How To Become a UGC Creator in The UK 2024?
User Generated Content (UGC) creation is one of the best social media side hustles to start in 2024. This new area of social media marketing allows everyday people to make good money by creating content for brands. Becoming a UGC creator in the UK involves building a portfolio of content and reaching out to brands directly. It is also possible to find work as a UGC creator by joining an agency. In this guide on how to become a UGC creator in the UK, we will look at how to start a UGC side hustle on various social media platforms including TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. We will also look at how to join a UGC agency to find paid opportunities as a creator in 2024.
Also read: What is a UGC creator?
How To Become a UGC Creator - Complete Guide 2024
UGC creators are everyday people that create content that is authentic and relatable. Unlike traditional social media influencers, UGC creators do not need to have a big following because they do not post content on their own platforms. Instead, the content is posted directly onto the brand’s social page. Therefore, it is possible for anyone to make money as a UGC creator, as long as you are able to create high-quality content that will drive traffic to a brand’s page.
This is an excellent way to make money on your phone for anyone who knows how to create engaging social media content and wants to turn their hobby into an income stream. In fact, some UGC creators are able to earn a full-time income from social media.
Here are the basic steps that you should follow to become a UGC creator and start making money in 2024:
Step 1: Pick a UGC niche
The first step to becoming a UGC creator in the UK in 2024 is to pick a niche that you would like to create content in. Popular niches include beauty, fashion, technology, and D.I.Y. However, it is possible to create content in pretty much any niche that you have an interest in.
A good idea is to choose a niche that you know a lot about. This will make it easier to create content that is relevant and appealing to the specific audience demographic.
Step 2: Familiarize yourself with content trends and choose a style of content
The next step is to decide what type of content you want to create as a UGC creator. Do you want to create faceless content? or perhaps you would rather create chatty hauls and tutorials? Maybe you would like to focus on photo content and create cool edits?
It’s important to establish your preferred style at the beginning so that you can dial down and become an expert in that specific style of content. This will make it easier to position yourself as a professional creator and encourage brands to work with you.
Step 3: Create a UGC portfolio
The best way to secure paid UGC content deals is to create a professional portfolio that showcases your skills to potential clients. A portfolio is a collection of work that highlights your skills. One of the best tools to use to build a portfolio is Wix which is free to use.
The best UGC portfolios include a variety of content examples as well as some information about yourself as a creator. It is also a good idea to include a contact page as well as a page that includes information about your rates.
Step 4: Build your own social media account
The aim of UGC is to increase a brand’s reach on social media. Therefore, brands look for UGC creators who have plenty of social media experience and understand what works on social app. The best way to demonstrate this is to build your own successful social media account.
You do not have to have millions of followers, or even thousands, to be a UGC creator. However, it helps to have high engagement rates and to have a page of your own that looks professional.
Step 5: Reach out to brands for paid content opportunities
The next step is to reach out to brands and offer your UGC services. To be successful, market your services in a way that shows how UGC will solve current problems that they might be having with their existing social media marketing campaigns.
For example, you could demonstrate how your content could increase their traffic or boost sales. Before reaching out to a brand, familiarize yourself with their social media strategy so that you can tailor your proposition to them.
The best way to reach out to a brand is through email. However, you could also send a message through social media to a small brand and provide your email address for further information.
Step 6: Join a UGC creator platform
The best way to find UGC opportunities is to join a UGC creator platform or agency. Agencies act as third parties between creators and brands. By joining an agency, you will be able to find paid work opportunities from a pool of open UGC creator jobs.
You can apply to agencies online with your UGC portfolio or social media account.
To increase your chances of success, write a professional email that explains how your UGC services will solve problems. Provide a link to your professional portfolio and propose a video call to discuss the opportunity further.
The process of becoming a UGC creator is similar across all social media platforms. However, there may be differences in the type of content that you should create for your initial portfolio. Below is run down of how to become a UGC creator on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube in the UK 2024.
How to become a UGC creator on TikTok
Post your content on TikTok regularly to attract potential partnerships.
Create a professional portfolio of your work.
Reach out to small brands for partnerships.
To become a UGC creator on TikTok, you need to build a portfolio that showcases your video creation talents. Then, reach out to small brands and explain how your videos could help them to grow. To be a successful UGC creator, your content must solve problems and provide value.
A good idea is to take a look at the existing content on a brand’s TikTok page and come up with ways that you would improve it. To become a UGC creator on TikTok, it is also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the algorithm. You can show your knowledge of the platform by building your own TikTok account that has a good engagement rate.
The TikTok algorithm is great for quickly boosting traffic and creating trends. Therefore, to become a UGC creator on TikTok you need to be able to create content that performs well on the For You page. This involves understanding current trends and using native TikTok editing tools to optimize content for users.
TikTok is the most popular platform for beginner UGC creators. This is due to the fact that TikTok provides a great editor that allows novice content creators to easily create professional-looking videos.
TikTok is also the second highest-paying platform for UGC creators after YouTube which makes it an appealing option for creators that want to replace their full-time income with UGC.
How to become a UGC creator on Instagram
Create an Instagram account in the niche that you would like to specialize in and post regularly.
Build a professional online portfolio that showcases your skills.
Reach out to small brands for opportunities.
To become an Instagram UGC creator, you need to be able to create both video and photo for brands. Therefore, it is a good idea to build a professional portfolio that showcases your photography skills, photo editing skills, and video creation skills.
The Instagram algorithm is more difficult to crack than the TikTok algorithm, so UGC creators must be able to prove to brands that they know how to use it. The best way to do this is to create and grow your own Instagram account to a substantial engagement rate and follower count.
