# How to become a UGC creator

> A step-by-step plan to become a UGC creator: pick a niche, film sample videos, build a portfolio, set your rates and land your first paid brief.

Canonical: https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/guides/how-to-become-a-ugc-creator

You don’t need followers, a studio or an agency. You need a few sample videos that show you can sell a product on camera, a portfolio to show them, and a price ready when a brand asks.

## 1. Pick two or three product categories

Brands hire for fit. Choose categories you already buy and use: skincare, pets, home, fitness, tech accessories, food. Two or three is enough to look focused without boxing yourself in.

## 2. Film three to five sample videos

- Use products you already own. You don’t need permission to review something you bought.
- Film vertical (9:16), in daylight, with your phone at eye level and clear audio.
- Make each sample a different type: a testimonial, an unboxing, a how-to.
- Open every video with a hook: a question, a bold claim or a problem in the first three seconds.
- Keep them short: 15 to 45 seconds, edited, with captions.

## 3. Build a portfolio brands can scan in a minute

Put your best three to six videos on one page with your categories, a short bio, and how to reach you. Brands look at the first video and decide. The [media kit template](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/media-kit-template) covers what else to include.

## 4. Set your rates before anyone asks

Decide your base rate per video and what you charge for hooks, raw footage, paid usage and whitelisting. The [UGC rate calculator](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/ugc-rate-calculator) starts from published survey numbers and lets you change every line.

## 5. Find your first briefs

- Pitch brands directly: small and mid-size brands already running ads in your categories are the warmest leads. Use the [pitch email templates](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/templates/pitch-email).
- Apply on UGC marketplaces, where brands post briefs and creators apply.
- Tell the brands you already buy from: a short email with a sample video of their product.

## 6. Get the paperwork right from the first job

Send a contract that spells out deliverables, revisions, usage rights and payment dates ([UGC contract template](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/templates/ugc-contract)), and an invoice with every field the brand’s finance team needs ([creator invoice template](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/templates/creator-invoice)).

## Questions creators ask

### How many sample videos do I need?

Three to five strong ones, each a different style. Brands judge you on your best video, so quality beats quantity.

### Do I need to tell brands I’m new?

No. Show your samples and your rates. Brands care whether the video will work, not how long you’ve been doing it.

### Can I make UGC samples with products I bought myself?

Yes. Reviewing a product you own is how most UGC creators build their first portfolio. Don’t imply a brand sponsored a video it didn’t.

## Related

- [What is UGC?](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/guides/what-is-ugc)
- [UGC rate calculator](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/ugc-rate-calculator)
- [Media kit template](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/media-kit-template)
- [Brand pitch email templates](https://ugccreatorportfolio.com/templates/pitch-email)