loyalty among your customers.

Thank you for considering my idea.

I look forward to hearing what you think.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

HAIRCARE

I am a loyal customer and fan of your products, and I am writing to pitch an idea for a user-generated content campaign. As someone who values my hair and its health, I believe that your brand has the potential to inspire and engage a community of hair enthusiasts like myself.

My idea is to create a social media campaign that encourages customers to share their hair journeys and experiences using your products. This could include before-and-after photos, testimonials, and tips for achieving healthy, beautiful hair.

By showcasing real people and their hair transformations, we can build a sense of community and empower others to feel confident and beautiful in their own hair.

I believe that this campaign would not only generate buzz and engagement for your brand, but also foster a positive and inclusive community centered around hair care. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and potentially collaborating on this exciting project.

Thank you for considering my pitch.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

SPORTSWEAR

I am a passionate athlete and an avid fan of your products. I would like to pitch a user-generated content idea that I believe will showcase the functionality and style of your sportswear.

My idea is to create a social media campaign that encourages customers to share photos and videos of themselves wearing your products during their workouts or sports activities. We will use the hashtag [#YourBrandNameHere] to curate the content and showcase it on your social media platforms.

This user-generated content campaign will not only showcase the durability and functionality of your products, but also the diverse range of athletes who wear them. It will also create a sense of community among your customers and encourage them to engage with your brand on social media.

I believe this campaign will be a great opportunity for your brand to connect with your customers and strengthen your relationship with them. I am excited about the possibility of working with you on this project and can't wait to see the amazing content that your customers will create.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Ugc Content examples

lifestyle vlog content of you cooking a meal or baking a cake

showcasing products such as ingredients, equipment or utensils.

organic content of you carrying out your skincare or haircare routine with a voiceover or onscreen captions highlighting the benefits of the products you used in your routine.

produce fitness content where you can incorporate fashion into your routine whether it’s:

• outfit of the gym day
  
• get ready with me to work out
• my yoga routine
• lets go for a run
• my go to winter athletic gear
• skiing fits you need

wellness vlog style content where you show a behind the scenes of your day, getting personal with sharing products you use to boost your health and wellbeing

long form content of you at home building a piece of furniture or decorating a section of your home promoting for example the paint you used, lighting you fitted, wardrobe you built etc

Ugc Content hooks

A hook is a way you’re going to grab your audiences attention in the first second which will determine the reach and performance of your content.

Hooks come in many creative forms thankfully! An onscreen hook present constantly has proven to be very effective.

ONSCREEN CAPTION HOOKS

Any writing that appears on the video content in the first few seconds.

Successful onscreen hook examples:

- So you want __ but don’t want __

- Throw out your old __

- Stop ___ and start doing this instead

- I thought the perfect __ didn’t exist until I found __

- Come with me to __

- If you love __ listen up

- I wish I knew this sooner

MOTION HOOKS

A motion hook can be any form of movement at the beginning of your content.

Whether you are holding the phone in your hand and start the video with a sudden movement toward your face or you’re using a tripod you can pop in and out of frame to catch your audience’s attention.

Throwing or catching an item also works! Remember to get creative, you can use other content creators for inspiration but always be authentic and add your own personal touch!

AUDIO HOOKS

You can utilise trending audios across your social media platforms, make a chatty style vlog, use text to

speech captions or even do a voice over. There are so many ways to have fun creating an audio hook to improve your content performance!

VISUAL HOOKS

My favourite! This one is so versatile as there are many things that can be visually appealing to retain attention in your audience or the audience of your clients consumers. Examples of a visual hook range from an aesthetic product shot, 3x zoom close ups, an organic shot of you trying a product etc

Now I’m not saying use all these four hooks at once or constantly or boringly!

Get creative and pick the hook combo’s that work for you

Try and test which hooks and styles of content perform best for you and repeat that process!

create a portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of your best work that showcases your skills and abilities as a content creator. It can include photos, videos, blog posts, and other types of content that demonstrate your expertise in your niche. You can outline your rates and services along with client testimonials and categorised content examples.

You can use your portfolio to pitch to clients, upload to UGC platforms and secure paid partnerships.

STEP BY STEP

Inside your Portfolio

When outlining the services you provide, make sure to be specific and provide examples.

For instance, if you offer unboxing videos provide your top performing relevant content as evidence.

When showcasing your UGC content examples, choose your best work and provide a variety of content.

This will give potential clients an idea of your content style, versatility and what you're capable of creating.

When it comes to pricing, provide clear rates for each service you offer. You can also offer package deals for clients who need multiple services.

Make sure to outline your usage rights, so clients know how they can use the content you create for certain periods of time at a set rate / % of your base rate.

