20 UGC creator jobs: How to get brands to pay you big money

Getting a UGC creator job is like being an influencer but without the self-promotion. Your reels are posted on a brand page, not yours.

And you get paid for it. All you need is a phone camera and some confidence. Sounds doable, right?

But, how do you get started? What type of content do you need to create? And how do you get paid?

We’re going to make it easy to understand, so you can start becoming a UGC creator today!

What is a UGC creator?

A UGC creator is someone who creates ‘User Generated Content’ (UGC) to promote a brand or product. Their role is to produce content, such as videos, blogs, or images, that looks like a genuine user made it.

Many brands hire UGC creators to promote their products or services, usually posting them on the brand’s social media profiles.

It’s a highly effective marketing technique, with 77% of consumers more likely to buy products found via UGC. UGC is very popular on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where lo-fi DIY content makes up 99% of what we see. UGC content looks natural on these platforms.

The difference between a UGC creator and an influencer

The worlds of UGC creators and social media influencers are closely connected. But there are some key differences. Make sure you know the difference, because there are a lot of bad articles that get the two mixed up and waste your time.

Influencers are creators who can get paid to promote products on their own social media profiles. The posts must be marked as an advertisement, and it can feel like the influencer is selling the product to you.

UGC creators generate content that is typically posted directly on the brand’s social media. This type of content tends to provide a more natural insight into the product or service. It feels less sales-y.

Influencers also make use of their large followings, while UGC creators don’t need any following at all.

UGC Ads vs UGC Organic content

You’re going to hear these terms a lot. You might even get quoted for both.

Here’s the difference:

Organic UGC is content posted on socials (like a brand’s TikTok). They create entertainment and curiosity in a product or service. They often look very casual, as if it was created naturally by a fan.
UGC ads are promoted with paid ads. They aim to sell directly, by calling the viewer to click a link or go buy a product. UGC ads usually spend more and require careful script-writing.

20 UGC creator jobs you can make money with

When we talk about UGC creator jobs, we’re referring to the different types of niches and video styles. You can choose your role yourself.

But focusing on one type of UGC creator job will help you stand out to brands who know you specialize in a particular style.

Here are 20 of the most popular types of UGC creator jobs to get you started. Feel free to check out Whop for niche-specific gurus to help you get started.

1. Reviewer

A UGC creator who makes reviews gets their hands on a product and then creates a video or article that shares their opinion. It usually compliments the brand but is more natural than a paid-ad type review.

Your specific niche will dictate how you review; for example, beauty reviewers might create a video applying make-up, sharing their opinion on how it feels, applies to the skin, and achieves their look.

Reviewers of a restaurant might create a video of their evening out - from leaving sitting down at their table, to devouring their dessert.

2. Travel UGC creators

Hotels, agencies, tours, and attractions all need to promote themselves. They can turn to travel-focused UGC creators who dedicate their jobs to video and photography of travel locations.

You’ll need to create reels that expose the very best of a location, often in a review, story, or how-to style. This can be enticing, as you may get an all-expenses-paid trip to an exotic location.

Read our guide to becoming a travel influencer and making money from anywhere.

3. Brand ambassador

If you’ve already got a following, you could become the face of a brand. In exchange for attractive pay (usually on a retainer), you’ll need to generate UGC content that can be used across all social media channels.

So, if you’re a brand ambassador for Reebok, you’d create exciting clips of you trying out their gear. Location, editing, quality, and personality are critical.

4. Tutorial creator

A tutorial is a video or article that showcases how to use a product or service. They can also be called a ‘how-to’.

They’re very common in the beauty industry, with UGC creators highlighting how to apply makeup or skincare products. But it works in any industry where some guidance is needed on using it - like apps or hardware.

Tutorials are great at avoiding the perception of being an ad, as they primarily serve a specific educational purpose.

5. Tech and gaming creator

When a tech brand needs to promote its new game or equipment, it can turn to you and your industry-focused UGC for promotion. Roblox is famous for using UGC content to promote its DLCs.

