How to Find Brands for UGC

Thinking about becoming a UGC creator is one thing, but figuring out how to actually find brands to pay you is where the real work begins. It’s a mix of smart outreach, strategic self-promotion, and building an irresistible personal brand. This guide breaks down the active and passive strategies you can use to start landing paid deals, whether you're just starting out or looking to fill your pipeline with more consistent work.

First Things First: Get Your Own House in Order

Before you send a single pitch, you need to make sure your online presence screams "professional creator." Brands are looking for reliable partners who can deliver high-quality, authentic content. Your portfolio and social media profiles are your digital resume. Make them count.

Refine Your Niche and Value Proposition

You can't be everything to everyone. The most successful UGC creators have a clear niche. Are you the go-to person for skincare? Tech gadgets? Sustainable fashion? Fitness apps? Defining your specialty makes you more memorable and attractive to brands in that space.

Once you have your niche, nail down your value proposition. What makes your content unique? Maybe it’s your humorous unboxing style, your aesthetic cinematic filming, or your knack for explaining complex products simply. Your bio should communicate this in a snap. For example:

• "UGC Creator for wellness & tech brands | I make relatable videos that actually convert."
• "Skincare UGC Specialist | Crafting high-converting, authentic videos for clean beauty brands."

Build a Killer Portfolio

Your portfolio is the single most important tool you have. It’s where you prove you can do the work. Don't just tell brands you’re good, show them. Your portfolio should be a clean, easy-to-navigate website or even a well-organized Canva presentation or Google Drive folder.

Make sure it includes:

• Your Best Work: Showcase 5-10 of your strongest video examples. If you don't have past client work, create "spec" ads for brands you love. We'll touch on this a bit more later.
• Key Analytics (If Applicable): If a past piece of content performed exceptionally well (e.g., high engagement rate, views), include that data.
• Your Rates and Packages: Be transparent. List your prices for different deliverables, like one video, a three-video package, or videos with raw footage. This saves back-and-forth and pre-qualifies brands.
• A Professional Headshot and Bio: Let them see the person behind the content. A short bio can briefly explain your passion and experience.
• Contact Information: Make it incredibly easy for them to get in touch.

Active Strategies: Go Out and Find the Brands

Sitting back and waiting for deals to roll in is a slow game. The fastest way to get your first few clients is by being proactive. This means building a system for outreach and consistently putting yourself in front of the right people.

Create Your "Dream 100" List of Brands

Don't just spray and pray. The most effective outreach is targeted. Start by making a list of 50-100 brands you genuinely love and use. Authenticity is the entire point of UGC, so your DMs and emails will feel much more genuine when you’re talking about a product you actually believe in.

To build your list:

1. Think small. Often, smaller or direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands have more flexible marketing budgets and are more open to working with new creators.
2. Look at ads. What brands are targeting you on TikTok and Instagram? If they are running paid ads, they value social media marketing and are likely already using creators.
3. Browse your favorite stores. Wander through Target or scroll through Amazon. What products catch your eye?

Use a simple spreadsheet to track your progress. Have columns for the brand name, a contact person, their email or LinkedIn profile, the date you pitched, their response, and a follow-up date.

Leverage Social Media for Prospecting

Social media isn't just for posting, it’s a powerful search engine for finding opportunities.

• X (Twitter): This is an underrated gem for UGC opportunities. Search for terms like "UGC creator needed," "looking for creators," or "hiring UGC." Many marketing managers and startup founders post opportunities here directly. Follow other creators, as they often share callouts they see.
• LinkedIn: This is your professional networking beast. Search for job titles like "Social Media Manager," "Brand Manager," or "Influencer Marketing Coordinator" at your target companies. Send them a connection request with a short, personalized note. Something like, "Hi [Name], I'm a huge fan of [Brand]'s mission to [mention something specific]. As a UGC creator specializing in [your niche], I'd love to connect and follow the great work you're doing."
• TikTok & Instagram: Look for brands actively collaborating with other UGC creators. If you see an ad that says "Paid partnership," check out the creator. Who are they? Who are they working with? This shows you which brands are already investing in user-generated content. Also, engage with your dream brands. Leave genuine, thoughtful comments on their posts for a few weeks before you pitch. It warms them up to your name.

