Become a UGC Creator: From Start to Monetization

What is UGC (User-Generated-Content)?

UGC, short for User-Generated Content, refers to any form of content, be it videos, photos, reviews, or blogs, created by users rather than brands or companies. This content stands out for its genuine, relatable, and organic nature. Such authentic storytelling by everyday individuals is proving to be more compelling than polished advertisements produced in corporate boardrooms. And if you’re wondering how to become a UGC Creator, you’re in the right place.

When I started my content creation journey in 2017, UGC wasn’t a newfound concept. In fact, it’s been a form of marketing and a style of content for years. On platforms like Instagram, creators like you and me were already sharing candid thoughts, reviews, and snippets of our lives. Sometimes, a brand might’ve given us a nod, asking permission to share our content, but back then, monetizing from UGC wasn’t widely talked about – in fact most of the creator economy was gate-kept but that’s a story for another day.

Fast forward to now, and the landscape has dramatically shifted. Thanks to platforms like TikTok, UGC has become much more mainstream. It’s more than just the side hustle of the moment, it can be your gateway into the Creator Economy. And if you are wondering how to become a UGC Creator, keep reading.

Before You Become a UGC Creator Here’s a A Reality Check

You’ve likely stumbled upon a TikTok video bragging, “I made $3k in 3 minutes from UGC.” These videos can paint a rosy picture of the UGC world, making it seem almost effortless. But before you dive headfirst into this realm, here’s the unfiltered truth. UGC can be a goldmine, but striking gold isn’t guaranteed. For some, real income might take months, especially if you’re fresh to content creation. UGC for ads requires another level of marketing competence. If your content doesn’t drive sales, repeat collaborations might be scarce. But remember, while UGC might seem straightforward, a lot of strategies and research anchor those posts. So, don’t lose faith. Invest time in mastering content and platform best practices, and understanding the differences between organic and paid media.

1. Beyond the Aesthetics: Crafting UGC isn’t just about nailing the visuals. It requires a deeper understanding of creative strategy, the nuances of market research, and the differences between paid and organic content. And at its heart? A solid grasp of storytelling.

2. Patience and Perspective: Success isn’t always instant. When you see creators boasting about earning staggering amounts in a flash, it’s essential to put on your blinders. Focus on honing your skills, understanding direct response marketing, and grasping the core principles of compelling UGC.

4. Standing Out Amidst the Crowd: Some step into the UGC realm, believing it’s easier than becoming an influencer. But here’s the plot twist: both demand dedication. Whether you aim to be an influencer or a UGC creator, two weeks of effort won’t suffice. You have to put in the work, you must study your craft, and show up. That’s how you stand out.

5. From My Own Playbook: Within just three months of venturing into UGC, I secured a lucrative retainer partnership. This wasn’t sheer coincidence. It stemmed from my consistent showcasing of skills and engagement strategies on platforms like TikTok and Twitter. The partnership was a result of an inbound inquiry — they had discovered and appreciated my content. Takeaway? Consistently share your work across multiple platforms and engage authentically. Your next big opportunity might just be a post away.

In essence, UGC offers immense potential, but it’s no walk in the park. Equip yourself with knowledge, consistency, and patience, and the results might just surprise you.

Understanding the Foundations of UGC

If you still have the drive to become a UGC Creator after that reality check, let’s dive deeper. It’s time to truly understand what UGC is all about and why it’s so appealing to both creators and brands alike.

Authenticity is the backbone of UGC. In a digital era filled with airbrushed images and rehearsed scripts, raw and genuine content resonates deeply with audiences. The power of seeing real people share their real experiences, whether it’s a product review or a day in their life, adds a layer of trust and relatability that polished advertisements often fail to achieve.

Why Brands Are Chasing UGC Creators

The Undeniable Magnetism of Raw, Real Content: Today’s consumers are smart AF. They can often see through scripted ads and can tell when they’re being marketed to. This is where UGC shines. It offers an unfiltered, candid look into real-life experiences with products and services. Brands recognize that this authenticity can influence potential buyers more effectively than traditional advertising.

Central to UGC is the USER. Brands collaborate with creators specifically to channel the persona of their target demographic, making the content resonate more deeply with the intended audience.

Cost-effectiveness for Brands: Traditional advertisements can be pricey. There’s the cost of production, hiring professionals, and then the media buying expenses. UGC, on the other hand, is not just more authentic but also more cost-effective. Brands often collaborate with creators, offering them products, services, or compensation in exchange for content. This method not only saves money but also provides a diverse range of content from various perspectives.