If you’ve got a knack for creating hilarious or exciting gaming reels, or love to review games and gear, then it could be perfect for you to zone in on.

6. Unboxing creator

Unboxing gives the perspective of a consumer receiving their product. It looks legit and can display the value of a product from the moment it arrives in the mail.

You need to carefully unpack it and review the contents, from the quality of the packaging to the size of the product and its features.

Ideally, you’ll need a nice pair of hands, a slick backdrop, and a voice to talk through what you’re unboxing.

7. Pet content creator

It’s time to collaborate with your pet(s). You can get hired by brands looking to sell pet-related products or services, by generating content that includes your pet.

Whether it’s putting a (pet-friendly) go-pro on your dog, trying out a new toy for your cat, or filming your labrador’s reaction to its new food, you can promote products with your unique combination of creator and pet.

8. Home decor and DIY

In the U.S., consumers spent approximately $235 billion on furniture last year, so there’s a huge market for promoting household products and furnishing.

You can focus on this niche and create UGC content about products in your home, showing how they solve a problem, elevate your home’s appearance, or provide new comfort. You'll shine in this niche if you’ve got a nice homely backdrop.

9. Event coverage

Do you love going to festivals, openings, and meet-ups? Then you can record your experience. You can interview guests, and fans, or provide a fast-paced recap (all while showing off the event’s qualities).

It requires an outgoing personality and the ability to take great shots and videos on the fly.

10. Extreme outdoors creator

You can’t ask a regular UGC creator to show off gym shorts while climbing a cliff face. That’s left to those who specialize in the extreme side of life.

If that’s you, you’ve got a truly unique angle that could be attractive to a large number of brands, with minimal competition. For example, I recently saw a skydiving company hire a UGC creator to film themselves skydiving out of a slide into the air.

11. Drone footage creator

Are you skilled at flying a drone around? You could get hired to film footage of events, resorts, restaurants, or products from unique angles.

If you can combine that with some personality, you’re onto a winning formula.

12. Lifestyle videos

Lifestyle covers everything we do daily, from looking after kids to cleaning our homes and decorating.

It's a very wide niche, so your personality needs to shine through. It’s wise to combine a lifestyle niche with other styles we’ve listed, such as memes, reviews, or problem-solving.

13. Memes and trends creator

All brands love to tap into viral moments. From memes and dance trends to filters and lip-syncing, your job is to highlight a product while giving a viewer the entertainment everyone loves.

It can be extremely powerful and add a creative spin to an otherwise average advertisement. This is a perfect UGC creator job for anyone who’s chronically online and can recognize a trend before it’s too late.

14. Solution videos

The most used and successful types of UGC advertising are problem and solution videos.

UGC creators must display a problem and show how a product or service can solve it. You’ll likely be asked to make these videos by brands, so get to grips with it early on.

You need to:

Describe the problem.
Display the problem.
Show how the brand or service is a solution.
Mention other benefits or features.
Include a call to action (CTA).

For example, Imagine you’re promoting a fancy new game-changing dehumidifier. You could display the humidity build-up in your bathroom after a shower, and hint at the dangers of mold. Then, you could make a video of you turning on your great new dehumidifier and show how much water it collects from the air. Say how it’s improved your health too—end by mentioning where the viewer can buy it.

15. Food content

Calling all foodies. You can promote restaurants, recipes, nutritionists, crockpots, meal-planning apps - you name it. It’s a wide niche great for anyone who shines in a kitchen or can convey their passion for delicious meals.

16. Fashion

If you’ve got style and look great with the camera on you, you can show off the latest releases of brands both big and small.

Whether you’re in front of your mirror, on a date night, or out and about in the city, your work needs to be authentic and stylish.

17. Articles

It’s not all about video content! Writers can shine too, with guest posts, blogs, listicles, and reviews that go into detail about a product or service.

Once again, personality is the key here. It can also easily transfer into the content creator and affiliate marketing realms.

18. Features point-out videos

‘Feature point-out’ UGC videos are straightforward. As a UGC creator, you’ll introduce the product and then quickly describe the benefits that make it so great. Then, end with a convincing CTA.

