There are incredible opportunities for creators to leverage their talent through UGC, which has become one of the most popular forms of short-form video content in 2023. Whether you've been exploring Instagram Reels or scrolling through TikTok, you’ve probably seen more UGC creators than you even realize.
It’s worth noting that unboxing videos, GRWM, tutorials, or a simple day-in-the-life narrative are increasingly appealing to brands aiming to establish trust with their audiences.
Highly curated content has been on the back burner of Instagram for the past year, and people have preferred a more authentic approach, which is why UGC creation has taken over. Becoming a UGC creator differs from becoming an influencer because it does not require a large following to get started. All you need is your iPhone camera and a creative eye!
This blog explores:
- What is a UGC creator?
- Why UGC is important to a content strategy.
- How to find UGC creators.
- How to become a UGC creator.
What Is a UGC Creator?
UGC is short for 'user-generated content.' It refers to any form of photos or videos created by users that cultivate a connection with a brand’s community. Leveraging UGC is crucial for establishing and nurturing relationships with a brand's following. Incorporating UGC creators into your marketing strategy is a skillful way to expand the diversity of individuals and content showcasing your brand and its products.
UGC creators specialize in creating genuine and personal content — which is excellent for a brand's image. It is meant to come across as authentic but is ultimately sponsored by the brand.
Why Is UGC Important to a Content Strategy?
UGC helps inform your content strategy and can even point to potential influencers for your brand to work with — here are four reasons why UGC is essential to a content marketing strategy.
Builds Community and Trust
UGC videos tend to be less polished and appear more natural, making it less evident that a brand sponsor is behind them. UGC emulates day-to-day life, making it feel trustworthy and authentic. Working with UGC creators also creates opportunities for brands to expand to niche audiences that may be more likely to buy from a smaller creator they have a stronger connection to than a larger-scale creator with highly curated content.
Having influential UGC created for your brand is invaluable to a brand’s success.
Cost-Effective
Since UGC creators are not large-scale influencers, they are much more cost-effective for brands to hire than the Alix Earles of the world. For instance, a nano-creator with 2K followers would be drastically less expensive than hiring someone with 1M followers. Micro or nano-creators may also be a better return on investment for brands and their overall social media budget, as hiring someone with a community that is more likely to engage with what they promote will have a greater ROI.
Boost Conversions
The ultimate goal of a UGC creator is to boost sales and build credibility for a brand. UGC is the social proof for a potential buyer. A Business Wire (2023) study reports that consumers are 2.4 times as likely to say UGC is more authentic than branded content. The personalization tactics of a UGC video are influential from a buyer's perspective in recognizing the value of a product or service.
Increase Engagement
Dash Hudson’s Social Media Trends Report highlights that nano-creators are more likely to succeed on social media and often have the highest-engaged audiences. This is because as a creator narrows in on a niche, their audience will see them as an ‘expert’ in that area. Nano-creators drive higher engagement because of the trust they have built with their tight-knit community. For example, a nano-influencer who loves to post daily about travel accommodations would be a trustworthy resource for finding a place to stay on your next vacation. This influence can not only boost your engagement but overall brand awareness.
How To Find UGC Creators
There are various online platforms brands can seek out creators for hire and save valuable hours scrolling through TikTok, including Upwork, Fivver, Billo and Twitter.
UGC content creators may also cold outreach and pitch themselves to brands independently, contacting social media managers and emailing the PR contacts at the brand.
To get even more specific, brands can also use the Dash Hudson platform to source and filter through creators. Creator Discovery is found within the Relationships feature, where you’ll see a curated list of creators listed by their average engagements. At a glance, marketers can see their handle, region, top interests, four most recent posts, profile picture and of course, their followers and engagement rate.
What’s more, you can click these Creator Cards to glean deeper insights into their interests, and filter your search to focus on creators that use — or don’t use — specific keywords, so you can find creators that hold similar values to your brand. You can also filter your creator search by location, mentions, followers, interests and time periods, which can eliminate lengthy sessions scrolling through social. What’s more, this lets brands explore creators that would work best for them and have the highest likelihood of resonating with their audience.
How To Become a UGC Creator
As mentioned before, what is excellent about UGC creators is that they only require a small number of followers to succeed. Anyone can learn how to become a UGC creator. Here are some actionable tips for how to get started:
- Create a digital portfolio or media kit. This will allow you to showcase your skills to brands and demonstrate your ability to create content that will resonate with their unique audience.
- Get the right supplies: a good tripod, ring light, iPhone camera, and external hard drive will do the trick.
- Find your niche: Have fun creating videos that you’re passionate about. Users can feel your personality through a camera lens. Use this to your advantage — beauty products, cooking tools, or clothes — anything goes!
- Optimize your video content: Increase your social traffic by implementing SEO social media practices, like using keywords and trending hashtags in your videos and discussing topics relevant to your community.
- Use editing tools: Video editing apps will help you to create high-quality content. Knowing how to make your own videos is a practical skill for any social media marketer.
Measure Creator Impact With Dash Hudson
With Dash Hudson, you can measure and monitor influencer and creator relationships easily. The Relationships and Influencer Measurement feature gives your team an indication of which creators will provide the most value and where you may need to re-evaluate your strategy.
Dash Hudson’s custom reports are a valuable time-saving tool when it comes to measuring influencer and creator ROI. They enable teams to make faster, strategic decisions in their day-to-day regarding collaborations and content choices that will drive the most engagement. These reports offer insights into which UGC will perform best, and provide a clearer perspective on which UGC creators are the best fit for your unique brand.
FAQs
How much do UGC creators make?
Like influencer marketing, there are standards for how much UGC creators will charge a brand for their services. A significant difference is that the UGC creator is not obligated to post the content on their social channels. Based on this, the average amount is around $150-200 per video, but multiple factors could vary based on what you are offering the brand.
What is the goal of a UGC creator?
The goal of a UGC creator, much like the cost of their services, can vary. However, one common objective is to help build the credibility of brands through humanized and relatable content on social media.
What does UGC stand for?
UGC stands for ‘User-Generated-Content.’