Direct Response: The Lifeline of Impactful UGC

At its core, Direct Response is a marketing method designed to evoke an immediate response and compel potential customers to take some specific action, such as subscribing to a newsletter, making a purchase, or participating in a webinar. In the world of UGC, this is the magic that transforms mere content into a powerful tool. It shifts the narrative from simply being about a product or a service to a story that relates to the audience’s needs and desires, making them react. If you want to become a UGC creator, take the time to understand direct response and all that it offers.

The Personal Touch: Humanizing Brands Through Direct Response in UGC

One of the most potent aspects of UGC is its human element. These aren’t faceless corporations speaking; they’re real people sharing genuine experiences. Direct Response capitalizes on this authenticity. By crafting UGC that touches on personal experiences, resonates with common challenges, or evokes shared dreams and aspirations, creators can foster a deeper connection with their audience. This connection becomes the foundation upon which compelling calls to action are built.

Real Stories, Real Impact: The Unique Power of Direct Response in UGC

When someone shares their personal experience with a product or service in UGC, it’s more than just an endorsement; it’s a testimonial. It’s a real-life demonstration of the product’s impact. This tangible evidence, combined with a well-placed Direct Response strategy, becomes a compelling force. It’s not about making viewers buy a product; it’s about offering a solution to a problem they can relate to. And when they see someone they can resonate with finding value in that solution, they’re much more inclined to take action.

The Direct Response Toolkit for UGC Creators

To effectively harness the power of Direct Response in UGC, creators need to:

• Know Their Audience: Understanding their pain points, dreams, and desires provides a roadmap for tailoring content that resonates. For UGC creators collaborating with brands, it’s essential to merge this understanding with the brand’s objectives. This involves thorough research and often, working with the brand to ensure alignment. The ultimate goal? Crafting content that speaks directly to the USER the brand aims to captivate, making the message potent and engaging
• Use Tried and True Formulas: Effective content creation often leans on established formulas that guide the audience through a specific journey. Here are a few time-tested formulas, along with their primary objectives:
  • AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action): This classic formula aims to first capture the audience’s attention, cultivate their interest, stir a desire, and then compel them to take a specific action. Whether it’s making a purchase, signing up, or sharing the content, AIDA is about moving the audience through these stages seamlessly.
  • PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solve): This method begins by identifying a problem the audience resonates with, then intensifying or ‘agitating’ that problem to evoke stronger emotions. The climax involves presenting a solution, ideally in the form of the product or service being promoted. This formula is especially effective when the goal is to position a product as a must-have solution.
  • 4 P’s (Promise, Picture, Proof, Push): Start with a compelling promise to your audience, something that addresses their core desire or pain point. Paint a vivid picture of how life could be if that promise were fulfilled. Offer proof—this could be in the form of testimonials, reviews, or data—and finally, give them a gentle ‘push’ towards taking the desired action
• Measure and Iterate: Perfecting Your UGC Strategy: Begin by testing UGC concepts organically on your personal feed to gauge audience engagement. When collaborating with brands, request the campaign’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate and refine your content’s effectiveness. Remember, while UGC crafted for paid campaigns aims directly for conversion, organic content thrives on genuine connection and storytelling. Always adapt your strategy based on these insights and feedback.

To Niche or Not?

Do you need to niche down in order to become a UGC Creator? UGC is versatile and can span various industries. While I’ve crafted content for diverse sectors like tech, motherhood, beauty, and skincare, the content I showcase on my platforms embodies specific, niched perspectives, always bearing a particular audience in mind.

My portfolio showcases the variety of content I can create across industries. But here’s an insight: in the initial six months when I zoomed in on UGC, I primarily centered on the beauty and skincare sector. This focus not only built a vast repository of content in that niche but also made it easier to book collaborations and retainers with brands in the beauty and skincare world.

Pros of Niching Down:

1. Distinct Identity: By concentrating on a specific niche, you become a recognized voice in that domain, making it easier for brands related to that niche to identify and approach you.
2. Expertise Development: Focusing on one area allows you to refine your knowledge, making your content more insightful and authoritative.
3. Targeted Audience: With a specific niche, your audience knows what to expect, fostering stronger community ties and more engaged followers.

Cons of Niching Down:

1. Potential Limitation: Restricting yourself to a single niche might limit the range of brands that might approach you for collaboration.
2. Burnout Risk: Creating the same topic repeatedly can lead to content fatigue.
3. Market Saturation: Some niches might have an overwhelming number of creators, making it challenging to stand out. – but this isn’t an issue if you are consistent.

Showcase Your Best: Setting Up a Portfolio That Attracts Brands

To become a UGC Creator, you need a portfolio. This is your brand’s storefront, and just as any shop would display its finest products in the window, you too must curate your content meticulously.

