How To Become A UGC Creator

Many Influencers and Content Creators are interested in becoming a UGC Creator. From Micro Influencers who are just starting out to Creators who have been in the industry for a while, this new type of content creation for brands is on the rise. Because the need for social media and online content is only increasing, creating UGC content is a great way to work with brands and increase your income as a Creator. 

At Sidewalker Daily, we help Creators and Influencers develop their business strategies and work with brands. We also consult on the brand side of things, so we know what goes into brand partnerships on both sides of the equation. Our goal is to help everyone have successful content creation partnerships! So we put together this guide on how to be a successful UGC Creator to help Creators position themselves to find success.

What does A UGC Creator Do?

UGC content stands for “user-generated content,” which traditionally has been referred to the type of content that fans and customers create and share organically when they really like a product or service. Brands have always tried to capture this content when they come across it, and use it in their own social media content strategies because of the many benefits UGC content can have for the brand’s marketing and sales initiatives.

This is because authentic experiences from real customers is a great form of social proof for brands. Instead of just always talking about their products themselves (like traditional ads, which customers tend to ignore now), they can rely on content from the customers’ perspective. So when one of their customers sees the content they will think “wow these people love this product or service, I might too!” 

UGC content is typically less curated than professionally done ads, so it fits in on user’s social media feeds as every day content. We go into much more detail in our article covering What You Need To Know About UGC Content  if you still need to grasp the basics.

But, because this UGC Content performs so well, brands have started hiring out the work to UGC Creators. If this is something you’re interested in trying out, you’re going to want to read this 6 tips that will help you land UGC content Creator jobs and find success as a UGC Creator. 

6 Tips For Becoming A Successful UGC Creator

There are so many benefits to being a UGC Creator. From the high demand for these types of services, to working on your own schedule, to needing minimal tools to get started, many Creators are finding a lot of success offering UGC content to brands as one of their services.

If you’re not exactly sure what you should be doing to get started, we’ve got you covered! To be a successful UGC Creator, it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into and come up with a plan and strategy to help you reach your goals. 

1) Be Active On your Chosen Platforms & Do Your Research

To be a successful UGC Creator, you really need to hone in on your content creation skills. Make sure you have a firm understanding of what works and what doesn’t! Because when you pitch to brands, you need to not only say what you’re capable of creating, but show them examples too.

This means frequently researching the latest and best content creation strategies, trends, and styles. If you’re not familiar with using and creating content on your platform of choice, you’re not going to do the best job at making that content for other people.

Content creation is about so much more than snapping a quick photo or video. It requires a good understanding of the target audience and making content that actually grabs their attention. There’s strategy involved!

The good news is that you don’t have to be a highly skilled cinematographer to participate in UGC content. You just have to have your finger on the pulse of what works.

• Do you know what helps videos get more views?
• Do you know what makes a good viral video?

For example, if you’re creating TikTok UGC videos, you need to analyze the TIkTok ads that you see on your own feed. What made YOU pause the scroll and take a closer look at a video? Take note of these videos so that you can refer to them when creating your own UGC content for brands.

Being active on the platforms you want to be a UGC Creator on is the number one place to start!

2) Create A UGC Creator Portfolio

Having a portfolio is an integral part of pitching to brands. To be a successful UGC Creator, you should be creating content with the intention of using it to build out your portfolio. Show brands what you can make for them!

Here are a few tips for building your UGC Creator portfolio:

Create different styles of UGC Content for your portfolio. 

Maybe you have a mix of:

• unboxing videos
• videos of you wearing or using products
• creative stop motion videos

Whatever it is that you like to create, present some variety so brands can see the full scope of your skillset.  

Keep Your UGC Profile Organized

We’ve worked on the brand side hiring Influencers and Creators for campaigns so we know how quickly brands turn away from portfolios and media kits that are confusing, cluttered and unprofessional. For example, if you’re showcasing multiple styles of content, break up the portfolio by relevant categories.  

The easier it is for the brand to navigate your portfolio, the greater chance of success you have in landing the gig. 

Your TikTok Profile Is Not Enough

While you might think it’s easier to just tell a brand to go check out your work on your social media profile, there’s no guarantee that a brand will take this extra step. And even if they do, who knows if they’ll see your full range of skills.

Having a well done portfolio that showcases your different talents elevates your value as a professional. 

Plus, it doesn’t require the person on the brand side to do extra work which they will definitely appreciate!

3) Optimize Your Social Media Profiles

Just because we recommended you to have a UGC Content portfolio doesn’t mean you can’t use your social profiles to showcase your work too. For starters, your social media accounts are a great way to get noticed by brands who might want to work with you.