When you have built an impressive portfolio of Instagram content, reach out to small brands via Instagram DM and offer your services. An even better way to conduct outreach is through email. However, some small brands will not disclose their contact details unless you directly ask them.
While it is not impossible for your first UGC gig to be for a big brand, most new UGC creators will start by creating content for smaller brands that pay a lower rate.
How to become a UGC creator on YouTube
Start your own YouTube channel to showcase your skills.
Film product reviews, hauls, and unboxing videos.
Reach out to brands and collaborate with other creators to improve your chances of success.
The easiest way to become a UGC creator on YouTube is to start your own channel that focuses on promotional content such as hauls, tutorials, reviews, and unboxing videos. You can use your own channel as a portfolio when reaching out to brands.
One of the best ways to grow quickly on YouTube is to collaborate with other creators who already have a following on the platform. This is a good way to improve your reach and attract the attention of potential brand partnership opportunities.
YouTube is the highest-paying platform for UGC creators which makes it a very good platform to specialize in. UGC creators on YouTube create long-form video content such as tutorials or hauls to promote products. To be s successful UGC creator on YouTube, you need to have an engaging on-screen personality, good editing skills and an understanding of how to optimize videos for YouTube search results.
How To Become a UGC Creator Through an Agency
Although reaching out to brands directly can be a very effective way to become a UGC creator, some creators prefer to use agencies to find work. Content creator agencies are businesses that connect talented creators to brands- they act as the middleman between partnerships.
To become a UGC creator through an agency, simply sign up as a creator, build a portfolio, and work with the agency to find potential partnership opportunities. The exact process of finding work through a content agency will differ depending on which agency you use.
Join UGC3 agency to start making money as a UGC creator.
Content agency eligibility requirements
Most content agencies will have an application process through which they can decide which creators to work with. For example, the UK agency UGC3 asks questions about your experience, current social media status and the type of content that you specialize in.
Most agencies do not require creators to have a huge following on social media. However, most UGC creators are expected to have a social media page with high-quality content. Most agencies will also ask for a portfolio.
Pros and cons of using an agency to become a UGC creator
The main advantage of working with an agency as a UGC creator is that you can reduce the time it takes to find work. Agencies will do all of the outreach for you and find brands on your behalf. This is ideal for new UGC creators who are trying to fit their UGC side hustle around other commitments.
Agencies also offer guaranteed payment to creators and handle any disputes that may occur. This can make the entire process a lot less stressful.
The main disadvantage of working with an agency is that most agencies take a percentage of payment as a fee for the work that they do. It is also difficult to set your own rates when working with an agency which could limit the amount that you earn.
Top Tips to Land Your First Paid UGC Job
The first UGC job is often the hardest to land. Therefore, many budding UGC creators quit before they’ve even started. To avoid getting disheartened and missing the opportunity to make good money through UGC, here are some top tips to land your first paid job as a UGC creator.
Put yourself in a box. To be successful in UGC, you need to establish yourself as an expert in a specific niche or content style. The best way to do this is to put yourself in a box from the very beginning by focusing on just one niche or content type. Build your expertise over time and aim to become the best creator in your category.
Invest in UGC creation equipment. Investing in professional filming and photography equipment will help take your content to the next level, which could lead to more clients. This doesn’t mean spending thousands on a new camera. However, you could invest in backgrounds, props, and professional editing tools to make your portfolio stand out.
Establish yourself as an expert on social media. One of the best ways to increase your chances of success as a UGC creator is to establish yourself as an expert in UGC on social media. This involves creating informative content about UGC and the UGC creation process and posting this to your socials. A good way to do this is to film behind-the-scenes content, tip and tricks videos, and FAQ content. Establishing yourself as an expert will increase your trustworthiness.
Make your portfolio stand out. Big brands receive pitches from hundreds of UGC creators every single day. To increase your chances of being considered for a paid job, focus on making your portfolio stand out from others. Experiment with different lighting, editing tools and angles to create content that looks fresh.
Learn as much as possible. The most successful UGC creators are talented and can create industry-leading content. To get to this level yourself, you should try to learn as much as possible about UGC. Take online workshops, courses and webinars to improve your skills and level up your work.
Conclusion
You should now have a clear idea about how to become a UGC creator in the UK in 2024. Successful creators spend time building a good portfolio and reaching out to potential brands who may need UGC services. You could join an agency to speed up the process of finding clients, however, doing this could limit the amount of money that you make from UGC.
By following the right process and investing in equipment and courses, it is very possible to make a full-time income as a UGC creator in the UK. For more side hustle ideas and guides, subscribe to The Rich Girl Guide.
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FAQs
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We spent some time reading UGC creator earnings reports and foud that the average UGC creator in the UK makes around £3500 per month. At the upper end of the scale, the highest-earning UGC creators make around £10,000 per month. At the other end, the lower-paid creators earn around £1000 per month.
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Becoming a UGC creator requires content creation skills and a good understanding of social media marketing. However, it is not difficult to learn the skills that you need to become a successful UGC creator. Furthermore, you do not need to have a large following to become a UGC creator in the UK.
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The best way to work out how much to charge as a UGC creator is to set an hourly rate. For example, you could set your rate at £50 per hour. If a video takes 3 hours to film and edit, you would charge £150. It is also worth considering the costs of filming equipment and adding this to your fee.
About The Author
Ruby is the founder of The Rich Girl Guide and has been writing content around personal finance, side hustles and wellbeing for over 3 years. You can find some of Ruby’s published articles on The Motley Fool UK, Tradingplatforms.com and Buyshares.co.uk.