Freeto post a job
Eight UGC video formats brands use most, with what each one is for and what to put in the brief. Post a job and real creators film the one you choose.
Updated
01In short
UGC examples are short videos made by real people about a product, in the style of a customer rather than an ad. The most common are demos, unboxings, first tries, reviews, before-and-after videos and day-in-the-life videos. Brands run them as ads on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and post them on their own accounts.
02The guide
Five steps to turn a format into a video you can run.
A demo and a review need different videos. One format per job keeps every creator’s video comparable.
Give the first sentence or the first shot. The first three seconds decide whether people keep watching. See UGC ads for openings that work in ads.
The product, the result and any claim you need, as a short checklist. Leave the wording to the creator.
An ad needs a strong opening and captions; a post on your page can take longer. The rights follow from where it runs.
Five creators filming the same format give you five openings to test, then repeat the one that works.
Anatomy of a UGC ad brief
Five parts a creator can film from.
03Two ways to work
Each job is one type. You set the price per video, and creators see it before they apply.
The creator publishes on their own TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, to their own audience. You get the live post to repost and run as an ad.
The creator sends you the file. You publish it on your own accounts, on your site and in your ads.
04How it works
Free until you hire. You only pay when a creator accepts.
01Free
Type, price per video, volume, deadline and the brief, with the must-include points every video is checked against.
02Free
Creators apply with a note. You see their profile, connected account and record on Octoclip.
03Free
The contract is generated from your job’s terms. Hire one creator or twenty from the same brief.
04
When a creator accepts, you pay and they start. You approve every video before the creator is paid.
When money moves
05Ideas to brief
Each format, what it shows and where it works best. Pick one per job.
From opening the app or the box to the result. Best for apps and products whose value is easy to show.
Opening, first look and first use in one take. Best for products people buy for how they look and feel.
Trying it for the first time and saying what it is like. Best for beauty, food and anything people need to trust.
A short list straight to camera, each point shown. Best for retargeting people who already know you.
How it was before and how it is now. Best for skincare, cleaning, fitness and tools that save time.
Morning routine, gym session or commute, with the product in its real place. Best for everyday products.
One annoying moment, then the product solving it. Best for software and apps that fix one clear pain.
The same task done twice, without and with the product. Best for switching people from what they use now.
06Pricing
You set the price per video. You pay it only when a creator accepts your offer.
As many jobs, applicants and teammates as you need. Reviewing and sending offers is free too.
Charged when a creator accepts your offer. You see the full amount before you send it.
Never tied to views. You set it, and creators see it before they apply.
An example
10 UGC videos at €100 each
An example, not a price list: you choose the price and the number of videos, and you see the full amount before you send an offer.
07Compare
How Octoclip compares with an AI tool, an agency and doing it yourself.
| What you get | Post a job free | AI UGC toolAvatars and scripts | UGC agencyRetainer fees and shortlists | Doing it yourselfDMs, spreadsheets, invoices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A real person on camera | Yes | No: An AI avatar | Yes | Yes |
| Your real product, held and used | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Creators apply to your job | Yes | No: No creators | No: They pick for you | No: You search and message |
| You choose who works with you | Yes | No: No creators | No: From their shortlist | Yes |
| No monthly cost | Yes: €0 until you hire | No: Usually a subscription | No: Often a retainer fee | Yes: Your time instead |
| Contracts and payouts handled | Yes | No: No creator involved | Yes | No: By you, one by one |
Weighing a UGC platform? See Octoclip side by side with each one.
Compare platforms08Avoid these
Use a format, not a script. A video that copies another brand’s words looks like it, and your product gets lost.
A video that demos, reviews and compares does none of them well. One format per video.
Heavy editing, music and logos make UGC look like the ads people skip. Keep the phone-filmed feel.
One video says little. Several creators on one brief show you which format and opening to repeat. Track each with the ROAS calculator.
Written by Octoclip. Published , updated .
The review, revision and payment rules on this page are Octoclip’s own, set out in the terms. Usage rights are set in each job’s terms and shown on the contract.
FAQ
What brands ask before they post: price, rights and review.
The most common UGC examples are product demos, unboxings, first tries, reviews, before-and-after videos, day-in-the-life videos, problem-and-fix videos and comparisons. Each is filmed on a phone by a real person, in the style of a customer.
A creator holds the product, says the problem it solved in the first three seconds, shows it working and ends with what they like about it. The brand runs that video as a paid ad on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube.
It depends on the product and on who sees the ad. Demos explain new products, reviews help people who already know you, and before-and-after suits visible results. Test several formats with several creators and keep what works.
UGC is the video itself, which the brand posts or runs as an ad. An influencer post is published to the creator’s own audience. See UGC vs influencer marketing.
Short: UGC ads are often 15 to 30 seconds, with the point made in the first three. Say the length you want in the brief, and ask for a shorter cut if you need one.
Yes. The contract both sides accept lets you use approved content in paid ads, including Spark Ads and partnership ads. Ask for the ad code or approval in your brief so the creator knows before they apply.
Posting a job, reviewing applicants and sending offers are free. You set a fixed price per video and pay only when a creator accepts your offer. The full amount is shown before you send the offer.
Nobody can promise that for your product. Octoclip does not sell or guarantee downloads, installs or views. You pay a fixed price for each approved video.
You can ask for one revision per video, pointing to the must-include point it missed. The creator has 3 days to resubmit. If you don’t review a video within 5 days, it is approved.
More on Octoclip
Free to post a job
Real creators apply to film it. You pay only when you hire.
Posting a job is free. You’re charged only when a creator accepts.
