To hire UGC creators, post a clear brief with your product, content format, and pay rate, then source creators from a marketplace like Pitchlo, where you can browse vetted profiles and receive direct pitches. Skip the cold DMs and agency fees. The fastest brands in 2026 post a job, review applications within 48 hours, and have content in hand within a week.
Hiring UGC creators used to mean scrolling through Instagram for hours, sliding into DMs, and hoping someone replied. Most brands still do it that way. That's why they overpay, get inconsistent content, and burn out their marketing teams in the process.
There's a better way. Platforms like Pitchlo flip the script — you post your brand job, and 5,000+ vetted UGC creators come to you. No middlemen, no agency markups, no endless back-and-forth. Just real creators who want to make content for your product.
This post walks you through exactly how to hire UGC creators the right way — from writing your brief to receiving final files.
Not all UGC creators are the same. The biggest mistake brands make is hiring based on follower count. UGC isn't influencer marketing. You're not paying for reach — you're paying for authentic, usable content that you own and run as ads or use on your product pages.
Here's what actually matters:
Content Quality Over Clout
Look at their portfolio. Does the footage look natural and well-lit? Do they speak clearly and with conviction? Does it feel like something a real customer would say — not a scripted commercial? A creator with 800 followers who makes genuinely compelling content is worth ten times more than someone with 50k who reads off a teleprompter.
Niche Relevance
A fitness creator selling your protein powder will produce better content than a general lifestyle creator who'll take any job. Their audience familiarity with the category shows up in how they talk about the product — the vocabulary, the pain points they reference, the use cases they naturally reach for.
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Brands want UGC content — sometimes for free. Here's what that actually means, what paid deals look like ($150–$300/video), and how creators land real brand gigs through Pitchlo.
Check if they've worked with brands before. Do they ask smart questions? Do they deliver on time? In a marketplace like Pitchlo, creator profiles include past work samples and niche tags, so you can filter fast instead of guessing.
Usage Rights Clarity
Before you hire anyone, confirm you'll own the content outright — or at least have paid ad usage rights. This should be in the brief and the agreement. Sprout Social's guide on UGC rights is worth reading if you're new to this.
How to Write a Brief That Attracts the Right Creators
Your brief is the most important thing you'll write in this whole process. A vague brief gets vague content. A specific brief gets creators who are genuinely excited about your product — and gives them everything they need to deliver without five rounds of revision.
What Your Brief Needs to Include
Product details: What it is, what problem it solves, who it's for. Send a physical product if relevant — creators who've actually used your product make more believable content.
Content format: Are you after a 30-second unboxing? A talking-head testimonial? A before-and-after demo? Be specific. "Just something authentic" is not a brief.
Key messaging: List 2-3 things you want the viewer to take away. Don't script it word for word — that kills authenticity — but give them the angles you care about.
Deliverables: How many videos or photos? What resolution? Do you need raw files, or edited with captions? Vertical for TikTok/Reels or horizontal for YouTube?
Timeline: When do you need the first draft? How many revision rounds are included?
Pay rate: Publish this upfront. Creators filter opportunities by budget. Hiding it wastes everyone's time. According to Influencer Marketing Hub's 2025 UGC pricing report, most UGC videos run $150–$500 per deliverable depending on complexity.
Brands that post jobs on Pitchlo get a structured brief template built in — so you're not starting from scratch.
Where to Actually Find UGC Creators (And Why Marketplaces Win)
You've got a few options. Here's an honest breakdown.
Creator Marketplaces (Fastest)
Platforms like Pitchlo exist specifically for this. You post a job, creators apply, you review pitches and hire. Pitchlo has 800+ live brand jobs updated daily and 5,000+ vetted creators across beauty, tech, food, health, fitness, parenting, and pets. The entire workflow — applications, messaging, briefs, payments — is in one place.
This is the fastest option for most brands, especially if you're running paid ads and need content on a rolling basis.
Social Media Prospecting (Slowest)
Manually searching TikTok or Instagram for creators who post organic reviews in your niche. It works, but it's brutally slow. You'll spend hours to find three people worth contacting — and half won't reply.
Agencies (Most Expensive)
Full-service UGC agencies handle everything: sourcing, briefing, managing, editing. You pay for that convenience — typically $2,000–$10,000 per campaign. For brands running major launches, it can be worth it. For most DTC brands testing UGC for the first time, it's overkill.
Freelance Platforms
Fiverr and Upwork have UGC creators, but quality is inconsistent and you often can't pre-filter by niche or view video portfolios easily. Fine for one-off tests. Not ideal for ongoing content needs.