Additionally, offering monthly retainers can provide clients with ongoing content creation and ensure a steady income for you.

Once you’re done creating your UGC creator portfolio in Canva it can be a powerful tool for attracting clients. By following these steps and including the right information, you can create a professional looking portfolio that showcases your skills and expertise.

Product photography

Whatever you do DO NOT mistake product photography for UGC photographic content!

If you want to add this as a skill on your portfolio and promote this as a service you provide then outline it clearly on your portfolio, they are different yet effective styles of content.

UGC TERMS TO KNOW

BATCH CREATE

Batch creating is when you spend a little time out, for one or two days creating a ton of content. This can be visuals and written content for all of your social media platforms.

This is extremely underrated, once you start to batch create your content and organise your camera roll, content creating becomes more effortless.

Batch creating is amazing for productivity, consistency, time management and work flow.

B ROLL

Everything is content! Record little snippets of your day to day life and store it all in a B-Roll folder so you can easily access it when editing. You can use parts of the same content in multiple ways! Try viral trends, study the top performing TikTok and Instagram videos, use CapCut templates!

If you’re new to content creating and you still find editing to be tedious then CapCut will be your bestie!

RAW FOOTAGE

You can easily adapt any unedited or unused footage from previous posts and previous partnerships to any audio on social media. As long as your content provides value to your audience and you’re using visual and verbal hooks to grab their attention and keep them coming back for more.

REPURPOSE CONTENT

This can be a quick way to get in on a trend or new trending sound.

It also helps expand that contents reach if it didn’t perform well the first time, you can fiddle around with hooks & CTA’s to see what performs best. By repurposing your content, you’re able to reach new audiences who might prefer consuming content in a different format or on a different platform. The goal of content repurposing is to make the most of your existing content and give it a second life, while keeping your branding consistent across all of your channels.

EXCLUSIVITY RIGHTS

This is when the brand imposes a timeframe where you are unable to work with any other competing brand.

Do not miss this in a contract or brief as it may result in loss of potential earnings and future deals with other clients.

PERPETUITY RIGHTS

This grants the brand rights to use your content forever. To use in ad campaigns, on their website and social media platforms.

Whether they have purchased one UGC concept or raw footage they will be able to repurpose your content in many ways.

I recommend charging 100-200% of your base rate for this service as the brand will be constantly earning.

USAGE RIGHTS

This allows the brand to use your content for paid advertising purposes.

You can charge 20% for up to 3 months

40% for up to 6 months and so on.

You can easily turn a £200 deal onto a £600 one by offering your client content usage rights.

create a signature

create an invoice

create a rates card

Once you have determined your rates and the services you will provide, it’s time to create your rates card. This will be a separate document to your portfolio which you can link to your social media accounts or send to clients when you are pitching inbound or outbound partnerships.

USAGE RIGHTS

CONTENT PACKAGES

AD TESTER PACKAGES

RAW FOOTAGE

EXTRA HOOKS / CTA

PERPETUAL USAGE RIGHTS

EXCLUSIVITY

WHITELISTING

MONTHLY RETAINER

Full details on the services and how much you can charge see page ‘EARN MORE FROM ONE DEAL’

You can create your rates card in Canva as well!

Use the same colours you used in your portfolio to be consistent with your brand aesthetic.

Include an image of yourself if you want, pick the fonts and play around with the layout. Make sure it is easily readable and clearly displays necessary information such as your name, rates, services, job title and more.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF MY RATES CARD

your contract template

from gifted to paid

If you are just starting out as a UGC creator then I would suggest accepting some gifted collaborations to boost your experience and enhance your portfolio.

Not only will it let you find your footing, you’ll be more comfortable conversing with clients/ brands + you’ll work on your content creation skills + it will help you to improve your content quality.

If you are ready to start earning and you have already figured out your rates, packages and services.

Its time to create your rates card! This can be added to your portfolio and/ or saved as a separate document to send to clients when negotiating fees.

⬇️ RESPONSE ⬇️

Thankyou for reaching out to me!

I would love the opportunity to collaborate with your brand and discuss your budget for this campaign!

Unfortunately I don’t have the capacity to accept gifted collaborations at the moment, however since I love your products, I would be willing to reduce my standard rates to collaborate on something that is mutually beneficial.

Are you open to hearing my discounted rate?

I’m really looking forward to the potential of working together!

( your name )

Once the brand responds to your email you will have an idea whether they are interested in working with you further and what their budget is for ugc creators.

Now is when you negotiate your ‘discounted rates’ and where you can upsell.

Tip : try offering an ad tester package so the client can get more out of working with you.

