# What Is UGC? UGC Content, Creators and Ads Explained > What is UGC? User-generated content explained: what UGC creators make, how UGC videos and ads work, and how brands hire UGC creators at a fixed price. Source: https://octoclip.io/what-is-ugc Updated: 2026-10-17 --- Free to post a job # What is UGC? User-generated content, explained. UGC is content made by real people, not by a brand. In marketing it usually means a short **video** a creator films with your product, which brands post or run as **ads**. Post a job and creators apply to make it. [Post a job free](https://octoclip.io/signup/brand) - Free until you hire - Fixed price per video - You approve every video Updated 17 Oct 2026 **01** In short ## UGC meaning: what is UGC content? UGC, or user-generated content, is content such as videos, photos and reviews made by real people instead of a brand. In marketing, UGC usually means a short video a creator films with a product on a phone. Brands post it on their accounts or run it as UGC ads on TikTok and Instagram. - **Octoclip is**: A marketplace where brands post jobs and hire real creators directly, at a fixed price per video. - **Octoclip is not**: An AI video generator, an agency or a pay-per-view clipping tool. **02** The guide ## How UGC works for a brand. Five steps from the idea to a video you can use. 1. **Decide what the video should show** Pick one moment: the first try, the result, the tap in the app. A UGC video works when a viewer understands it in a few seconds. 2. **Brief a UGC creator** A UGC creator is a person who makes this kind of video for brands. Give them the points that must be on screen and leave the wording to them. See [UGC creators](https://octoclip.io/ugc-creators) for how to hire them. Anatomy of a UGC ad brief Five parts a creator can film from. 1. **One moment** The single thing the ad shows, clear in ten seconds. 2. **The opening line** How the video starts. The rest of the wording is the creator’s. 3. **Must-include points** What has to be on screen. Each video is checked against them. 4. **What to avoid** Anything the video must not show or say. 5. **Price per video** You set it, and creators see it before they apply. **An example brief for an app install ad.** On Octoclip every job has a price per video and at least two must-include points. 3. **Hire several creators** Several creators on the same brief give you different faces, openings and edits to compare. Octoclip lets creators apply to your job so you can choose. 4. **Approve against the brief** Check the video against your must-include points. Ask for a revision when one is missing, and approve the rest. 5. **Use it where it works** Post it on your own accounts or run it as an ad. See [UGC ads](https://octoclip.io/ugc-ads) for how brands use UGC videos on TikTok and Meta. **03** Two ways to work ## Creator posts or UGC videos: which do you need? Each job is one type. You set the price per video, and creators see it before they apply. ### Creator post Job type 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. - **Where it lives**: The creator’s account, live at least 90 days - **Followers**: Matter. You can set a minimum - **Best for**: Reach on the creator’s own audience ### UGC video Job type The creator sends you the file. You publish it on your own accounts, on your site and in your ads. - **Where it lives**: Your accounts and ad library - **Followers**: Don’t matter. Only the video does - **Best for**: Video files for your own accounts and ads **04** How it works ## How to get UGC on Octoclip. Free until you hire. You only pay when a creator accepts. 1. Free **Post a job** Type, price per video, volume, deadline and the brief, with the must-include points every video is checked against. 2. Free **Review applicants** Creators apply with a note. You see their profile, connected account and record on Octoclip. 3. Free **Send offers** The contract is generated from your job’s terms. Hire one creator or twenty from the same brief. 4. **Hire and approve** When a creator accepts, you pay and they start. You approve every video before the creator is paid. When money moves 1. **You post and review** €0 2. **A creator accepts** Payment secured 3. **You approve a video** Creator is paid [Post a job free](https://octoclip.io/signup/brand) [See the whole flow](https://octoclip.io/#s-how) **05** Pricing ## How much does UGC cost? Free to post a job. You only pay when you hire, at the price per video you set. See [UGC rates](https://octoclip.io/ugc-rates) for what drives the price. - **€0**: **to post a job** As many jobs, applicants and teammates as you need. Reviewing and sending offers is free too. - **Charge**: **Pay when you hire** Charged when a creator accepts your offer. You see the full amount before you send it. - **Price**: **Fixed price per video** Never tied to views. You set it, and creators see it before they apply. An example 10 UGC videos at €100 each Paid to creators **€1,000** - **Monthly fee**: €0 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. **06** Compare ## UGC from real creators, and the other ways to get it. How Octoclip compares with an AI tool, an agency and doing it yourself. *Octoclip compared with an AI UGC tool, a UGC agency and doing it yourself* | What you get | Octoclip Post a job free | AI UGC tool Avatars and scripts | UGC agency Retainer fees and shortlists | Doing it yourself DMs, 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 platforms](https://octoclip.io/compare) **07** Avoid these ## Four mistakes brands make with UGC. - **Treating it like a brand ad** UGC works because it looks like a person, not a campaign. Over-scripting it makes it read as an ad. - **Paying for views** Views depend on the algorithm. A fixed price per approved video keeps your cost known and the deal fair. - **Using one creator only** One video tells you little about what works. Several creators on the same brief show you which opening to repeat. - **Skipping the rights** Agree where the video can run before filming. On Octoclip the contract both sides accept covers ads. See the [UGC contract template](https://octoclip.io/ugc-contract-template). ## About this guide **Written by Octoclip.