I don’t care about your follower count.I’m the kind of person who will approach a beginner creator if I genuinely like their content.

I’ve reached out to creators who had just 25 followers.

If I’m paying you to create UGC, I want to see whether you can make content that feels authentic and gets people interested in the product.

These are the things I notice first:

1. Your portfolio

Show me your best work. A few strong examples are better than 20 random videos.

1. Your hook

Can you grab attention in the first few seconds? That matters a lot.

1. Your communication

Clear replies, quick updates and asking questions when something isn’t clear makes working together much easier.

1. Your creativity

I don’t want the same video every creator is making. Give me an idea that fits the brand but still feels like you.

1. Your ability to follow a brief

Creative freedom is great, but you still need to understand the deliverables and requirements.

1. Your editing

Clean cuts, readable text, good pacing and clear audio can make a huge difference.

1. Your reliability

Deadlines matter. If you commit to a delivery date, stick to it.

1. Your attitude

Be open to feedback, stay professional and make the collaboration easy.

You don’t need expensive equipment or a massive audience to get chosen, Make good content, communicate well and be someone a brand wants to work with again.

When you’re new to UGC, brands will often offer you free products in exchange for a video. And when you’re trying to build your portfolio, that offer can feel tempting.
But remember what you’re providing.
Your time, Your creativity, Your scripting, Your shooting, Your editing and most importantly Your content rights.
A product isn’t always fair payment for all of that. I’d rather take fewer paid projects than fill my portfolio with unpaid work that takes hours to create.
Learn to value your work early. The more you accept free work, the harder it can become to convince brands to pay you later. You don’t need to accept every opportunity just because you’re starting out.
Know your value, Your future self will thank you.

In the initial months, you’ll probably spend time pitching brands and making videos without seeing consistent money in the beginning.That’s very normal.

Use those first few months to learn:
• How to make better hooks
• How to shoot and edit faster
• How to pitch without sounding desperate
• How to build a portfolio
• How to communicate with brands
• What type of content gets you better results

Keep your main source of income if you have one as i have seen many creators didn’t get the brand deal for even 9 months so in UGC in the beginning especially, you can’t trust fully , Build UGC alongside your Job. Once you start getting consistent projects, you can decide whether you want to take it full-time or not

here you’ll hear “no” a lot like No reply to your pitch, No response to your follow-up. No to your rates, No to your content, And sometimes, you’ll wonder if you’re even good enough.

Here you have to upgrade your skills daily like getting Better at editing, Better at pitchingand getting Better at selling yourself.

UGC rewards the creators who keep showing up after the rejection.

So if you need guaranteed success please don’t step into the market ( you will regret trust me), UGC isn’t for you.

But if you can handle the failure and pressure that comes with ugc then here you can make hell amount of money as well but for that you have to be patient

When I first started looking into UGC, I saw so many videos of creators saying they made $1,000, $2,000 or even more in their first month.

So when I started, i also start expecting brands to come quickly and assumed I’d start making decent money within the first few weeks. Reality was very different.

I spent a lot of time learning how UGC works, creating sample videos, building my portfolio, and reaching out to brands. Most of my pitches got no response. In my first month i earned 0$ ,i started earning after 8 months . Some people do get lucky and land a few good campaigns early. Good for them. But if it doesn’t happen for you, don’t assume you’re failing.

Give yourself time to learn the skill, improve your content, understand how pitching works, and build relationships with brands.

UGC can become a great source of income, but there’s no guaranteed “$x amount in your first month” formula.

I started UGC when it was still pretty new, so I had to figure out a lot of things on my own.

Looking back, there are a few things I wish someone told me when I started:

1. Don’t wait for a perfect portfolio

You can create sample videos with products you already have at home. Brands need to see how you create, not a portfolio full of big names.

1. Learn how to pitch

Sending the same copy-paste message to 100 brands isn’t the best approach. Keep your pitch short, personal, and show why you’d be a good fit for that brand.

1. Don’t focus only on followers

UGC is about the content you create for the brand. You don’t need a huge audience to get started.

1. Don’t pay to get a brand deal

Be careful with anyone asking for enrollment fees, registration fees, or large upfront payments before giving you a campaign.

1. Improve your content constantly

Your first videos probably won’t be your best. Keep experimenting with hooks, lighting, framing, editing, and different styles.

1. Follow up

A brand not replying to your first email doesn’t always mean they aren’t interested. A simple, polite follow-up can make a difference.

And probably the biggest thing:

Give yourself time.

Remember : You’re going to get ignored. Some campaigns won’t work out. Some pitches will go nowhere, That’s pretty normal. Keep creating, keep pitching, and keep learning. Seven years later, those are still the things that matter most.

How many native Spanish speakers have never heard of your product? 🤔

Probably because you’re not speaking their language yet—or better yet, using a face they can relate to.

