How to hire a UGC creator (a practical checklist for brands)

1. Decide what the video has to accomplish

Before you look at a single creator, write one sentence: where this video runs and what it needs to do. A cold paid social ad, a product page explainer and a retargeting clip are three different briefs, and a creator can only hit the target you name.

2. Shortlist on category fit, not follower count

UGC is commissioned creative, so audience size is mostly irrelevant. What matters is whether the creator can handle your product credibly.

• Have they demonstrated something similar in difficulty?
• Do they look like your customer, or like a stock creator?
• Can they explain a product without reading the packaging?
• Is their delivery direct enough to carry an offer?

3. Write a brief a creator can actually shoot from

• The product, and the single best thing about it
• Who buys it and what frustration they're trying to end
• Claims you can and cannot make
• Where the video will run, and required lengths and ratios
• How many concepts and hook variations you want
• Deadline, and the usage rights you need

4. Agree on the commercial terms before shooting

Settle deliverable count, revision rounds, paid usage duration and turnaround in writing. Most of the friction in creator projects comes from usage rights being discussed after the footage exists.

5. Judge the output like a media buyer

• Does the first two seconds state a problem the viewer recognizes?
• Is the product clearly in use, not just held?
• Is the audio clean enough for sound on placements?
• Do you have enough distinct hooks to actually test?

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