** Published 6 Oct 2026, updated 17 Oct 2026. ### Sources The review, revision and payment rules on this page are Octoclip’s own, set out in the [terms](https://octoclip.io/terms). Usage rights are set in each job’s terms and shown on the contract. FAQ ## What is UGC? Common questions. What brands ask before they post: price, rights and review. **A person answers.** Can’t find your question? Write to us and someone at Octoclip replies. [Talk to us](mailto:info@octoclip.io) ### What does UGC stand for? UGC stands for user-generated content: content made by real people, such as videos, photos and reviews, instead of by a brand. ### What is UGC content? UGC content is anything a real person makes about a product or topic: a video review, a photo, a comment, a demo. Brands use it because it looks like a recommendation from a person, not an ad. ### What is a UGC video? A UGC video is a short video, usually vertical, in which a person shows or uses a product to the camera. Brands post it on their accounts or run it as an ad. ### What is a UGC creator? A UGC creator is a person who makes UGC-style videos for brands. They do not need a large following, because the brand uses the video on its own accounts and ads. See [UGC creators](https://octoclip.io/ugc-creators) and [UGC examples](https://octoclip.io/ugc-examples). ### What is UGC marketing? UGC marketing is using content made by real people in a brand’s marketing: on its social accounts, product pages and ads. It includes asking creators to film videos, which is what Octoclip handles. ### What are UGC ads? UGC ads are paid ads that look like a post from a real person. The brand runs the creator’s video as an ad on TikTok, Instagram or Facebook. More in [UGC ads](https://octoclip.io/ugc-ads). ### How much does UGC cost? 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. ### How do I find UGC creators? Post a job on Octoclip with your brief and the price per video. Creators apply, you look at their delivery record, and you send an offer to the ones you want. You don’t search or send direct messages. ### Will UGC work for my product? Nobody can promise that for your product, which is why brands test several creators against each other. Octoclip does not sell or guarantee downloads, installs or views. You pay a fixed price for each approved video. ### What if a video doesn’t follow the brief? 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. ### When is a creator paid? Their payment is secured when they accept, before any work starts, and released for each video you approve. **A person answers.** Can’t find your question? Write to us and someone at Octoclip replies. [Talk to us](mailto:info@octoclip.io) More on Octoclip ## More guides and tools. [All guides and tools](https://octoclip.io/resources) [Guide UGC creators What UGC creators do, what they charge and how to hire them. Read the guide](https://octoclip.io/ugc-creators) [Guide UGC ads Ads filmed by real creators for TikTok and Meta, including app install ads. Read the guide](https://octoclip.io/ugc-ads) [Guide UGC rates What one video costs, and what makes the price go up or down. Read the guide](https://octoclip.io/ugc-rates) [Free tool TikTok ads cost TikTok’s minimum budgets, and a calculator for impressions, clicks and cost per click. Open the tool](https://octoclip.io/tiktok-ads-cost) ### Guides for brands - [UGC ads](https://octoclip.io/ugc-ads) - [UGC creators](https://octoclip.io/ugc-creators) - [AI UGC vs real UGC](https://octoclip.io/ai-ugc-vs-real-ugc) - [Micro influencers](https://octoclip.io/micro-influencers) - [Influencer marketing](https://octoclip.io/influencer-marketing) - [TikTok influencer marketing](https://octoclip.io/tiktok-influencer-marketing) - [TikTok Creator Marketplace](https://octoclip.io/tiktok-creator-marketplace) - [Find influencers](https://octoclip.io/find-influencers) - [TikTok Spark Ads](https://octoclip.io/spark-ads) - [Meta partnership ads](https://octoclip.io/partnership-ads) - [UGC examples](https://octoclip.io/ugc-examples) - [UGC rates](https://octoclip.io/ugc-rates) - [UGC contract template](https://octoclip.io/ugc-contract-template) - [UGC vs influencer marketing](https://octoclip.io/ugc-vs-influencer-marketing) ### On Octoclip - [All guides and tools](https://octoclip.io/resources) - [UGC prompts](https://octoclip.io/prompts) - [Octoclip for brands](https://octoclip.io/) - [Open jobs](https://octoclip.io/jobs) - [Octoclip for creators](https://octoclip.io/creators) Free to post a job ## Get your first UGC video. See who wants to film your product before you pay anything. [Post a job free](https://octoclip.io/signup/brand) [Sign in](https://octoclip.io/login) **Posting a job is free.** You’re charged only when a creator accepts. [Post a job free](https://octoclip.io/signup/brand)