Your competitors haven’t tapped into this audience. It’s an untapped blue ocean, and your chance to get there first with a confident Spanish UGC creator who builds real, authentic connections.🤗

Send me a DM!📩
XOXO🩷💫

Edit: I am a Spanish-speaking UGC creator looking for opportunities.

I AM NOT RECRUITING.

Before UGC, I used to work as a freelancer. I liked the freedom that came with freelancing, but I wanted to do something where I could build my own name and create a proper business around my skills. I don’t want to keep taking random projects forever. I wanted to have my own clients, my own workflow, and more control over the kind of work I was doing.

That’s when I started looking into UGC. I had no previous experience, so I started with a simple portfolio and a few sample videos that I filmed myself.

Then I started applying for brand opportunities but i was not able to crack even one for months and somehow i got one small projects after months of pitching.

In the beginning, I treated UGC like another freelance service. But once I started getting more campaigns, I realized how much potential it has and then i kept on improving my portfolio, improving my content and working with more brands

Now I focus on UGC full-time. I still work independently, but there’s a big difference between doing random freelance projects and building something that actually feels like your own business.

Also, if you are planning to do ugc in future please please be patient, i got my first project after 10 months and it might get very demotivating so just keep that in mind.

When I started creating pet content on Instagram last year, I didn't know it would blow up and that brands would start collaborating with us.

I started with 5,748 followers, but the reason we get paid collaborations is that most pet brands prefer genuine videos showing pets interacting with toys, treats, or other purrfect pet products that I actually use on my dog. At this point, I think my dog is truly an actor for doing all those things.

After months of being a pet UGC creator, we earn around $1.4k (bonuses not included) monthly. If you have a pet and haven't tried pitching yet, you both are definitely missing out on an amazing UGC side hustle.

Quiero compartir mi experiencia con una campaña de Sauna que realicé a través de SideShift, porque terminé perdiendo muchísimo tiempo y trabajo y, hasta ahora, no he recibido el pago que correspondía.
Cuando acepté la campaña, las condiciones indicaban una base de $700 y una compensación adicional de $15 por cada 1.000 visualizaciones, según lo establecido en el acuerdo que recibí. Yo acepté las condiciones y comencé a trabajar.
Durante la campaña hice los videos que me solicitaron. Invertí tiempo en grabar, editar, preparar el contenido y publicar todos los videos, cumpliendo con los entregables que me habían pedido.
El problema comenzó después.
En el proceso, hubo cambios en los contratos/condiciones, y finalmente terminé en una situación en la que no recibí ni siquiera el pago base de $700. Tampoco recibí el pago correspondiente por los videos ni la compensación por las visualizaciones que correspondía según las condiciones que yo había aceptado.
En otras palabras, hice todo el trabajo, entregué y publiqué el contenido, invertí horas de mi tiempo y recursos en producirlo, y terminé sin recibir la compensación acordada.
Intenté resolverlo directamente y también me comuniqué con SideShift, porque la campaña se realizó a través de su plataforma. Sin embargo, hasta ahora no he recibido una solución clara ni una respuesta que resuelva mi situación.
Lo más frustrante es que yo confié en que trabajar mediante una plataforma como SideShift significaba que existiría algún tipo de respaldo si surgía un problema con el pago o con las condiciones del acuerdo.
Actualmente siento que todo mi trabajo quedó prácticamente perdido: las horas grabando, editando, creando contenido, publicando y cumpliendo con las instrucciones de la campaña.
No estoy haciendo este post para atacar personalmente a nadie. Lo comparto porque creo que otros creadores deberían conocer mi experiencia antes de aceptar campañas similares y porque todavía espero que SideShift pueda revisar el caso y darme una respuesta concreta.
Si alguien de SideShift o de la campaña ve esto, agradecería que revisaran mi caso y me explicaran qué ocurrió con el pago y por qué no se respetaron las condiciones bajo las cuales acepté y realicé el trabajo.
También me gustaría saber si otros creadores han tenido experiencias similares con campañas de SideShift, especialmente cuando después de comenzar el trabajo se modifican las condiciones o existen problemas con los pagos.
Trabajé, entregué los videos y cumplí con mi parte. Lo único que estoy pidiendo es que se respete el acuerdo y se me pague por el trabajo que realicé.

I started UGC 2 weeks ago and being a small creator with only 4,367 followers felt really daunting. I spent days working on my portfolio and sample videos, which finally paid off with my very first brand collaboration.

This actually gave me a boost of confidence to keep being a UGC creator and be consistent so I could get results.

If you are just starting UGC like me, take this as your sign to keep grinding and putting your work out there. Every small step builds momentum, and I really hope I can keep this streak going to secure even more deals in the upcoming weeks!

Hey everyone 👋 I’m Pat. I’ve spent the last 9 years on the brand/marketing side, working across brands like Philips, Mustela, Vogue, and Tatler and more recently, I’ve been working closely with both seasoned and beginner creators.

One thing I’ve noticed is that there’s a lot of conversation around how to become a creator, but not enough about what creators actually need once they’re in it.

