How to Make Money with UGC

What Even Is UGC?

UGC stands for User Generated Content. It’s content created by users of the product, as opposed to the brand. The goal is for the content to feel more authentic and real because it shows a real consumer’s perspective and experience.

You can create UGC for both organic and paid media, although the latter will earn you more. Here’s a great example of UGC for paid media:

@merak.ugc

Heres a UGC video that i created for a client! This was my first time creating in the home decor niche and im obsessed. My client loved th... See more

The format of this video likely isn’t anything new to you. While UGC has picked up in the last few years, it’s been around for quite some time—before the term UGC even existed.

UGC is so popular for a few reasons:

• You don’t need a following to do it.

• You can make great money doing it.

• It allows you to get free product to create content with.

• Depending on the scope, it can lead to recurring clients and steady revenue for you.

How to Get Started with UGC

To get started with UGC, you need a couple things:

• Knowledge of how to make a good video (we’ll assume you’ve got this)

• A portfolio

Building a Portfolio

You can’t just trust me bro your way into a UGC gig. You need to have proof of good work. That said, your experience as a creator should make creating a portfolio pretty simple.

Step 1: Make Some Videos

Or pull from what you have.

Consider the kinds of UGC content you want to create for clients. Are you interested in food brands? Beauty products? Home items? Tech? Create sample pieces around that.

Think “If I were to create a UGC video for [insert favorite brand], how would I approach that video? What would I make?” Then make it. Create it as if it were going to be used, even though it isn’t.

If you want to know what good UGC looks like, check out the examples from these creators:

• Tran

• Emma

• Laura

• Austin

Step 2: Pick Your Portfolio Platform & Build It

Most UGC creators use Canva. They use the website feature to build a real, live website with their work.

Now, this works. But if you want to stand out, consider using something else. I’m a big fan of Carrd—it’s user-friendly, looks professional, and stands out amongst the Canva portfolios.

How to Find UGC Clients

Now that you’ve got a portfolio, it’s time to find clients. As a creator, you may find that UGC clients come directly to you, reaching out via email.

However, there’s a few places you can go to find them for yourself.

You can also cold pitch clients, but we’ll save the info on that for another newsletter issue. If you want us to dive into cold pitching, hit “Reply” on this email and let us know you’re interested.

What to Charge for UGC

This is where things get tricky. For UGC creators without a following on social media, charging a lower rate might make sense. But, for creators with a following, there’s this tough battle of wanting to charge market rates while also recognizing that the use of your image might be worth more.

Ultimately, what you charge is up to you. For the time, energy, and money that goes into creating UGC, what feels like a fair rate to you? Make sure the juice is worth the squeeze.

With that said, here’s a few rates we found from successful UGC creators:

• This creator suggests $200/organic video

• This creator also charges $200/organic video

• This creator charges $200-$300/organic video

• This creator charges $275/organic video

• This creator charges $450/video for paid media

As you can see, the $200-$300 range is standard for organic UGC videos. When they’re used in paid media, the rates can increase quite a bit.

Quick Links

🤦🏼 TikTok’s latest feature to try out.

📲 This could be impacting your reach on Instagram.

🤝 Creators join TikTok lawsuit.

📈 Is X about to become the biggest video platform?

See ya next week,

Karat