Remember to focus on what will help the end user the most.

19. Listicles

Listicles UGC can be made in video or blog format. They list several reasons you should try out a product or service, highlighting the defining features.

For example, ‘10 reasons why you should always buy Dr Martens’.

This article you’re currently reading itself is a listicle (but specifically for the UGC concept, rather than a brand).

20. Before and After

Before and after UGC videos or articles give an immediate insight into the results of using a product or service. Your job is to show some footage or shots of… before and after its use.

For example, imagine you show the effects of a cleaning product on a kitchen surface.

They can be very convincing, leaving the viewer with no doubt about product value. But for legal reasons, you can’t use before and after UGC for weight loss or cosmetic procedures.

How much money can you make from user-generated content?

UGC creator jobs pay dramatically different fees. After all, a start-up will pay a lot less than a household name.

On average, a UGC creator makes between $50 to $500 per piece of content. But established UGC creators are known for charging over $1,000! On the other hand, some UGC creators charge very low fees (around $10).

Even on the cheaper side, if you sold UGC content for $100 and made a sale daily, you’d make around $3,000 monthly.

Here’s some extra inspiration. UGC creator Chelsea Hope made over $130,000 in her first year as a UGC creator in 2022! Her first client paid $500, which led to a $3,000 retainer. She used Twitter (X) to promote her work and ended her first month with $10,000. So, there’s some serious cash to be gained.

How to get paid the top dollar as a UGC creator

So, how can you boost your earnings?

First, you need to increase your quality. Even if you’re making casual organic UGC, you’ll likely get paid if your portfolio is full of elevated production standards. That means thinking about engaging stories, stunning lighting, and great backdrops.

You can also earn more by white-listing the brand through ads and spark ads. This allows brands to run their ads through your social handles. You’ll gain passive income, just with them using your handle.

Many brands also like having raw content, or b-roll, to work with (as they might have in-house production teams). When negotiating, ask the brand if they’re interested in b-roll and raw footage. If they are, consider a higher rate for this extra video time.

Finally, long-term relationships always result in higher pay. The brands can recognize your value through their metrics and give you a wider scope for creativity.

You could make a whop to showcase your work and host chats with clients. The community hub aspect will be dramatically different from the countless other UGC creators.

Read all about what whops are and how they work.

10 steps to finding UGC creator jobs

You’re here to make money. So here are the steps to help you get that bag.

1. Prepare

Have you got everything you need? You’ll lose momentum unless you do.

To get started, you really don’t need much. We cannot stress this enough. You just need:

A smartphone
TikTok and Instagram accounts
Products that you can make example videos with
Confidence!

At first, a smartphone will be enough to make natural-looking content out of the gate. But if you have the funds, you should invest in a good camera, ring light, tripod, a nice backdrop, and a reliable microphone. These will help you elevate your content to the next level and remove you from the limitations of your phone camera.

You’ll also benefit from some editing software. CapCut is very popular and user-friendly and is owned by TikTok (so you can use all the usual TikTok effects while editing).

Finally, confidence is crucial, because you’ll be showing your face and voice a lot. If you’ve not got a lot of it right now, take some time to experiment in front of the camera. It’s fine to take some time to see what approaches work and what don’t.

2. Find your niche

If you could create content for any product or brand, who would it be?

Answering this question will help you find your niche - there’s no point reviewing fashion, if you’re more into board games.

Then, you can start doing some research. Do they have competitors you could also work for? Are there similar smaller brands and products that you could realistically start with? What type of UGC content is featured on their profile?

Take some time to analyze their pages and posts to learn what you can replicate or do better.

3. Build a UGC portfolio

In step one, we suggested finding some products that you can use to create example videos.

You can use these to create portfolio pieces that will showcase your UGC skills to potential brands. That way, you don’t have to hunt around for UGC jobs without anything to show off your skills.

Decide if you want to make videos or photos and start creating! Study your inspirations for camera angles, transitions, and presentation skills. You can then showcase your content on your social media, portfolio website, or Google Drive.