1. Diverse Displays: Incorporate a rich variety of content, demonstrating your versatility. This could include greenscreens, mini-vlogs, product demonstrations, unboxing videos, ASMR content, skits, and more. Show both organic and paid media, making it clear you can handle varied UGC requests.
2. Quality over Quantity: Prioritize showcasing your top-notch content. It’s crucial that each piece encapsulates your creativity, skill, and authenticity.
3. Testimonials & Metrics: Highlight past collaborations by displaying testimonials and emphasizing metrics like engagement rate, reach, and conversion. This provides evidence of your content’s impact and your collaboration value.

Logistics: Tools for Building Your Portfolio

When setting up the technical side of your portfolio, here are some best practices:

1. Hosting Platforms: For video content, platforms like Vimeo and YouTube are ideal. They offer reliable streaming, ensuring brands can view your content seamlessly.
2. Design and Layout: Canva is a fantastic tool for creating your portfolio. Canva offers both versatility and user-friendliness. My friend Laura creates canva portfolio templates which includes a tutorial on how to customize it for your needs. You can snag yours here.
3. Building Your Portfolio Site: Platforms like carrd.co allow you to set up a sleek, navigable portfolio. This ensures brands can easily explore your content, getting a clear sense of your style and expertise. I use Showit- which is a drag and drop website builder.
4. Easy Accessibility: Organize your portfolio logically, with clear categories or sections, making it straightforward for brands to locate relevant pieces and gauge your strengths.

Your portfolio is the bridge connecting you with potential brand collaborations. Make sure it reflects not just your skills but also your passion and dedication to the craft of content creation.

Monetizing Your Content: Collaboration & More

Setting the Right Price

Navigating the financial aspect of UGC can be daunting, especially when you’re just starting out. Pricing your work is an art that strikes a balance between valuing your skills and understanding market dynamics.

Many newbies fall into the trap of pricing too low. Remember, your unique voice, creativity, and effort have tangible value. In order to become a UGC Creator who’s securing the bag, you’ll want to understand the nuances at play.

Factors Influencing UGC Rates:

1. Usage Type (Organic vs. Paid): Organic content, which flows naturally in your feed, generally requires less scripting and direct response marketing strategy than paid advertisements. As a result, you might price these types of content differently. For instance, when I started, I charged $150 for organic content. Today, depending on the specific requirements and intricacies, my rate ranges from $447 to $747 per video. Meanwhile, for paid media with two hooks and usage rights, the rate is even higher.
2. Usage Rights: This is a significant topic for creators. The more rights a brand wants over your content (like reusing it in ads or on different platforms), the higher the fee should be. A popular model some creators adopt is a percentage-based charge on their base fee for every month of paid media usage. So, if you’ve set your base rate at $547 and levy a 20% fee for 30-day usage, a brand would be billed $109 for every month they utilize your content in paid media.
3. Scope of Work: Consider the intricacies of the project. Will you be offering multiple hook variations? Is there an existing script, or are you drafting it? Does the content need to be resized for multiple platforms, like TikTok and Instagram? Complexity impacts pricing.
4. Content Details: Some content types may demand more effort or resources. For example, if a product requires intricate filming techniques or if you involve your family in the content, the rate might increase.
5. Your Expertise: Recognize and price for your skills. If you possess advanced editing abilities, understand videography nuances, or have mastered direct response marketing, these specialties can command a premium.

Winning Over Brands: Become Their Go-To UGC Creator

Alright, so you’ve got your content game on point, and your portfolio is looking sharp. Now, if you’re looking to monetize through brand collaborations and truly become a UGC creator, you’ve got two main strategies to consider: positioning and pitching. Both have their perks, but the real magic happens when you master the balance between the two. Let’s break it down:

Positioning: Ever look at a makeup palette and find that one shade everyone is absolutely raving about? That’s positioning. It’s the art of making your content pop, much like that irresistible shade, so that brands feel a magnetic pull towards you. Instead of constantly chasing opportunities, you’re crafting a compelling online presence that makes brands think, “We need that creator on our side.”

Why am I such a fan of positioning? Simply put, it lets me do what I adore most: creating stellar content. I can be in my creative groove without the grind of daily pitching.

Now, there’s a method to this magic. When I post on socials, I follow specific strategies to get on a brand’s radar. Keen to get those insider deets? Swing by this blog post where I spill the beans. With the right content strategy, you’re not just another face in the crowd – you’re the creator brands bookmark for their next big campaign.

Content Strategy is King: The game changer? Producing Content that not only vibes with your audience but is exactly what brands are scouting for. Brands are always on the hunt, and with the right content, you’re the treasure they’re after.

Leverage the Right Platforms: TikTok can showcase your adaptability and creativity, while Twitter is a space to engage in industry dialogues. Your content should serve as a beacon, attracting brands that frequent these platforms.

