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How to hire UGC creators: three ways compared.

Do it yourself, use a UGC platform, or hand the job to an agency. Here is what each route takes from your team, and how to vet, brief and contract creators.

Start a campaign or book a 20 minute call with the owner

30,000+ creators · first round in 21 days · usage rights included

happn Dating app
Popworks Snacks
MJ The Musical Theatre
Philips Hue Smart home

Three ways to hire UGC creators

All three get you videos. The difference is how much work stays with you.

Do it yourself

Search TikTok and Instagram for creators in your niche, message them and vet their portfolios. Then write briefs and contracts, agree usage rights, ship product, chase drafts, pay creators in several currencies and edit the footage into ads. Full control, and a part-time job for someone on your team.

Use a UGC platform or marketplace

Self-serve: you post a brief, creators apply and you choose. It saves the search, but you still brief, judge applicants, review every video, request revisions and pick which cuts run as ads.

Work with a UGC creator agency

Managed end to end. You approve concepts, scripts, the creator shortlist and final cuts. The agency casts, briefs, contracts, chases and pays every creator and checks every cut against the brief. With us, usage rights are agreed up front, with one contract and one invoice.

See how our service works →

The three routes side by side

The agency column is how we run campaigns at The UGC Agency.

What it takesYourselfUGC platformAgency
Your timeThe most: search, outreach, briefs, chasing, payments, editsLess searching, but you still brief, review and manage each creatorApprovals only: kick-off call, concepts, scripts, shortlist, final cuts
Who writes the scriptsYouYou, or the creator from your briefWe do: a script and two or three hooks per video
Usage rightsYou negotiate them with each creatorSet by each platform's terms; check paid ad usage is coveredPaid and organic, agreed up front and included
Quality controlYou review every draftYou review every videoEvery cut checked against the brief before you see it
ScalingEach new creator means more outreach, contracts and paymentsMore creators are easier to find, but each still needs managingNew rounds in 2 to 3 days, with backup creators if someone drops out

Real UGC ads, made with our creators.

Eight creators, eight formats: walk and talk, talking head, POV, theatre creator and more. Tap any one to watch it with sound.

happn Walk and talk
Popworks Talking head
Wicked POV
MJ The Musical Theatre creator
happn Vox pop
Popworks Comedy skit
Wicked Day-out vlog
MJ The Musical Night-out vlog

See the campaigns behind them →

What makes a good UGC creator for ads

We cast on portfolio videos, whatever the follower count. Most ads run from your ad account, so on-camera skill matters far more than audience.

Portfolio first

Ask for ads they have made, ideally for products like yours. Lifestyle posts tell you little about whether someone can sell.

On-camera delivery

Watch the first five seconds with sound on. They should sound like they are telling a friend, with no stiff, scripted tone.

Hooks

Good creators open with something that stops the scroll: a bold first line, a visual surprise, a problem the viewer recognises. Ask for several hooks per video.

Lighting and sound

Phone footage is fine. Muffled audio, echo and dark rooms are hard to fix in the edit.

Niche fit

Pick people who would plausibly use your product, in the right market and language.

Reliability

Quick replies, deadlines met, briefs followed. Test a revision before booking a bigger round.

How to write a UGC brief

A good brief fits on one page and heads off most revisions.

Product and audience

What it is, who buys it and the problem it solves for them.

Angle and hooks

The story (problem and solution, review, unboxing, before and after) plus two or three opening hooks to test.

Must-say lines

Claims, offers or phrases that must appear word for word, and anything legal has to approve.

Do's and don'ts

Claims to avoid, competitors not to mention, settings and tone. Link two or three ads you like.

Deliverables and ratios

Number of videos, length, hooks per video and formats, such as 9:16 for TikTok and Reels or 4:5 for Meta feeds.

Deadline

Dates for first drafts, revisions and final files, and when product arrives.

What goes in a creator contract

Put it all in writing before anyone films.

Deliverables and revisions

What gets filmed, how many versions and hooks, and how many revision rounds are included.