You can create a portfolio on Canva, Webflow, or Squarespace. Canva is very simple to use, comes with templates, and offers the option for a custom domain.

When you apply for a job or get a brand request, review your portfolio to show what you can do.

Your portfolio should include:

A cover page: This displays your likeness and personality. Highlight the problem you solve (such as increasing engagement or creating hilarious reels).
USP page: Introduce yourself and why your UGC skills are unique. If you’ve got experience in beauty products, for example, then it’s time to brag.
UGC examples: Include at most 10 examples, preferably with your voice included in at least one. Framing them in iPhones is a common design idea.
UGC case studies: Over time, you can replace your starter examples with genuine examples with real brands. Include stats and testimonials where possible.
Rates and packages: List the packages a brand can buy from you, with a defined rate. A good approach includes a 1 UGC ad package, a 3 UGC ad package, and a ‘Tester Package’, which provides for multiple approaches and variations. Include a retainer option too.
Your influence: If you’ve got a following, let brands know! Offer to become the face of their brand and entice them with follower and engagement stats.
Contact page: Include your social media links, phone number, and email so that brands can reach out to you quickly.

Don’t overload the reader with information or essays on what UGC content is. Less is more.

Building a reputation to land UGC creator jobs will heavily rely on your social media accounts. Now is the time to launch your Instagram and TikTok pages, carefully arranging reels and photos that showcase your skills.

You can even pin a post explaining what you do and how brands can contact you. Remember to include a link to your portfolio and regularly check your DMs for any requests.

5. Use UGC platforms

Thanks to UGC-focused platforms, you’ll be glad to hear that there is an alternative to the upheaval of pitching.

These sites are dedicated to connecting UGC creators with brands, using referral and rating systems. Most are free to use, with a small fee taken from the fee you earn for each gig.

Here are some popular choices:

BeeRoll
Billo
Insense
Trend
#Paid
Brands Meet Creators
Influee
The Right Fit
Trend
Tribe
UGC Shop

TikTok also has a ‘Creator Marketplace’ with access to over 150 markets, which allows users to work with brands directly in the app.

6. Start pitching to brands

So, you’ve got yourself an impressive UGC portfolio. Now, it’s time to find some brands that will pay you.

Sadly, you’ll first have to find them (rather than the reverse).

So, get out a spreadsheet or notepad and list all the brands you’d love to work with (big and small). Then, search for email addresses (either directly on their website or from their marketing or social media manager) and add them to the sheet.

Think about which brands have:

A similar target audience
Share your values
Share your aesthetic
Fit your business and financial goals

Send emails or DMs to brands or their managers and update the status of your application on the spreadsheet. We advise that you follow up on any ignored messages and use LinkedIn to find specific managers. You can use Chrome plug-ins like ‘Wiza’, to discover the public email addresses of LinkedIn users.

You can also browse Facebook’s Ad Library (for free) to see which brands are currently running paid ads, which will suggest they’ve got a budget to work with.

When communicating with brands, introduce yourself, be polite, share your passions, and include your portfolio. You can even include a quick rundown of some UGC ideas you have for them.

It’s going to take time, and you’ll receive many ignored emails. But your results will snowball!

7. Use freelance platforms

You can use freelancer platforms to expand your potential income streams. Fiverr, for example, allows you to list your UGC skill as a job that users can order on demand. You get paid fast and they get the content in return.

8. Network online

To look professional, you can start networking on X and LinkedIn. You may get the chance to connect with brands and business types looking for people they can trust their money with.

UGC creators who’ve found success frequently praise X for finding people to connect with long-term so, we recommend it. If you’re anti-X, there’s always BlueSky and Threads, for similar results. There are often UGC casting calls on all three.

9. Create contracts

As with most freelancing jobs, you need to protect yourself before you get started with a contract. Countless free contract templates online can cover the basics (of course, read them carefully).

