Hiring well starts before you look for names.
Most brands that contact me for the first time have already chosen the creator and only then think about everything else: whether the video will run as an ad, how many changes they can ask for, who issues the invoice, how long they can use the video. That's where projects get stuck. UGC, short for user-generated content, means videos in which a real person shows your product or service to camera, filmed for your brand to use on social media and in ads. I'm a full-time UGC creator and I've made videos for more than 45 brands, so I'm writing from the side of the person who receives the brief: what makes things easier, what slows them down and what should be put in writing.
Before you search: three decisions
Answer these three questions and half the choice is made.
What the video is for. Getting an app installed, booking an appointment, selling a course, introducing a service. A video that tries to do all four does none of them well. Choose one action per video.
Where it will appear. A video for a paid ad has to hold attention in the first seconds and ask for a clear action. A video for the brand's own profile can be calmer. A video for a product page has to show the product working. This changes the script, the length and the rights you need to buy.
Which language, and which market. Hire a native speaker for each market you sell in. It sounds obvious, but it's one of the mistakes I see most often: a brand books whoever it finds fastest and runs the same video everywhere, and the accent, the expressions and the way of addressing people tell viewers straight away that it wasn't made for them. A video for customers in the UK needs someone who sounds like them, and the same goes for every other market. I film in English and Portuguese myself, and for other markets and languages I work with creators from my community, so you can cover several countries without starting the search from scratch each time.
Where to find UGC creators
There are three routes, and none of them is best at everything.
The first is going directly to the creator, through Instagram, TikTok or their website. You talk to the person who writes and films, with nobody in between, and the conversation about the idea is richer. In return, choosing and managing the work is on your side. A creator with a website, an organised portfolio and public reviews is treating this as a job, and that shows in the deadlines.
The second is agencies and campaigns with creator networks. Someone chooses for you, coordinates and delivers, and you also pay for that coordination. It makes sense when you need lots of videos with different faces at the same time.
The third is platforms that connect brands and creators. You post what you're looking for and receive applications. There's plenty of choice and you can start quickly, but sorting the good from the rest is up to you, and the rules on payment and on how the videos can be used are the platform's. Read them before you commit.
What to look for in a portfolio
Don't look at follower counts. A UGC creator doesn't have to post your video on their own profile, so the size of their audience hardly matters. Look at the videos, in this order:
- The first seconds. Does the video open with a problem, a question or an image that makes you stop? Or does it open with "hi, today I'm going to talk to you about"? In an ad, that's where you lose the people scrolling past.
- The way they speak. Does it sound like someone telling a friend about something, or can you tell they're reading? The script exists, but you shouldn't be able to hear it.
- The demonstration. Do they show the product in use, early and up close? For apps and software, is the screen shown clearly, with each step readable?
- Sound, light and subtitles. Is the voice clean, with no echo? Can you see their face properly? Are there subtitles for people watching without sound?
- Range. Are there demos, testimonials, before and afters, tutorials? Products from different sectors show they can adapt.
- Proof. Case studies with real numbers, reviews from brands, client names you can check.
Also ask for one or two full videos, not just the portfolio cuts. The complete video is where you see the pacing and how they end.
Start with a small project
Even with a portfolio you like, don't sign a large package straight away with someone you've never worked with. Start with one or two videos of the same product, ideally with two or three different openings. The openings, or hooks, are the part that changes an ad's results the most, and testing them tells you more than any conversation.
That first project is paid like any other. Asking for a free test video drives away exactly the creators with full diaries, who are usually the ones you want. And the test shows you everything around the video: whether they asked questions about the product before writing, whether they met the deadline without you chasing them, how they reacted when you asked for a change.
What to send when you ask for a proposal
From where I sit, a good request saves a week of emails. Send:
- The link to the product, app or service, and what makes it different from the competition.
- The goal of the video and where it will appear.
- How many videos and in what format: vertical, square or horizontal.
- The intended use: only on the brand's profile, in paid ads, or both, and for how long.
- Whether you need exclusivity against competitors.
- The date you need the videos by.
- Two or three videos you like, even if they're from other brands.
If you need help organising this, there's a template in how to prepare a UGC brief.
What needs to be in writing
When a brand and a creator fall out, it's almost always over something each side thought was obvious and nobody wrote down. Before filming, put these points in an email both sides confirm, or in a simple contract:
- The script: who writes it, when you receive it and what happens if you don't approve it.
- The deliverables: how many videos, what length, how many openings, whether they include subtitles, and whether you get the raw files.
- The revisions: how many are included and what counts as one. Changing a line is not the same as filming a different idea.
- The timings: when the product or app access arrives, when the first version is due, how many days you have to ask for changes.
- The usage rights: where you can use the video, for how long, and whether there will be ads under the creator's name (on Meta these are now called partnership ads).
Of the five, usage rights carry the most weight. Rules on copyright and image rights vary by country, so don't rely on what you assume the law says: get the agreement in writing, stating where, how and for how long the video can be used. The platforms won't settle this for you either. Meta states that partnership ad permissions don't set compensation or transfer ownership of content, so scope, duration, exclusivity and payment have to come from your own agreement. I've explained it all in UGC usage rights.
How payment works and what invoice to ask for
Most UGC creators work for themselves, as freelancers, sole traders or through a small company, and invoice each project. Ask for a proper invoice before you pay, not just a payment request in a direct message.
For the invoice to be in your company's name, send your legal company name, address and VAT or tax number at the start. Ask whether VAT or sales tax applies to the fee: some creators are registered and add it, others aren't required to, and when the creator and the brand are in different countries the treatment can change. Agree the currency and payment terms at the same time, so nobody gets a surprise at the end. And in some countries a business paying an independent contractor has to withhold part of the tax or report the payment, so check the withholding and tax rules with your accountant and show them the invoice before you pay.
Warning signs
- They promise sales. An ad's result also depends on the product, the price, the landing page and how the campaign is run. Anyone who guarantees numbers before filming is selling something they don't control.
- They avoid putting things in writing. "We'll sort it out later", "the video is all yours" with nothing else, or not issuing an invoice leave all the risk on your side.
- They don't show you the script before filming. Without prior approval, any change becomes a reshoot.
- A portfolio with no videos. Beautiful photos don't tell you whether they can hold attention for thirty seconds.
What a creator can promise you
What depends on them: the agreed video, by the agreed deadline, with the rights in writing. In my case, I write the script and only film once you've approved it. The videos arrive ready to post 5 working days after that approval, with subtitles, and you get up to 2 revisions included. After delivery I stay available to support the brand's growth: new openings, new angles, whatever the numbers call for. Rights are agreed per platform and period, and paid ads and extra uses are agreed separately, so you only pay for what you'll actually use. You can see my work, read what brands say on Trustpilot or ask for a proposal.
Sources
- Meta Business Help Centre: partnership ads and partnership ad permissions (accessed November 2026)