Hungry for more on positioning? Dive into my Profitable Posting Masterclass. I’ve spilled all the secrets that bagged me over $8k in brand deals.

With positioning, the narrative shifts. No longer are you in pursuit; brands spot your value and come knocking at your door.

Pitching: Unlike positioning, which is more passive and relies on attraction, pitching is proactive. It’s about identifying potential brand partners and presenting them with a compelling reason to collaborate.

Research is Key: Don’t just send a generic proposal to every brand. Understand their values, target audience, and current marketing strategies. Tailor your pitch to align with their vision.

Showcase Your Value: Highlight past successes, demonstrate your understanding of UGC and its power, and, most importantly, let them know how you can solve a specific problem for them or enhance their current strategies.

In essence, while positioning is about cultivating a magnetic aura that draws brands to you, pitching is about charting a clear path toward them and making a striking impression.

Sell the Solution: Remember, brands often look for solutions to specific challenges, whether it’s expanding their reach, tapping into a new demographic, or creating buzzworthy content. In your pitch, position yourself as the answer to a problem they might be facing.

Craft a Personal Connection: Brands receive tons of pitches. What will make yours stand out is a personal touch. Maybe you’ve been a loyal user of their product for years, or perhaps their brand ethos resonates with you on a personal level. Sharing these genuine connections can make all the difference.

In a nutshell, while positioning allows you to shine bright and get noticed, pitching is about illuminating precisely how your light can benefit a brand’s universe. Both strategies, when applied wisely, can open doors to lucrative brand collaborations.

Broadening Your Revenue Streams

As a creator, while User Generated Content (UGC) offers a fantastic entry point and lucrative opportunities, it’s essential to understand it’s just the tip of the monetization iceberg. Because let’s be honest, the goal isn’t to necessarily become a UGC Creator, but rather to monetize so we can live the way we want to.

To truly maximize your earning potential and ensure a steady flow of income, diversifying is the name of the game. Imagine having multiple channels of income that ensure you’re not solely reliant on one method. From direct platform monetization to offering exclusive content, there’s a world of possibilities awaiting you.

In the past, monetization opportunities were predominantly controlled by people with pre-established influence or those who could leverage their communities to drive sales. However, UGC has revolutionized this landscape, enabling anyone with a camera or phone and a compelling voice to participate and monetize their skills. This shift has resulted in a more inclusive and diverse creative ecosystem. Let’s break down these avenues…

Digital Products: Your expertise is your goldmine. The strategies, insights, or techniques you’ve mastered? They’re waiting to be packaged. Consider crafting e-books, downloadable templates, or even a mini-course. And here’s a pro tip: align these products with your personal brand and strength. If you’re a beauty creator, perhaps an e-book on “Eco-Friendly Beauty Hacks” might resonate. The goal? Offer value, stand out, and ensure that once set up, these products continue to generate income passively.

Platform Monetization: Direct monetization is now a staple on platforms like TikTok and Amazon. With initiatives like TikTok’s Creativity Beta Program, earnings can be based on video engagement. Amazon’s s shopping and affiliate tools, on the other hand, offer a chance to pocket commissions on promoted products.

In essence, while UGC lays the groundwork, a diversified approach ensures you’re optimizing every facet of your online presence.

The Practical Path Forward: Your UGC Blueprint

Jumping into the UGC world can seem overwhelming, right? This post was crafted to simplify the maze for you. Considering we’ve dived deep, let’s recap the key takeaways to keep you on track:

1. Continuous Learning: The digital realm evolves rapidly. Stay updated with platform algorithms, audience preferences, and emerging trends. Every misstep is a lesson; every win, a strategy to note. Learn about direct response best practices. Dive into the TikTok Creative Center or the Meta Ads library to see UGC at work.
2. Create a Portfolio: Your portfolio is your professional face in the UGC realm. It showcases your versatility, talent, and, most importantly, what brands can expect when they partner with you. Regularly update it, curate your best works, and always strive for that ‘wow’ facto
3. Position & Pitch: Build a dynamic two-pronged approach. Position yourself as a magnet for brands by creating content that resonates, and actively pitch to those that align with your values and aspirations.
4. Diversify Your Revenue: Don’t put all your eggs in the UGC basket. Branch out. Explore digital products related to your niche, leverage platform-specific monetization, and always be on the lookout for new opportunities.
5. Engage and Network: UGC is as much about community as it is about content. Engage with your audience, collaborate with peers, and keep your channels of communication with brands open and genuine. To connect with more Creators, join us here in the Influential Creator Community.

Have any questions about UGC? DM me in the Influential Creator Community!