Creator guides

How to start UGC and land your first brand deals

A step-by-step plan for new UGC creators: what to make first, how to set your rate, where to find brands that hire creators, and exactly what to send them.

Updated October 11, 2026

1. Know what brands are buying

UGC (user-generated content) means short videos that look like a real customer made them: unboxings, “how I use it”, before and after, a quick review, a problem the product solves. Brands usually post them from their accounts or run them as ads. You don't need a big following; you need videos that look natural and help sell the product.

That's the difference from influencer work: brands pay for the video itself, not for your audience. That's why new creators can start right away.

2. Make 3–5 sample videos

Brands want to see what you'd make for them. Use products you already own and film a few short videos (15–45 seconds) in different styles:

• Hook + problem + product: the first 2–3 seconds stop the scroll (“I wish I'd found this sooner…”), then show the problem it solves.
• Unboxing or first try: real reactions, close shots of the product.
• How I use it: a quick routine or tutorial in good light.
• Talking review: you on camera, 3 honest reasons you like it.

Pick the niche you know (skincare, home, pets, food, tech, parenting…) and stick to it at first. Natural light, clear sound and subtitles matter more than expensive gear. Don't tag a brand as if they hired you when they didn't.

3. Put it all on one link

Brands decide in seconds. Make one page that shows:

• Who you are and your niche in one line
• Your 3–5 best videos
• Your platforms (follower counts are optional for UGC)
• Brands you've worked with, if any
• How to contact you

Ugodia gives you a free media kit page like this, with a form that sends brand requests to your inbox. See an example media kit.

4. Set your rates before anyone asks

Decide two numbers before your first pitch:

• Your rate per video: what you quote.
• Your minimum: the lowest you'd accept. Keep it to yourself.

Then remember that your rate covers making the video. Paid ads, whitelisting, raw footage and extra hooks are priced on top. How to price usage rights · Free rate calculator

5. Find brands that hire UGC creators

The best brands to pitch are the ones already paying creators for content. Ways to spot them:

• Look at other UGC creators' posts. The brands they tag in sponsored or gifted content already have a budget for creators.
• Check brand websites. Look in the footer for “Creators”, “Ambassadors”, “Affiliates” or “Collaborate”. Many brands have a form or a partnerships email.
• Watch ads in your niche. If a brand runs creator-style ads on TikTok or Instagram, it buys UGC.
• Go smaller. Fast-growing direct-to-consumer brands answer creators far more often than giant household names.
• Use the right address. Look for partnerships@, creators@, influencers@ or pr@ on the brand's own site. Avoid guessing personal emails.

Inside Ugodia, the “Pitch brands” page lists brands seen working with UGC creators, with the public email from their own website, so you can add them and get a pitch ready in one tap.

6. Pitch: short, specific, easy to say yes to

Brands skim. Say who you are and what you make in the first two lines, link your work once, and end with a light question.

Subject: UGC videos for [Brand] Hi [Brand] team, I'm [Name], a UGC creator focused on [niche]. I make short, natural videos (unboxings, how-I-use-it and review styles) that brands can use on their channels and in ads. You can see my work here: [your media kit link] I'd love to create a few videos for [Brand]. Happy to share ideas over email if you're working with creators this season. Best, [Name] P.S. If this isn't a fit right now, just reply "no thanks" and I won't email again.

• Send a few personal emails a day rather than dozens of copies at once; it keeps you out of spam.
• Don't put prices in the first email. Quote when they ask, based on what they need.
• Pitch emails are commercial email under US law (CAN-SPAM): use your real name, a postal address in your signature (a P.O. box is fine) and honor any “no thanks”.

7. Follow up once, then move on

If there's no answer after about a week, send one short follow-up in the same thread:

Hi [Brand] team, Just bumping my note below in case it got buried. If you're working with UGC creators this season, I'd be glad to put together some ideas for [Brand]. If not, no worries: just reply "no thanks" and I'll stop here. Best, [Name]

After that, let it go. Keep a simple list of who you pitched and when, so you never email the same brand twice by accident.

8. When a brand says yes

1. Get the scope in writing: number of videos, length, hooks, raw footage, deadline, revisions.
2. Agree on usage: organic only, or paid ads, and for how long.
3. Agree on payment: the amount, Net 30 (not Net 60+), and when the clock starts.
4. If you post on your own account, disclose it clearly (“ad” or “sponsored”), in the video itself, not only in the caption. The FTC says free products count too.
5. Deliver on time, invoice the same day, and note when the usage period ends so you can offer an extension.

If the first offer is low, don't panic and don't just drop your rate. How to counter a low UGC offer.

Disclosure rules: FTC, “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers”.