How to be a User Generated Content (UGC) Creator

Are you keen to jump on the bandwagon and become a UGC creator, sample new products to capture quick stills, video or casual review reels? Sounds appealing? What’s more, nowadays you don’t even need a big following or high engagement track records.

We’re seeing a shift away from influencers with consumers wanting more authenticity in the users promoting products where it’s about sincerity in a review and not just a name.?

As a UGC creator you’re not typically asked to market to your own audiences but to provide content for the brand for its audiences. This is why your number of followers does not matter!?

So, how do you start?

Here are some of our best tips. We’ll simplify it!

1. Consider the Industry that best fits - what are your interests? If you’re sporty, a sports brand would make sense. If you’re into skincare- a cosmetic or skin brand would work well.

2. Create engaging content which sells. We have plenty of tips on our blog and plenty more to come!?

3. Create a portfolio - Canva is a great platform for this!

4. Outreach - contact brands yourself directly via marketing emails found online or send DMs on their social media platforms! Pitch yourself and send over those content examples in that portfolio. Or, if this is too much work and your focus is on filming content, not contacting clients, consider joining a platform like KittyKat where they host creators, have their clients and contacts already secured and play matchmaker for you for the brands which suit your UGC style best! KittyKat will just send the products straight to you to get creating!

Now we’ll break down what the brand will need from you and what they’ll have considered when creating their brief for you:

1. Listen

They need you to study and follow their creative brief. Listen to them - they are the voice of the brand and know their brand best.

2. Understand

They’ll expect you to understand the brand, what the product is, how it works and what it does.?

3. Target audience

Understand who their target audience is. Often you as the user creator will fit within this very well! What’s the age most likely to use this, what sort of habits will they have or want to have and why is this product going to appeal??

4. Use

Make sure you test and try the product and see what it does for you and what the key selling points are.

5. Be authentic?

Be natural and genuine- honesty is the best policy!?

6. Get Creative

Rather than just “it smells so good!”; how about - “the smell reminds me of…” or instead of “I love the packaging”- think how does fits with your other items or lifestyle- is it sustainable, what material is it, etc…There a few ways to make UGC- it all depends on what you’re best at!

7. Write

If you’re good with words consider using blogging or writing testimonials or reviews as your form of UGC. SEO (search engine optimisation) is fundamental to what you’re writing so do keep this in mind. You want to know your word choices will be popular in algorithms. Platforms such as AHREFs can help you write tactically.

How to do Video: Short clips for IG and Tiktok (Reels are real important)

Firstly, check out our free 10 minute content creation crash course! This is the perfect brief guide for you to get some ideas on creating engaging content and visuals!

Go read it!

We’ll just summarise here:

The best types of UGC for platforms such as TikTok include:?

1. Reactions

How did this product make you feel- from first impressions- unboxing reactions to tried and tested responses- tell and show the audience how you react to the product?

2. Before and After

Do a side by side comparison to illustrate the differences before versus after using the product

3. Why Choose this Product?

Create a compelling personal story as to why customers should believe this product works. Compare it to other competitor brands out there, why this has worked best and what has made it different.

4. How to

Tutorial time! Simple yet effective demonstrations of the product in use are a great way to sell and invite the customer to see exactly how it works and they can see themselves using it!

An example of a UGC script template to use could be:

(It includes all four types of UGC we’ve just listed above too)

Working Title: How to tackle dry hair in hot & humid weather?

Dialogue:?

1. Introduce the problem:?

Give your background- what got you here to using this product

For eg. that you moved to SG for a few months & hair became dry from the humid weather

2. Provide the Solution:

For eg. the solution to tackling the dry hair, then introducing the hair oil product as your go to everyday.?

3. How to:

For eg. Describe the steps you take. (Brushing hair, how much product you are using & how you apply it/style it).

4. Reactions and Before and After:?

For eg. Say why you love the product & make sure the audiences can see the bottle & brand clearly.?

5. Why choose this product?

For eg. End off the video with a nice smile & flaunting your hair.?

Top Tip: Video should be about 30s - 35s. Don’t overdo it and bore. Short and snappy is best!

Reminder: Why UGC is important to businesses?

• Provides a good understanding of the product
• Brand authenticity - less staged than an ‘ad’, more subtle marketing form?
• Shows how a product matches a customers’ needs
• Social media based promotion?
• Increases engagement- therefore, increases sales and conversions