A creator can only make a good ad if they know what the ad is for. Send a vague message like "make a fun video about our product" and you get a vague video back: a long intro, no clear benefit, and nothing you can cut into a test.
UGC (user-generated content) ads are videos made by real people, usually filmed on a phone and talking to camera. They work because they look like normal posts. A good brief keeps that natural feel while making sure the video still sells.
This guide gives you a one-page brief template, a filled-in example, and the mistakes that waste a creator's time and your money.
What a UGC brief has to do
A brief has three jobs:
- Explain the product and the buyer in a way the creator can repeat in their own words.
- Define the deliverables so you get footage you can actually use in ads.
- Set the rules: claims, disclosure, usage rights, deadlines and payment.
Keep it to one page. Creators read many briefs. The shorter and clearer yours is, the closer the video will be to what you need.
The UGC brief template
Copy these sections into a document and fill them in for each product.
1. Product basics
- Product name and a link to the listing or product page
- What it does, in one sentence
- What's in the box
- How to use it, in three steps or fewer
2. The buyer and the problem
- Who buys this (age range is less useful than situation: "dog owners who walk in the rain")
- The problem in the buyer's words
- What they do today instead, and why it's annoying
3. The key message
- One sentence the viewer should remember
- Two or three proof points the creator can show on camera, not just say
4. Hooks to film
Give three opening lines and ask the creator to film each one as a separate take. The body of the video can stay the same. This gives you several ads from one shoot (see 30 ad hooks for ecommerce products for ideas).
5. Shot list
- Problem shot (before)
- Product in hand, close enough to see details
- Product in use, filmed in one continuous take if possible
- Result (after)
- Creator talking to camera
6. Deliverables
- Number of finished videos and their length range
- Format: vertical 9:16, filmed on a phone, natural light
- Separate takes of each hook
- Raw, unedited clips of the demo shots
- No background music, or only music they are allowed to use in paid ads
- Captions: say whether you want them burned in or not
7. Do's and don'ts
- Do say what you actually experienced.
- Do show the product working on camera.
- Don't make health, safety or performance claims we haven't given you in writing.
- Don't name or show competitor brands.
- Don't read the brief aloud. Use your own words.
8. Rights, timeline and payment
- Where the videos will be used (organic posts, paid ads, product pages)
- How long you may use them, for example 6 or 12 months (agree this up front)
- Whether you will run ads through the creator's account (TikTok Spark Ads or Meta partnership ads)
- Number of revision rounds included
- Delivery date and payment terms
- Disclosure: paid content must be labelled as advertising. Ask the creator to use the platform's paid-partnership label, and check current rules in each market you sell in (for example the FTC in the US, the ASA in the UK, and German rules on labelling advertising).
A filled-in example
This example is illustrative, written for this guide. The product is a paw cleaner cup: a plastic cup with soft silicone bristles inside. You add water, put the dog's paw in, twist, and dry it with a towel.
Product basics: Paw cleaner cup, medium size. Includes the cup and a microfibre towel. Fill with water, insert paw, twist a few times, dry.
The buyer and the problem: Dog owners who walk on muddy paths or in the rain. In their words: "Every walk ends with muddy prints across the hallway." Today they wipe paws with an old towel, which takes ages and the dog hates it.
Key message: "Clean paws in seconds, before they reach the carpet." Proof points: show mud coming off in the cup; show a clean paw on a light floor; show how fast it is with a timer on screen.
Hooks to film (one take each):
- "This is what my hallway looked like after every walk." (show muddy prints)
- "My dog used to run from the towel. Now watch."
- "If you have a muddy dog, you need to see this."
Shot list: muddy paws at the front door; cup filled at the tap; paw in cup and twist, filmed close; dirty water poured out; clean paw on a light floor; creator on the sofa with the dog, talking to camera.
Deliverables: two videos of 20 to 40 seconds, all three hooks as separate takes, raw demo clips, no music.
Do's and don'ts: say how your dog really reacted, even if it took a couple of tries. Don't claim it removes bacteria or cures paw problems. Don't show other paw-cleaning brands.
Rights and timeline: paid usage on TikTok and Meta for 6 months, organic reposting allowed. One revision round. Delivery within 14 days of receiving the product.
Mistakes that waste a UGC budget
| Mistake | What you get back | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No problem shot requested | A product review with no reason to care | Put the "before" shot first in the shot list |
| A full script to read | Stiff video that looks like an ad | Give hooks and key points, not a script |
| One hook only | One ad, no way to test | Ask for three hooks as separate takes |
| Usage rights not agreed | Videos you can't legally run as ads | Agree platforms and duration before filming |
| Product sent without instructions | Creator uses it wrong on camera | Add three simple steps to the brief |
| Claims left open | Statements you can't prove | List the claims they may make |
After the videos come back
- Check the first two seconds of every take. That part decides whether the ad gets watched.
- Cut versions: each hook with the same body. Three hooks and one body make three ads.
- Test against a simple demo you filmed yourself. UGC doesn't always win, so compare (see our TikTok ad examples and Facebook ad examples for formats).
- Judge on cost per purchase against your break-even ROAS, not on views alone.
- Rebook creators whose videos work, and give them the winning hook to build on.
Before you pay a creator
UGC costs money and weeks of waiting, so it pays to be sure about the product first. Ecomtoro doesn't make ads, but it helps you decide what deserves them: it scores product ideas on demand, trend, competition, margin and risk, with a source on every number, and calculates break-even ROAS for Amazon FBA, Shopify and TikTok Shop in the US, UK and Germany.
Frequently asked questions
What should a UGC brief include?
Product basics, the buyer and their problem, one key message with proof points, three hooks to film, a shot list, the deliverables, do's and don'ts, and the usage rights, timeline and payment terms.
Should I give UGC creators a full script?
Usually not. Give them the hooks, the key message and the shots you need, and let them say it in their own words. Scripts read aloud tend to look like ads and lose the natural feel that makes UGC work.
Do UGC ads need to be labelled as ads?
Yes. Paid content must be disclosed under consumer protection rules in the US, UK and Germany. Use the platform's paid-partnership label and check the current rules for each market you advertise in.
How long should I license UGC videos for?
Agree a fixed period and the platforms up front, for example 6 or 12 months of paid usage on TikTok and Meta. If a video keeps working, you can ask the creator to extend the licence.
