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How to Make a UGC Video: 6 Steps (2026)

Lan He avatarLan He
·Last updated Sep 10, 2026
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How to Make a UGC Video: 6 Steps (2026)
Summary

Covers six steps from reading the brand brief through delivering a UGC video that passes as authentic. Step 2 explains how to write a hook that survives the first two seconds of a feed. Step 3 covers the handheld framing, lighting, and imperfection that separate UGC from polished ads. Step 4 compares filming yourself with generating a UGC-style spot. Includes rate expectations for UGC creators, required FTC disclosure, usage rights in briefs, aspect ratios, and five mistakes that make UGC read as an advertisement. 9 frequently asked questions cover pay, disclosure, and creator platforms.

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How to Make a UGC Video

UPDATED: 2026-08-05 By Lan He, Senior Video Producer at Pexo

Making a UGC video takes six steps: read the brief, write a hook that survives two seconds, frame it to look unproduced, film or generate the footage, cut it tight, then deliver with disclosure. A UGC video takes about 20 minutes end to end.

Quick Version: How to Make a UGC Video

  1. Read the brief for the product claim, the audience, and the usage rights.
  2. Write a hook that stops a scroll within two seconds.
  3. Frame handheld in a real environment with natural light.
  4. Film yourself using the product, or generate a UGC-style spot.
  5. Cut tight with no intro and no polish.
  6. Deliver in 9:16 with the disclosure the brief and the law require.

How to Make a UGC Video Step by Step

Step 1: Read the brief properly

Extract four things from the brief: the single claim the brand wants made, the audience, the required call to action, and the usage rights. Usage rights matter most commercially, because a video licensed for paid ads across six months is worth several times one licensed for a single organic post.

Note what the brand cannot say. Regulated categories (supplements, finance, skincare) carry claims restrictions that apply to the creator's words as much as the brand's. A video that makes an unapproved claim gets rejected regardless of how well it performs.

A hand-drawn card row with one card circled and hatched, three plain cards beside it

Step 2: Write the hook

Write the first line to stop a scroll within two seconds. The strongest UGC hooks state a problem the viewer recognizes ("my hair kept breaking at the same spot"), pose a question, or open mid-reaction. They never open with a greeting.

Write three different hooks for the same product. Brands test UGC in variants, and a set of three 20-second videos with different openings is more useful to a media buyer than one polished 60-second piece. This is also why UGC briefs often specify a quantity rather than a length.

A hand-drawn script page with three alternative opening lines

Step 3: Frame it to look unproduced

Shoot handheld in a real room with natural light. The imperfections are the format: a slightly off-center frame, a lived-in background, and a delivery with a stumble in it read as genuine in a way a tripod and a ring light do not.

Resist polish at every stage. Colour grading, studio lighting, and clean audio move the video toward looking like an advertisement, which removes the exact quality the brand is paying for. Frame vertically from the start, keeping your face and the product in the middle third.

A hand-drawn phone frame showing a handheld shot in a kitchen setting

Step 4: Film or generate the footage

Two paths work. The traditional path films the creator using the product on a phone, which is the format's original method and still the most credible. The generation path produces a UGC-style spot for brands testing many variants or working without a creator roster.

Pexo's image-to-video workflow builds a scene around a real product photo, which keeps the product accurate while generating the environment. Text-to-video generates a full UGC-style spot from a description. Disclose generated presenters: a synthetic person presented as a real customer is the misuse that draws regulatory attention.

A hand-drawn split screen: a phone on a stand on the left, a chat interface generating video on the right

Step 5: Cut it tight

Cut every frame before the hook lands. UGC has no room for an intro, a logo, or a settling-in moment. The first frame should already be the first line.

Keep the total at 15 to 30 seconds for paid placements. Add captions, since UGC is watched muted more often than not, and use the platform's native caption styling rather than a designed lower third. Anything that looks designed pushes the video toward reading as an ad.

A hand-drawn timeline with the first segment crossed out

Step 6: Deliver with disclosure

Export 9:16 at 1080x1920, plus 1:1 if the brief covers feed placements. Pexo exports both from one project. Deliver raw files without watermarks, and include the variants separately rather than as one edit.