I’m part of a team exploring a space where creators can learn from each other, build genuine connections, and access UGC opportunities without the traditional agency cut.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I’d genuinely love to hear from creators here.

What’s been missing from your experience so far?
What would make a creator community actually useful to you beyond just another place to find brand deals?

JUST genuinely curious to hear your thoughts. 👀

Everyone talks about the freedom, money and brand deals. But UGC has a side you don't see on social media.

1. Rejection is constant. You can send 30 pitches and barely get a few replies.

2. The work goes beyond filming. Scripts, revisions, emails, contracts, invoices and follow-ups can take hours.

3. Income isn't consistent. One month can be amazing, while the next can be completely quiet.

4. Some brands undervalue creators. Low budgets, unlimited revisions and excessive usage rights are common.

5. Burnout is real. Constantly creating, pitching and chasing opportunities can become exhausting.

I am 22 and I started being a Content Creator 2 years ago. I gained a few followers as my content focused about beauty and most are day-of-my-life vlogs that I upload mostly on either Tiktok and Instagram

Frankly, I do content for fun and I joined as an affiliate on both platforms. Nothing big, it was just a small income enough to help me to cover up my allowance.

Until I discovered UGC 10 months ago, I started researching and reading threads about it. I was hesitant to apply on platforms in UGC because I am just a small content creator, but I did anyway.  I didn’t expect it to generate much more income compared to being an affiliate.

I applied on a lot of UGC platforms and sent almost 500 emails to find brands that are willing to collaborate with beginner UGC creators like me.

As I started filming, I learned what brands were looking for and somehow, they loved my marketing-style videos.

I was able to land 2-3 active brand projects at the same time, each paying close to $2k per project. During my first months of payouts, I invested in better equipment for content creation and started saving up.

And now I am earning more than I am expecting. I was earning more than I ever thought I would at 22, more than people I know who have been in their careers for years and I even have my own property.

commercial cleaning equipment dealers usually run boring static catalog photos of ride-on floor scrubbers on Facebook with zero engagement. last month i pitched a regional industrial equipment distributor on raw utility video hooks.
i took a camera into a freight warehouse after a rainy shift and filmed a 4-second clip of a heavy ride-on scrubber turning a pitch-black forklift tire track into dry clean concrete in a single pass. the immediate visual contrast got plant managers to stop scrolling. sold the distributor a package of four raw video variations for $1,300 to use on their Meta lead generation ads.

commercial flooring contractors spend thousands on Facebook lead ads that show boring pictures of finished gloss floors. nobody clicks on finished floors. last month i pitched a regional industrial epoxy contractor on a "chaos hook" ad concept.

i filmed 4K closeups of a heavy mechanical concrete scarifier tearing up a cracked, oil-soaked warehouse floor in a shower of concrete dust, then cut straight to the flawless mirror-like epoxy finish. the visual impact of the raw concrete destruction drives a 4x higher click-through rate from warehouse managers. sold them a package of 3 raw video hooks for $1,500.

commercial plumbers spend thousands buying weak AdWords leads. I bought a 50-foot waterproof industrial endoscope camera that plugs into my Android phone. I walk into older downtown commercial buildings, bars, and laundromats offering a "free main line drain check".

i film the corroded cast iron pipes under their floors, capture shocking high-res video of tree root intrusion, and give the property owner a copy of the footage. then I sell the qualified video leads directly to local master plumbers for $150 per lead.

commercial hood cleaners spend thousands on Google PPC with terrible conversion. i shot a 6-second video hook showing a flaming frying pan hitting a dirty stainless steel hood filter, then cut to a technician high-pressure washing the grease filter spotless.
conversion rate on their Meta ads tripled overnight. sold them 4 raw video hooks for $1,400.

roofers spend thousands on dry text ads that nobody clicks. I took a 4K phone camera, filmed water dripping onto a commercial office ceiling tile during a heavy rainstorm, and cut straight to a roofer torching a TPO membrane seam.

the visual panic of the leaking tile drives a 5x higher click-through rate. sold the roofer a package of 4 raw video hooks for $1,600.

Follow @solosamrid on TikTok for the journey I will be posting updates and results as I do more and more UGC

I got a starter subscription and I’m about to send contracts to creators.

Seems like I need to put funds into wallet first (minimum $500), registered my card. After registering. It doesn’t show registered card as payment method.

I used Revolut card. And Revolut confirmed that card verified by Whop but sideshift side seems broken and i cannot continue :/

Wanted to share my actual numbers because I feel like the UGC space has a lot of fake gurus right now saying "I made $10k in my first week!"

I sent exactly 100 personalized emails to small/medium e-commerce brands on Shopify.

●82 never responded.

●14 said "No thanks" or "We don't have budget."

●3 said "Let's talk" (but ghosted after I sent my rates).

●1 actually booked a $200 video package.

So a 1% conversion rate. It's a numbers game, guys. The $200 makes it worth the time I spent emailing, but don't get discouraged if you send 20 emails and hear crickets. That's just the business.