Example of an ad tester package;

1 Body, 3 Hooks, 2 CTA’s

This will allow the brand’s marketing team to use your content multiple times in variation and see which content combinations perform best.

process with A client

So you secured your first client and you’re about to produce your first ever organic UGC concept! YAY YOU

Here’s how you can have a successful partnership ↓

If you haven’t already, study the brands aesthetic, their social media, the content they use on their websites, the UGC concepts they utilise. You want to make sure you can create content that aligns with the brands.

Always request a campaign brief with the deliverables outlined for you, this is going to be your cheat sheet! The client will explain in detail what their vision is, what they expect and the do’s and dont’s.

e.g. minimal aesthetic backgrounds, use natural sunlight, no other brands on show, chatty vlog style etc.

Let the client know the expected turnaround time for your content to be completed. This will help you plan effectively and ensure your client isn’t having to wait for the service they have paid for. This also helps you build trust with your client if you wish to work with them on future campaigns.

Review the contract before you start, Once your content is created you will need to review your content, re-read the brief to double check your content aligns with the campaign deliverables. Pay attention to terms like budget, usage rights, organic ads, invoice, perpetuity. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions if you don’t understand something, or turn to Google to do some extra research!

Record extra raw footage, this will enable you to upsell to the client, they may want to create a variation of content themselves with your unedited footage. This raises your potential earnings.

Watermark your content and send it in for approval, if you send your content in earlier than the agreed date this will allow the client to provide feedback if and when needed.

Tip: create your own invoice template on Canva and add a late payment fee clause for all clients. Whether you decide to charge per day or per 7 days it’s up to you.

e.g payment to be made within 7 days of invoice being issued, you can charge a daily late payment fee of 10%.

HERE IS MY EXACT PROCESS THAT I

INCLUDED ON MY PORTFOLIO

After you pitch to a brand and discuss content deliverables, campaign goals, launch dates and negotiate rates; you can start to curate your UGC concept. If you choose to include a content turnaround / delivery time on your portfolio you can do so, often you may agree on a date or timeframe with the client.

Earn more from one deal

Once you have calculated your rates for one UGC concept, you will be able to offer more services to your client that can allow you to earn more.

Services + how much you can charge

USAGE RIGHTS

3-6 months = 20% of base rate

1 year = 70% of base rate

PACKAGES

Multiple videos / variation on of photographic and video graphic content

3 Videos + 3 Photos = £750

AD TESTERS

1 Body, 3 Hooks, 3 CTA’s = £600

This will allow the brand to create a variation of content with your b-roll footage as ads and see what performs best.

RAW FOOTAGE

You can charge up to 30% of your base rate for your raw-unedited footage.

e.g you’ve agreed to create 3 videos for the brand for £600, you can offer them all the raw footage for £180.

EXTRA HOOKS + CTA

You can charge £50 per extra Hook or CTA the brand requests or you offer.

PERPETUAL USAGE RIGHTS

This means the client will have usage rights over your content forever.

You can charge 100% of your base rate for this.

e.g you charge £200 for one video, you can charge £200 ontop if the brand wishes to use your content in their ad campaigns forever.

WHITELISTING

40% of base rate

This is when the client wants you to launch paid advertising campaigns through your account. They require you to post the content on your own account and promote the ad through paid ad services from your page, using your handle instead of their own.

MONTHLY RETAINER

You can decide your rates for a monthly retainer while factoring in all the services mentioned above.

If the brand requests 3 UGC concepts with whitelisting, usage rights and wants some raw footage you can create a package price for them.

e.g. you charge £200 per ugc concept

3 = £600

Whitelisting 40% = £240

Usage rights 20% = £120

Raw footage 30% = £180

Discounted rate = £1000

You can offer them a discounted rate to build a trusting relationship between yourself and your client.

This is how you can secure long term partnerships and monthly retainers.

on completing this UGC Guide

By now, you should have a solid understanding of what UGC is, how it works, and how you can create high-quality content that resonates with your audience.

You will have started your portfolio, established your personal brand and be working on your pitch!

But what's next? How can you make money from your content and turn your platform into a profitable venture?

Monetising your UGC platform can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. There are various ways to earn money from your content creation, such as sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, merchandise sales, and more.

Each method has its unique pros and cons, and it's up to you to decide which one(s) fit your platform and audience best.

Before you start monetising your platform, though, it's essential to remember that the quality of your content should always come first.

Your audience trusts you to provide them with valuable, engaging, and authentic content, and that should never be compromised.

By staying true to your personal brand and creating content that resonates with your audience, you'll be well on your way to building a successful and profitable UGC platform.