Starting UGC is one thing, but sticking with UGC for long enough to get your first paid project is another.
If you’ve been creating UGC content for a while, there’s a good chance you’re itching to get that first green light to charge for your content. Maybe you’ve scored some freebies — skincare, fancy protein, maybe even a walking treadmill. But free stuff doesn’t pay your mortgage, and you’re ready for the next step.
Here’s the thing: brands are willing to pay for high-quality UGC content.
You just need to show them why you’re worth investing in. The good news? It’s about strategy, quality, and positioning yourself as a valuable asset to brands. If you’re not yet getting paid, let’s break down why that might be and what you can do to change that.
Why you’re not getting paid for your UGC content
If you find yourself perpetually on the other end of “Sorry, we don’t have budget for this collaboration”, emails, here’s why brands potentially aren’t paying:
YOUR CONTENT ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH YET
UGC shouldn’t be high-production, but it does need to be effective.
If your visuals, scripting, or delivery don’t align with what brands are looking for, you’re not going to get paid. Ask yourself: Is my content providing real value to the brand? Is it tailored to what brands actually need?
The fix: Get better. I know his sounds like a whole lot of nothing advice, but honestly, it’s the truth. UGC is a skill, an art, a science. Get to grips with creating better UGC and brands will offer better compensation. Best place to start? Get to grips with scripting using the direct response formula and using UGC hooks intentionally.
YOU’RE TARGETING THE WRONG BRANDS
Not all brands are willing to pay for UGC.
Some genuinely don’t have the budget, while others don’t see the value in investing beyond free product. They may place more emphasis on influencer marketing, or static ads. This is like trying to sell A Court of Thorns and Roses to a die-hard Frieda McFadden fan. You can have the best thing since sliced-bread, but if someone doesn’t like bread, they aren’t going to pay.
The fix: Sense check brands before you pitch. You have access to both TikTok and Meta ad libraries and can very easily find out whether or not they use UGC style content. If they don’t, you’re already starting on the back foot. To bypass doing this yourself, consider applying to a reputable UGC agency that can help this.
YOU LACK PROOF OF PERFORMANCE
If you’re pitching to the right brands, with content that is industry-standard, it may just be that your pitch isn’t compelling enough. The easiest way to make your pitch compelling? Cold. Hard. Facts. Brands don’t actually care about your content (unpopular opinion, we know)… they care about what your content will do for them.
If you can’t show that your content leads to engagement, conversions, or improved brand visibility, they’re not going to be as quick to put up the cash. Whether it’s through case studies, engagement metrics, or testimonials, you need to prove your value.
The fix: add a feedback stage to your UGC workflow. You should be asking for the results of any work 4-6 weeks later as standard. While brands won’t always be forthcoming with the figures, it’s important to be able to learn from what worked and what didn’t. Ask the question, the worst a brand can say is no.
YOU’RE NOT POSITIONING YOURSELF AS A PROFESSIONAL
Are your emails professional? Does your portfolio clearly outline your services? Do you have an email signature that doesn’t end in ‘Sent from my iPhone’?
Brands are far more likely to pay creators who treat UGC like a business.
The fix: buy a domain, add a custom email signature and give your UGC portfolio an objective once over.
“But what if I’m doing all of those?”
Honestly, it might just be that you’ve not given it enough time. It took 74% of the creators we surveyed more than 6 months to land their first paying job… but nearly a quarter are now doing UGC full time.
Ask any creator, and they’ll tell you it’s a snowball effect.
Once the ball starts rolling, it doesn’t stop.
Should I be taking gifted collaborations?
Ah, the age-old question… while you’re not getting paid, should you be taking on gifted work?
A gifted collab is a partnership model where creators receive free products or services from brands in exchange for creating content the brand can use.
So, not really a gift, and definitely not free. But an exchange.
While gifted collabs can be exciting, especially for new creators, you’ll often see them getting stick in the UGC world. It’s not uncommon to see ‘don’t work for free’ but there are occasions when gifted collabs fit the bill:
WHEN THE PRODUCT ALIGNS
If a brand is offering a high-ticket product you’d buy anyway, it might be worth the trade-off. UGC doesn’t just pay in cash — it can sometimes pay in stuff. And if that stuff is something you truly want, it can be a win. One benefit of UGC is the stuff. The experiences. No one wants to admit it, but getting your hands on the fancy skincare you’d never normally splurge on is a plus. And one that is worth a few hours of time for a new creator.
WHEN YOU NEED THE PRACTICE
If you’re still building your portfolio or haven’t landed many paid projects, taking lower-paid projects can help you gain the experience you need. Use these projects to collect performance stats, social proof, and testimonials that will eventually help you justify higher rates.
WHEN YOU NEED THE CONNECTIONS
It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know. By creating working relationships with stakeholders at brands, you sit yourself front of mind. You never know when that might pay off.
How to transform your gifted collabs into paid work
It’s also important to remember that just because a project started as gifted, there’s nothing to stop you from upselling (or, well, selling). Treat your gifted collaborations with the same effort and energy as you do paid work, and you might be surprised at what comes out of it. The brand may still not have budget, but if they do, you can make it hard for them to say no.
Here’s how to turn gifted collaborations into paid:
1. Deliver two pieces of content, and ask them to choose which one they would like without the watermark. Make sure both are geared towards paid ads and cover two different USPs. Chances are, they may want both.
2. Film a batch of additional content and include it watermarked in the same Google Drive folder.
Once they see what’s possible, it’s hard to unsee. An email might look like this:
💭 Final thoughts
If you’re not getting paid, it’s probably because you’re not presenting your work as something worth paying for. From improving your content quality to strategically pitching to the right brands, the fix is all about elevating your approach.
The brands are out there and they’re willing to pay.
Your job when pitching is to prove that your content is worth the investment. A few tweaks, and you’ll be onto a winner.
📋TL;DR
💸 Not getting paid? Your content quality, pitching strategy, and lack of proof could be the issue.
🎯 Target brands with marketing budgets and showcase your value.
📈 Use gifted collabs as opportunities to upsell and build a paid partnership.
📧 Always follow up professionally and position yourself as a creator worth investing in.