Add the disclosure the law requires. In the United States the FTC requires a clear and conspicuous disclosure of a material connection to the brand, on screen rather than buried in a caption. The FTC endorsement guides set out what qualifies. Rules differ by country, so check where the ad will run.

A hand-drawn export dialog with two aspect ratio options labeled Social and Feed

How to Make a UGC Video with Pexo

The six steps above work with any production method. Pexo handles steps 4 through 6 in a single conversation, which suits brands that need many variants tested quickly.

Open the UGC video page, upload the product photo, and describe the spot: "A 20-second UGC-style video of someone trying a travel coffee press in a hotel room, handheld, morning light, opening on the problem of bad hotel coffee." Pexo generates the scene around the real product, writes the hook, and adds captions.

Pexo create page for UGC videos showing the description box and preset chips

Adjust any element by describing the change in the chat, and Pexo regenerates that scene alone. The platform runs across Seedance 2.0, Kling AI, and more.

For adjacent formats, the unboxing video page covers the reveal format specifically, and product ad suits polished advertising where the UGC look is not the goal.

5 Mistakes That Make UGC Read as an Ad

1. Opening with a greeting. "Hey guys, so today I wanted to talk about" spends the two seconds that decide everything. Start on the hook.

2. Shooting on a tripod with studio lighting. The polish is what the brand is paying to avoid. Handheld and natural light.

3. Using designed captions. A styled lower third signals production. Use the platform's native caption look.

4. Delivering one long video. Media buyers test variants. Three 20-second cuts with different hooks beat one 60-second piece.

5. Hiding the disclosure. A material connection buried at the end of a caption does not meet the standard, and it puts both creator and brand at risk.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a UGC video?

A UGC video is content made in the style of an ordinary user's post but produced for a brand to use in its own ads. It is not organic user content; it is commissioned content designed to look organic, which is why disclosure rules apply to it.

How much do UGC creators charge?

Commonly 100 to 500 USD per video for newer creators, higher with experience or exclusivity. Rates depend more on usage rights (how long and where the brand can run the ad) than on production effort, so read the usage terms before quoting.

Do UGC videos need a disclosure?

Yes when posted by the creator. The FTC requires a clear and conspicuous disclosure of a material connection to the brand, placed where viewers actually see it rather than buried in a caption. Requirements differ by jurisdiction, so check the rules where the ad runs.

What makes UGC look authentic?

Handheld framing, natural light, a real environment, and an unpolished delivery. Colour-graded footage on a tripod in a clean studio reads as an advertisement, which removes the reason a brand commissioned UGC in the first place.

How long should a UGC video be?

Fifteen to 30 seconds for paid social, up to 60 for organic posts. UGC ads are usually tested in a set of variants, so producing three 20-second hooks over one 60-second video gives the brand more to work with.

Can I make UGC videos without appearing on camera?

Yes. Voiceover with product-in-hand footage, unboxing shots, and screen recordings all work. AI platforms also generate UGC-style spots with synthetic presenters, though most brands ask for disclosure that the presenter is generated.

Where do brands find UGC creators?

Dedicated marketplaces, agency rosters, and direct outreach on TikTok and Instagram. Many brands also recruit from their own customer base, which produces the most credible content because the person actually uses the product.

What aspect ratio should a UGC video use?

9:16 vertical at 1080x1920 for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, which is where nearly all UGC runs. Deliver 1:1 as well if the brief covers feed placements. Landscape is rarely requested for this format.

Should a UGC video show the product being used?

Yes. The product in a real environment being handled by a real person is the format's entire advantage over studio advertising. A UGC video that only talks about the product discards it.

Lan He avatar
Lan He

Meet Lan, Senior Video Producer at Pexo, with over a decade of experience turning complex creative workflows into steps anyone can follow. A hands-on video editor and motion designer, he has taught thousands of creators how to ship video without the overwhelm, and he puts dozens of creative tools through real production work each year to see which ones actually hold up. At Pexo, he writes both step-by-step tutorials and best-of tool roundups, screen-recording each workflow himself and ranking tools on what they deliver in a real project rather than on their feature lists.

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