Almost always, the problem is in the first few seconds or in the order of ideas.
When a UGC video doesn't bring results, the most common reaction is to conclude that "UGC doesn't work for our brand". Most of the time, the format isn't the problem. The problem is one of these things: the video doesn't hook at the start, it takes too long to show the product, it tries to say too much, or it sends people to a page that doesn't continue the conversation.
The good news is that almost all of this can be fixed without starting from scratch. Often a new opening, a cut or a clearer final action is enough.
1. The hook doesn't grab
The first few seconds decide whether the rest of the video exists. If the first line is "Hi, today I'm going to tell you about brand X", most people have already scrolled past.
How to fix it: start with the problem or a situation the audience recognises. A direct question ("Still doing your invoices by hand?"), a confession ("I lost two clients because I forgot to reply") or a visible result. And test several openings for the same video: it is the simplest way to find out what your audience wants to hear.
2. It starts with the brand, not the person
A UGC video works because it looks like a person sharing an experience. If the logo, the company name and the feature list appear before the problem, it looks like an ad again.
How to fix it: first the person and the problem, then the product as the answer. The brand name can appear later than you think.
3. The demonstration comes late, or never
For apps, software, courses and services, viewers need to understand how the thing is used. A video that is all talk, with no screen, no step by step and no before and after, asks the audience to imagine. Most don't.
How to fix it: show the product working early and in a concrete way. A screen recording, a real action, the result at the end.
4. It wants to say everything
Five features, three audiences and two offers in a thirty-second video leave nothing in anyone's head.
How to fix it: one video, one message. If you have several things to say, make several videos and let the results show which one people care about most.
5. The final action is vague
"Learn more" doesn't tell anyone what to do. If the viewer reaches the end and doesn't know the next step, the video has done half the job.
How to fix it: say exactly what to do and what the person gets from it. Try, book, download, sign up. One action only.
6. Sound, subtitles and format
Lots of people watch videos with the sound off. Without subtitles, you lose them. With bad sound, you lose the rest. And a horizontal video in a space made for vertical shrinks and loses impact.
How to fix it: subtitles always, clean sound, the right format for each placement: 9:16 for Reels and Stories, 4:5 for the Facebook Feed. Watch out for the areas of the screen covered by the platform's buttons and text. On Reels, keep at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text and logos.
7. It looks too produced, or too amateur
There is a middle ground. A video that is too polished looks like advertising again. A video with poor lighting, echoey sound and a shaky camera makes the brand look careless.
How to fix it: natural doesn't mean sloppy. Good lighting, clean sound, editing with rhythm, but the person speaking the way they speak in real life.
8. The video promises one thing and the page shows another
If the video talks about a specific problem and the click leads to the homepage, with a different message, a different colour and a different tone, the person loses the thread and leaves.
How to fix it: the landing page should continue the video's conversation. Same promise, same offer, the button in plain sight.
9. It is measured too early, or the wrong thing is measured
A video can have few views and many conversions, or the opposite. And an ad needs some time and some budget before the numbers mean anything.
How to fix it: decide before launching which metric counts for your goal. For sales and bookings, look at cost per result, not likes. To see whether the hook works, look at how many people keep watching after the first few seconds. In Ads Manager, "3-second video plays" counts plays of at least 3 seconds, and ThruPlay counts plays to completion or at least 15 seconds.
10. Only one video was tested
A single video is a gamble. If it fails, you don't know whether it was the hook, the message, the person or the offer.
How to fix it: test a few variables at a time. The same video with three different openings tells you more than three completely different videos.
A quick checklist
- Does the first line speak to the viewer's problem?
- Does the product appear working in the first few seconds of the video?
- Is there only one message?
- Is the final action clear and single?
- Does it have subtitles and clean sound?
- Is the format right for where it will run?
- Does the landing page continue the same conversation?
- Do you know which metric matters?
If your video isn't performing
I don't promise results, because they also depend on the offer, the budget and the landing page. What I do is design the video for ads from the script onwards: hook, demonstration and a clear action, with alternative openings to test. See an example in the Hiwell case study, where the video ran as a paid ad. If you like, send me the link to your ad and I'll tell you what I'd change, in a review of your ads.