Usage rights: paid and organic

Paid covers running the video as an ad, organic covers your own channels. Agree both, plus whether you can run Spark Ads or partnership ads from the creator's handle.

Duration and territories

How long you can use the videos and in which countries. Extending later usually costs extra.

Exclusivity

Whether the creator can work with competitors, for how long and in which category.

Raw footage

If you want unedited files to cut your own versions, say so. It is not always included.

Payment terms

Amount, currency, timing and what triggers payment, such as approval of final files.

Red flags when hiring UGC creators

Before you hire a UGC creator, watch for these.

No ad work to show

Lifestyle posts only, with no ads or product videos.

Fuzzy on usage rights

Can't say what paid usage covers, or won't put it in writing.

Payment before paperwork

Wants full payment up front with no signed agreement.

Slow before you've hired them

If replies take days now, deadlines will slip later.

How to hire UGC creators through us

Hiring through a UGC agency like ours, the first round lands inside a 21-day KPI. You approve each stage.

First round, inside our 21-day KPIThen
  1. Hook 1I literally just ran into my crush on the street…Hook 2You’re never going to guess how we met…
    Shortlist
    Week 1

    Kick-off, scripts and shortlist

    A kick-off call on your product, audience and markets, then concepts, scripts and a creator shortlist for you to approve.

  2. Rec
    Week 2

    Filming and edits

    Creators film from our brief. We chase every one, keep backups ready if someone drops out, and edit the cuts.

  3. Approved
    9:16
    1:1
    16:9
    Week 3

    Revisions and delivery

    Every cut is checked against the brief before you see it. You request changes, then we deliver the final files.

  4. Next round: 2 to 3 days
    After that

    New rounds in 2 to 3 days

    Once the creators know your brand, the next round takes 2 to 3 days.

Creators in every market you sell in

30,000+ UGC creators have joined us, with hundreds more signing up every day: 16,600+ in the United States, 3,200+ in the United Kingdom, 1,300+ across Europe, 950+ in Canada and 400+ in Australia, from 100+ countries. We cast native speakers for every market. More on UGC creators by country.

Anthony Marshall, owner of The UGC Agency
“We never ship an ad I wouldn’t put my own ad spend behind.”Anthony Marshall, Owner, 15 years in performance and content marketing

For UGC creators

If you are a creator looking for paid brand work, apply to join our creators.

Hiring UGC creators: questions brands ask

How do I find UGC creators?

Search TikTok and Instagram for creators already making ads in your niche, post a brief on a UGC platform, or ask an agency for a shortlist. Either way, judge the portfolio videos first.

Do UGC creators need followers?

No. Most UGC ads run from your brand's ad account, so you are paying for the video and the right to run it. We cast on portfolio videos, whatever the follower count. Followers matter more when creators post organically from their own accounts.

What should a UGC brief include?

Product, audience, angle, hooks to test, must-say lines, do's and don'ts, deliverables (number of videos, length, aspect ratios) and the deadline.

Who owns UGC content?

Whatever the contract says. Often the creator keeps copyright and licenses the brand for set channels, a set period and set territories. If you want full ownership or raw footage, agree it in writing before filming.

What usage rights do I need for UGC ads?

Paid usage to run the videos as ads on Meta and TikTok, plus organic usage if you post them on your own channels. Agree duration, territories and whether you can run Spark Ads or partnership ads from the creator's handle. With us, paid and organic usage is agreed up front and included.

How long does it take to get UGC videos?

Doing it yourself, it depends on how fast creators reply and product ships. With us, the first round lands inside a 21-day KPI, and new rounds take 2 to 3 days once the creators know your brand.

Hire UGC creators without the admin

Tell us your product, audience and markets. We come back with concepts, scripts and a creator shortlist to approve. Or book a 20 minute call with the owner.

Start a campaign →

Your next campaign starts here

UGC ads people don’t skip. 30,000+ creators worldwide.

No commitment, just a quick chat to see if we’re a fit.

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