Explore Creator Marketplaces

There are numerous platforms built to connect brands with creators. These can be great for getting your foot in the door, though they can also be very competitive. A few popular ones to look into are:

• Upwork: A freelancing giant where brands often post gigs for UGC.
• Billo: Specifically focused on getting UGC for e-commerce brands, often with a product-for-content exchange model that's good for beginners building a portfolio.
• Insense: A platform where you can apply to brand "campaigns" for paid creator work.
• JoinBrands: Another platform known for UGC-style video projects for a wide range of products.

Get your profile set up on a few of these, but don't rely on them as your only source of leads. Treat them as one plank in your broader client acquisition strategy.

Master the Art of the Cold Pitch

A well-crafted cold email or DM is still one of the most effective ways to land a deal. "Cold" doesn’t mean impersonal. The key is to do your research.

A Sample Cold Pitch Email/DM Structure:

1. A Personalized Subject Line. Example: "UGC video idea for [Brand Name]" or "Collaboration with [Your Name]"
2. The Hook (First Sentence). Show them you're a real fan. Example: "Hi [Team/Name], I'm a long-time B-vitamin drinker and I’ve been loving your new Energy product."
3. Introduce Yourself and Your Value. Quickly explain who you are and what you do. "My name is Alex, and I'm a UGC creator who helps wellness brands create engaging, authentic videos for their TikTok and Instagram ads."
4. Present an Idea. This is the secret sauce. Instead of just asking for work, offer an idea. This proves you’ve thought about their brand. "I noticed most of your recent ads show the product on a countertop. I have a great idea for a 'morning routine' video showing how it fits into a busy professional's life, from waking up to heading out the door."
5. Link Your Proof. Smoothly transition to your portfolio. "You can see examples of my work with similar brands in my portfolio here: [Link]"
6. The Call to Action. Tell them what you want them to do next. "Would you be open to me creating a video like this for you? Happy to send over my rates."

Keep your pitch short, to the point, and focused on their needs, not just yours.

Passive Strategies: Let the Brands Come to You

While you're busy with outreach, set up systems that attract inbound leads. This is how you build a long-term, sustainable business as a creator.

Create High-Quality "Spec" Content

Speculative (spec) content is a game-changer. It’s when you create a piece of UGC for a brand you love before they hire you. It’s the ultimate "show, don't tell."

Choose one of your dream brands, buy their product, and create the exact type of video you’d make if they were paying you. Then, you can either:

• Use it in your cold pitch. Start your email with, "I was so inspired by your product, I went ahead and created this short video to show you what I can do: [Link]." The impact is massive.
• Post it on your own social channels. Post the video to your TikTok or Instagram and tag the brand. Keep the caption professional, something like, "Just a little UGC-style video concept I dreamed up for my favorite camera from @brand!" Don’t act like it's a real ad, be transparent that it's a passion project.

This not only builds your portfolio with A+ examples but also actively markets your skills.

Optimize Your Online Presence for Discovery

Make it easy for brand managers to find you. Use keywords strategically across your profiles.

• Your Bio: Clearly state "UGC Creator" or "UGC Video Creator" in your Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter bios.
• Your LinkedIn Headline: Change your headline from your current day job to something like: "UGC Creator Helping [Niche] Brands Grow with Authentic Video Content."
• Your Content: Use relevant hashtags like #ugccreator, #ugccommunity, and #usergeneratedcontent on your posts. Brands search these tags!

Network Within the Creator Community

Your peers are not your competition, they're your colleagues. Join Facebook Groups, Slack channels, or follow conversations on Twitter and Threads. Engage with other creators, share tips, and build genuine relationships.

When creators are fully booked, they often pass along opportunities to others they trust. Being an active, helpful member of the community is one of the best ways to get warm referrals sent your way.

Final Thoughts

Finding brands for UGC is a proactive process that combines polished self-presentation with consistent, thoughtful outreach. By building a strong portfolio, creating a target list of brands you love, and mastering your pitch, you can move from aspiring creator to paid professional.

Building your social presence to attract brands means your content needs to be consistent and high-quality. To manage our own content pipeline effectively, we use Postbase to plan our content calendar visually and schedule all our short-form videos across multiple platforms from one place. It helps us stay organized and treat our own marketing with the same professionalism we offer to clients.