Ensure the contract covers the scope of your work, the type of content you’ll make, and any other specific requirements. Then define the agreed fee and payment schedule. You can use this to protect you in cases where a brand doesn’t pay for your work. Often the mere existence of a contract is enough to ensure a brand doesn’t forget to pay you on time.

You’ll also need to outline who owns the content and where they can use it. If you have any concerns about using your image, now is the time to state it.

Ask the brand to sign it and you’re set.

10. Keep informed

As your content will get posted on a brand page, you will only get access to data insights if you ask for it. So, consider asking for performance insights to gauge what works and what doesn’t.

Only some brands will be willing to hand out data, but others will be impressed by your commitment and give you feedback with data to back it up.

Examples of successful UGC creators

Everyone needs a bit of inspiration. Here’s a look at five UGC creators who make a living from working with brands:

Piper Philips

Piper is an influencer in her own right, but she’s also a very successful UGC creator and previously created for Starbucks’ TikTok channel. Check it out if you want to learn about the impact of storytelling.

Ang Wells

Ang Wells makes UGC content for brands in the beauty and skincare industries. She creates reels that tell stories, review products, and demonstrate products in use. Her portfolio is stacked with metrics to back up her examples and is a great example to start with.

TheSamanthaJD

Covering food, tech, and lifestyle, SamanthaJD has a brilliant portfolio to inspire you. It includes organic analytics and examples of her short-form UGC videos - including for big brands such as Adobe.

Mehr Rajput

Mehr has created viral reels for the likes of Garnier, Vaseline, and L’Oreal. Her relaxed and natural content creation shows what you can do without the big fancy lights and cameras. Her portfolio is very neat and is worth checking out.

Nivea

Here’s one from the brand perspective. Go check out Nivea’s TikTok page. It is reel after reel of UGC content - including some repeat content creators (who are surely getting paid handsomely).

Learn from UGC pros with Whop

Ready to start landing UGC creator jobs? Boost your chances by expanding your knowledge with tips and guidance from experienced UGC creators.

Whop is stacked with wisdom and insider secrets to help you land the big buck gigs. There are various Whop communities and courses, with chats featuring gurus and people just like you.

It’s a gold mine for UGC wisdom - from contacting brands to understanding what’s currently trending.

You could even create your own whop to stand out from the crowd, showcasing your work and hosting chats with brands and potential clients.

Whop is a platform built by creators, for creators - check it out and see how Whop can help you grow your business.

Head to Whop

FAQs

Can you be a UGC creator with no experience?

Yes. You’ll need to make examples to get the ball rolling, but the only experience you need is the trial and error from practice.

Once you’ve started to build a portfolio, you’ll find things will gather pace and you’ll begin to get brands reaching out to you directly.

How do I choose a price?

If you’re a newbie, it’s wise to start pricing your work at $100 to $150 per batch of raw UGC content or video.

Once you have a proven track record for creating content that converts, you can start charging big bucks ($300 to $1,000).

Is UGC-created content real?

Yes. And no. It’s effectively ads, but as it's user-generated, it retains a slice of truth. That laugh or amazed reaction to a new meal or toy is likely legit. But, was there an urge to film themselves using the video and then post it? Probably not.

Is becoming a UGC creator right for me?

Becoming a UGC creator is a great way to dip your toes into the content-creating world, without being an influencer (which is often scary and revealing).

Confidence is needed, but you won’t need to go around self-promoting yourself on your socials. You’ll be sending your work to the brands to post!

Are UGC creator jobs sustainable?

UGC creator jobs should be one of several revenue streams when trying to make money as a content creator online.

While many UGC creators boast about their six-figure earnings, it’s often not the case. It’s wise to think of it as a source of side income at first.

If you want to boost your income through other similar revenue streams, you can also consider affiliate marketing, subscriptions, sponsorships, and selling digital products. Although, these will require you to grow your socials.

Should I contact brands directly?

As we’ve already discussed, you can sign up for a third-party platform. It would be foolish not to consider it at first. However, the pay is rarely as fulfilling as working directly with a brand. We advise that you try to reach out to brands directly, via their social media or marketing managers.