With an optimized bio that says exactly what you do, brands looking for UGC Creators are likely to find you first. You can be really upfront: include the keyword “UGC Creator” and use the bio link as an opportunity to drive people to your UGC portfolio. 

Make it easy for brands to see the type of work that you do. This way you’re not only relying on pitching to brands to get clients. If they like what they see, they might reach out to you.

4) Have A Business Strategy

As a UGC Creator, you need to think of yourself as a service provider and a business owner. You’re in an industry that requires you to get clients, and this is something that business owners have to think about all the time. 

Ask yourself these questions:

• How am I going to get clients?
• What’s my process for replying to inbound requests?
• Am I going to join third party sites to help me find jobs?
• What is my pitching workflow?

Coming up with a business strategy and keeping yourself organized is so important for being successful as a UGC Creator. Some people make Content Creation seem like you’re just styling cool video shoots on your own schedule and having a ton of fun. But all successful Influencers and Creators will tell you that this is not the case. 

Yes, it is fun—but it’s a lot of hard work too. And if you want to turn this into a profitable income stream for your Creator business, you need organized systems and processes for proactively finding clients and servicing them in a professional and timely manner.

Helping Creators build their business and figure out their business strategy so that they can make more money in their business and reach their goals is our specialty at Sidewalker Daily — so we’re always here to help you figure out your game plan and strategy. We also have an entire system you can learn to land UGC Content Creation Clients and create a sustainable workflow in our signature Pitching To Brands Mastercourse!

5) Learn How To Interact And Negotiate With Brands

When you pitch your UGC Content services to brands, we suggest you hop on a call the brand representative. So many Creators and Influencers want to skip this step because they’re worried about knowing the right thing to say.

But with practice, the client phone call can help you land more paid brand deals. There’s less back and forth and both parties are able to understand the scope of work and expectations they should have about working together. You can also ask all the important questions and make sure that they’re answered. 

But whether you’re on the phone or writing in emails, you need to learn how to communicate effectively. 

• Do you clearly understand what the brand is asking of you?
• Have you communicated what deliverables you’re willing to create?
• Do you know how and where the content is going to be used? (Ex: ads, ownership)

Understand that your job as a UGC Creator is being able to take control of the conversation, listen to and understand their needs, and help them come up with the content that’s going to help them reach their goals.

After hearing the brands needs and goals, think about what you can feasibly provide them with to help them reach those goals. For example, say a brand tells you that they’re drowning on TikTok and need a LOT of content. Then figure out how many TikTok videos you can create per month and propose a monthly package in your proposal. If you need help with learning how to create proposals to land UGC clients and brand partnerships, we have an entire section and examples in our Pitching To Brands Mastercourse. 

At the end of the day, as a UGC Creator you’re a service provider so you have to sell your services—some brands aren’t going to know where to start or feel wary about spending money on your content. Learn how to pitch effectively and be confident and you’ll have brands coming back for more!

6) Get Client Testimonials About Your Work As A UGC Creator

As a UGC Creator, you’re essentially doing freelance work. This means that positive reviews and testimonials from happy clients are crucial for getting more UGC Creator jobs.

Having that information on hand when you pitch to the next brand is going to really help you sell your services. Like we said, plenty of brands are still nervous about putting their budget towards Creators and Influencers, so having good testimonials to back up what you’re saying can make them feel comfortable about moving forward with you.

Especially if you’ve created UGC Content within the same niche as the brand you’re pitching to. One fashion company might read the review from your last fashion client who has similarly styled content and know that they’re in good hands. You don’t need to specifically focus on one niche as a UGC Creator, but it’s times like this where it can be helpful.

Land Your Next Big UGC Creator Partnership

We hope this article gave you some valuable tips for becoming a successful UGC Creator. As a quick recap, here are the 6 major tips we covered to help you get (and keep getting) projects as a UGC Creator:

1) Be active on the platforms you want to create UGC content for…do you research!

2) A UGC Creator portfolio is crucial for UGC projects.

3) You should optimize your social media profiles so brands can find you first.

4) You’re a business owner as a UGC Creator, and every smart business owner has a business strategy. Define your workflow and follow your game plan. 

5) Learn how to talk, interact and negotiate with brands in a way that shows you’re professional, communicates your value, and can provide the brand with the information they need to make a decision in your favor. 

6) Collect client testimonials to boost your credibility as a UGC Creator.

If you’re ready to start creating UGC content for brands and  increasing your monthly income the time is now. If you need help with your strategy or extra guidance to make your dreams happen you can book a call with one of our Creator industry experts and they will help you every step of the way. From creating a porfolio, to reviewing your pitches, to finding UGC Clients, they will work with you to develop a game plan and a strategy to be successful as a UGC Creator.