For most brands in 2026, a dedicated UGC marketplace gives you the best mix of speed, quality, and cost.
How to Hire UGC Creators: The Step-by-Step Process
Here's exactly what the process looks like when you do it right.
Step 1: Define Your Content Goal
Are you making ads? Product page videos? Email assets? Social proof? The answer shapes everything — the creator you choose, the format you request, and the messaging you prioritise. Don't skip this step.
Step 2: Set Your Budget
A single UGC video typically costs $150–$350 for a newer creator and $350–$600 for someone with a strong portfolio and fast turnaround. If you need five videos for an ad test, budget $750–$1,500. Factor in usage rights — paid ad usage often commands a 20–30% premium on top of the base rate.
Step 3: Post Your Job
On Pitchlo, posting a brand job is free. Fill in your brief details, select your niche, set your pay range, and publish. Applications from matched creators usually start coming in within hours.
Step 4: Review Applications and Portfolios
Don't just read pitches — watch the sample videos. Look for creators whose tone matches your brand voice. Shortlist 2-3 for your first campaign.
Step 5: Send the Brief and Confirm the Agreement
Once you've chosen a creator, send the full brief, confirm deliverables, timeline, and payment terms. Make sure usage rights are explicitly agreed on in writing.
Step 6: Review, Approve, and Iterate
Most experienced UGC creators nail the brief in one or two rounds. Give specific feedback — don't just say "can you make it more energetic." Say "can you start with the problem statement before showing the product, and cut the last 10 seconds."
According to Later's content marketing research, brands that build ongoing relationships with 3-5 core UGC creators produce more consistent ad performance than those who constantly hire new creators from scratch.
Real Example: How a Skincare Brand Hired UGC Creators That Cut Their CPA by 40%
The brand: Lumé Glow, a direct-to-consumer skincare brand focused on hyperpigmentation serums.
The situation: They'd been running static product images as Facebook ads. CTR was dropping, and their cost per acquisition had crept up to $68 — well above their $45 target.
What they did: They posted three UGC jobs on Pitchlo — one for a 30-second before-and-after video, one for a "day in my skincare routine" integration, and one for a talking-head testimonial. They set a budget of $250 per video and received 18 applications within 72 hours. They hired four creators across different skin tones and age ranges.
The result: Within three weeks they had 12 video assets. After running them as paid social ads, two of the videos outperformed their existing creative from day one. Their CPA dropped to $41 — a 40% improvement. They now work with two of those creators on a monthly retainer.
The whole process, from posting the job to receiving final files, took 11 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a UGC creator?
Most UGC creators charge $150–$500 per video, depending on experience and deliverable complexity. Newer creators often charge $150–$250. Established creators with strong portfolios charge $300–$600. If you need paid ad usage rights, expect to add 20–30% on top of the base rate.
What's the difference between a UGC creator and an influencer?
An influencer posts content to their own audience — you're paying for reach. A UGC creator makes content that you own and use in your own channels, like paid ads or product pages. UGC is about the content itself, not the creator's following.
Do I need a contract when I hire UGC creators?
Yes, always. At minimum, your agreement should cover deliverables, timeline, revisions, payment terms, and usage rights. Platforms like Pitchlo have built-in terms that cover the basics, but for ongoing relationships, a simple written agreement protects both parties.
How do I know if a UGC creator is good before hiring them?
Watch their portfolio videos before anything else. Look for clear audio, natural delivery, and on-camera presence. Check if they've worked in your niche before. On Pitchlo, creator profiles are vetted and include past work samples, so you can evaluate quality before you ever message them.
How many UGC creators should I hire for a campaign?
For a first campaign, hire 3-5 creators. This gives you variety — different faces, styles, and angles — which is essential for ad testing. Running five different videos helps you quickly find what resonates before scaling spend behind it.
Start Hiring UGC Creators Today
Hiring UGC creators doesn't need to be complicated. Write a clear brief, set a real budget, and go where creators are already looking for brand deals.
Pitchlo makes it simple. Post your brand job free, browse 5,000+ vetted creators across every major niche, and receive applications from people who actually want to make content for your product. No agency fees. No cold DMs. No guesswork.
Brands using Pitchlo are getting content back in days, not weeks — and building creator rosters they can scale with.
A real UGC content strategy for brands means hiring the right creators, not just posting a hashtag. Here's what brand deals look like in 2026 — and how creators land them.
