A useful brief defines an action, a demonstration and a delivery.
To write a UGC brief for an app, explain who will watch, what they need to understand and what to do next. Add the demonstration journey, deliverables, approvals and usage rights.
“We want an authentic video that converts” is not enough to film. The creator needs to know what to show, which claims are supported and what should stay out of the video.
1. Audience and action
Choose one audience for this piece. Someone trying the app for the first time needs different context from an existing customer. Pick a primary action: start a trial, book a demo or explore a feature.
2. What to show on screen
Provide the exact steps and a test account. Confirm the interface version, device and language. Use demonstration data without real customer information.
If the app changes during production, someone on the brand team should confirm whether the recording needs updating. Name the approver and approval date to avoid remaking the video after delivery.
3. A sample brief
This exercise uses a fictional task app. It does not describe a completed campaign.
- Audience: people sharing household tasks.
- Objective: show how to create a shared reminder.
- Opening: a task that was forgotten.
- Demo: create a task, select a date and share it with one person.
- Final action: try the feature in the app.
- Proposed delivery: one vertical video with voice and captions, plus two alternative openings.
- To confirm: length, channels, advertising licence, revisions, timeline and price.
4. Claims and boundaries
Give the creator a list of supported points. Do not ask them to say they have used the app for months if they have just received access. A demonstration can be persuasive without pretending to be a personal testimonial.
Avoid promising time savings, health outcomes or earnings without support. If those figures belong in the campaign, the brand needs to confirm their source and the conditions attached to the claim.
5. Delivery and measurement
Define formats, captions, revisions, usage rights and dates. Decide how you will assess the campaign before launch. Clicks, installs and purchases are different actions; results also depend on distribution and the landing page.
To request a proposal for UGC for apps and software, send these details with the app link. If a decision is missing, label it as pending instead of filling the brief with an assumption.
