What exactly is a UGC Creator, and why is it so popular on social media?

If you use TikTok often or just started, you've probably seen a lot of TikTokers and other creators promote UGC as a great way to make money quickly by making content.

If you use TikTok often or just started, you've probably seen a lot of TikTokers and other creators promote UGC as a great way to make money quickly by making content. For months, user-generated content (UGC) has been the most popular thing on TikTok's For Your Page (FYP). At the moment, nearly 200 million people have looked at the hashtag UGC on the platform. It seems like no one can open the app without seeing at least one TikToker talking about how profitable the side hustle is. So, what is a UGC creator? Why are there more and more of them? And how do you become one? In this article, we'll answer all of these questions. So, keep reading.

What exactly is a UGC Creator, and why is it so popular on social media?
Why is it so popular?
How to become a UGC Creator?
Choose brands to work with!
Create unique content!
Build a portfolio!
Conclusion

What exactly is a UGC Creator, and why is it so popular on social media?

UGC has usually been thought of as content made by a brand's followers or customers on their own, which the brand then shares on its own accounts.
A UGC Creator is a content creator who specializes in user-generated content. They create content for brands that looks like what you'd see on an influencer's social media page, but there's one big difference: where that content is posted. UGC can be in many different forms, like static images, short videos, and long reviews. Most people who make UGC are experts in one or more of these formats.

Why is it so popular?

No longer do companies try to sell more of their products by making one-dimensional marketing campaigns. In this day and age, marketing is more focused on the customer because the customer holds the key to success. Brands are making it easier for people to interact with their marketing campaigns and spread the word about them. So, brands are now trying hard to get more "authentic" content for their social media feeds. In fact, it seems like two of the most popular social media sites are moving away from traditional influencer content. This makes brands value UGC more.

How to become a UGC Creator?

Being a UGC creator is different from being a traditional influencer in that you don't need a huge following to get started. Since the content you create will be posted on a brand's channels instead of your own, the quality of the content is more important than the number of people who follow you. So, if you want to start making UGC, you must first develop your content creation skills. Just because user-generated content is low-quality doesn't mean it should look unprofessional.

3 ways to start being a UGC Creator...

Choose brands to work with!

Brands won't reach out to you just because you're really good at making content. You need to be proactive to get your first deals when you're just starting out. Even if you've been making content for a while and want to branch out into UGC, you'll have to find those first few brands on your own. You can find opportunities for UGC through general freelancing services like Upwork or specific platforms like Influee. Look at the brands you want to work with and spend some time going through the content they already post.

Create unique content!

Decide if you want to become an expert in a certain type of content or if you want to stay a generalist. If you want to focus on photography, you should start by learning the basics, like how to pose and how to light a shot. Make short videos that would work well on Reels, TikTok, or Stories if you feel more comfortable in front of the camera. Content creation and getting the right tools go hand in hand. This is also the reason why a lot of people don't keep going with making content. We live in a time when most people don't need equipment. Almost everyone has a smartphone, if not everyone. The video settings on smartphones these days are really good. However, as you grow, you need to invent better equipment to make better and higher-quality videos.

Build a portfolio!

Putting yourself in the mind of an artist or graphic designer is a good idea. Clients need to look at a graphic designer's portfolio to get an idea of what they do. You will have to do pretty much the same thing. You could do this by putting videos on your account or by making a website that shows off all your work. Putting together a portfolio can help you better pitch brands, show off your work, and make long-term partnerships. If you aren't ready to pitch directly, you can look at websites like Twitter, where many brands have open calls for UGC creators.

Conclusion

Have you decided that you want to make UGC your full-time job? If you decide to be a UGC creator, keep in mind that your income will largely depend on brand deals. This could be a good or bad thing. UGC creators are in high demand right now, which means you can make a lot of money. On the other hand, the unstable nature of the Internet can leave you broke when there is a trend shift and there is less demand for user-generated content creators. But if you want to create content full-time, don't just focus on user-generated content. Develop your content creation skills, find your niche, and build your brand. It opens you up to more opportunities.

STAY ORGANIZED

Schedule all of your content like never before!

Social media content calendars are the best way to plan and organize upcoming content. With the Content Calendar, you can plan upcoming posts, track what’s been posted, and coordinate your efforts with your team.

LEARN MORE

EDITOR

Dilhan Limnili

Community & Content Manager, RADAAR

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Find out what you should know about a content calendar!

A content calendar is vital to your marketing strategy and your brand’s ability to attract and convert your target customers. But a content calendar isn’t a simple discipline. It has many facets, central to which is planning, scheduling, and publishing your content through various channels. A content calendar offers you the opportunity to see what topics you’ve covered so you don’t duplicate efforts while also helping you keep to your themes. Want to know more about a content calendar?

What is a content calendar?

Social media content calendars are the best way to plan and organize upcoming content.

Why use a social media content calendar?

Content calendars serve as the framework for what your business plans to share and promote across all social media channels. A well thought out and organized social media calendar can help to define your content themes and posting cadences to match each social platform's audience and objective.

How to create a content calendar?

Audit your social networks and content then add your social channels. Start crafting your posts and schedule your content accordingly.

Who should use a content calendar?

Content calendar enables content publishers to plan, create, publish, and promote their content in an organized manner. Many bloggers and businesses use editorial or content calendars to streamline content production. So everyone who works in social media management should have it.