How to become a UGC creator with no followers

What a UGC creator actually does

A UGC creator is paid to produce content in the style of customer-made content, which the brand then uses on its own channels.¹ You make the kind of video a happy customer would post: unboxings, demos, before and afters, quick reviews filmed in your kitchen.

The main difference from influencing is where the video lives. UGC creators are paid for the content itself rather than for posting it to their own audience, so brands can reuse it across campaigns.¹ You deliver the file, they post it on their TikTok, their ads, their product page. You never have to post the video to your own audience.

That's why this works for beginners. UGC creators are hired for production skill, not follower count.¹ A brand wants someone who can hook a viewer in two seconds and make a product look good on a phone camera. If you can do that, you're hireable at zero followers.

Make a portfolio with no clients

You build a portfolio by filming products you already own, before anyone pays you. Aim for three to five sample videos, 15 to 30 seconds each.

1. Pick two or three product types you actually know. Skincare, snacks, phone accessories, pet stuff. Product knowledge makes your script sound real instead of read.
2. Film your samples using things already in your house. Use natural light from a window and a steady hand or a stack of books as a tripod.
3. Structure every video the same way. Hook in the first two seconds ("I didn't expect this to work"), show the product in use, then say one specific result ("it fits in my bag with room to spare").
4. Edit on your phone. Cut the dead air, add captions, keep it under 30 seconds. Brands care about pace and clarity, not fancy transitions.

Then put the videos on one page. It needs your videos, your name, your email and the product types you cover. If you want a head start, grab a media kit template and swap in your clips.

What UGC pays

The numbers below are Collabstr marketplace averages, which give you a starting point.

Two things stand out here. The table shows creators ask for more than they get, so expect some negotiation. On top of that, Collabstr's 2024 data shows 66% of creators on the marketplace offered UGC services that year, up from 26% the year before, which means you have competition.³

Treat these as one marketplace's averages rather than a rate card. Your price depends on how many videos, how many revisions and how the brand plans to use the content. When you're ready to set your own numbers, a rate card template keeps it simple: video count, price, what's included, what costs extra.

Find your first UGC clients

Your first clients come from pitching brands directly, and demand is moving your way. UGC rose from 15% to 35% of all campaigns on Collabstr in 2025.² Half of marketers in a 2026 survey plan to use more UGC creators, and none plan to cut back.⁴

The easiest pitch is to a brand you've already filmed a sample video for. You bought their product, made a video of it, and now you send it to them. Find the marketing or partnerships email on their site, or check TikTok Shop brands that work with creators. Keep the email short:

Subject: Made a video with your [product name]

Hi [name],

I'm a UGC creator. I bought your [product] and filmed a short video with it. Attached.

I make videos like this for brands to use on their own
channels and ads. I can do three videos around [angle] for [price]. Want me to send over details?

[Your name]
[Portfolio link]

Send it, wait a week, follow up once. Then pitch the next brand. Volume matters more than any single email.

Price usage separately

The video price and the usage price are two different things. Brands can run UGC as paid ads, and that usage costs extra on top of the creation fee.

If a brand wants to put money behind your video as an ad, or use your face in their own ads for months, that's paid usage or whitelisting. You charge for it on top. Read the usage rights and whitelisting guide before your first deal so you know how to structure it and don't hand over ad rights for free.

Get paid before you deliver

Agree on everything in writing before you film: price, number of videos, how many revision rounds, and where the brand can use the content. Then get the money secured before you send the final files.

You get a deals address at handle@rateful.ai, brands email it, and Sam, the AI manager, answers, negotiates to your rate card and sends the written agreement. The brand pays through Rateful, your deposit is released before you film, and Rateful holds only the rest until the deal's posts go live. Accepting a deal always needs your OK, and Rateful takes 0% of your deals.