Wondering how to actually get started with UGC?
You’ve probably seen creators talking about landing brand deals or making content from their phone and thought, okay… but how do I go from zero to that? We’ve been there. The truth is, you don’t need a perfect portfolio, a fancy setup, or a perfectly curated brand to get started. You just need a system that helps you stay consistent and take the guesswork out of what to do next.
That’s exactly why we built this 30-day plan. It’s designed to walk you through the key steps of your first month—getting familiar with the UGC space, setting up your offers, creating your first piece of content, and (finally) sending it off to a brand. And no, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Just done is a huge win.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining what you’ve already begun, this is the guide we wish we had when we were figuring it all out. No fluff, no pressure — just clear steps to help you move forward with confidence.
Week 1: Get into the industry
DAY 1-2
Start with immersion. Spend time on TikTok and Instagram — but make it intentional. Follow UGC creators, media buyers, paid social strategists, and UGC agencies. Study the content they post, the creators they work with, and what kinds of ads are consistently performing. This week is all about becoming a student.
Watch the kind of content brands are actually paying for. Study it like a director breaking down a scene.
Start folders on both apps and start to save ads that grabbed your attention. Your looking for:
🔹 UGC Hooks that grabbed you
🔹 Videos with great storytelling
🔹 Formats you want to try
You’re not just watching content anymore—you’re studying it like it’s your job. Because it will be. If you want to make your life easier later down the line, start saving content in folders by format: testimonial, demo, hook-led, etc. You’ll reference these later when you start building your own content.
DAY 3-4
Head to the TikTok Creative Center and the Meta Ads Library. Type in product categories that interest you. Save 5–10 ads that make you pause or rewatch. These are high-performing for a reason. Next, write out the structure of these ads. You’re looking to pull out the following components of the UGC script.
This may seem meticulous, but it’s one of the best ways to understand the mechanics behind good UGC. It’s one thing to pick up the camera and start filming, but it’s another to craft a video that can convert.
DAY 5-6
Oh, you thought we were done with research? Not quite yet. Explore the different types of UGC: product demos, testimonials, aesthetic montages, problem/solution listicles, voiceovers. Start to think about formats you want to practice first.
DAY 7
And now, we have a wine and a day off! Congrats. You just completed your first week as a UGC creator.
Week 2: Practice, practice, practice
DAY 8-9
Remember those scripts we were breaking down last week? Now is when you get to put them to good use. Choose your favourite, and use the bones to write your own script based on a product you already own. The idea is to replicate the winning ad to get comfortable with the process. The end goal is to mimic the shots, the angles and the edit to the best of your ability.
Extra Tip: Keep it conversational. UGC isn’t about reading lines — it’s about sounding like you’re talking to a friend. Use our UGC pre-film checklist to match your script with a shot list (trust us, you’ll thank us later!)
DAY 10
Ready, steady, film your first video.
Focus on clean visuals: natural light, minimal background clutter, and clear audio. A few tweaks to your phone settings and your good to go. Don’t aim for perfection — just get it done.
DAY 11
Refilm everything you shot yesterday because you realised you hate just about everything about it.
Don’t worry… this is normal. And slowly but surely you stop having to reshoot nearly as much.
DAY 12
Edit using CapCut or InShot. Add auto-captions. Cut out any awkward pauses. Keep the pacing tight. Add music if it fits, but keep it secondary to your voice. Watch it back at 1.5x speed. If it drags even then, it needs a trim.
DAY 13-14
Rinse and repeat. Go back to your ad breakdowns from week one and pick out another few videos to replicate. Try a different format; use a testimonial structure if your first was a demo, or flip from on-camera to voiceover.
The point is to get comfortable with variation, and get the reps in. The more you can do, the better.
You’ll notice that even by now, two weeks in, we’ve not even thought about creating an email address, let alone sending out those first few pitches. Most creators jump the gun too soon, and it’s the reason they don’t end up sticking with UGC for long enough to reap the rewards. Slow and steady wins the race.
Week 3: Build your portfolio
DAY 15-16 (AND BEYOND)
Realistically, we probably won’t be ready to build a portfolio at this stage, but we can start to think about it. You’re going to need to create 5-7 videos that show off the skills you’ve been working on for the last few weeks. Edit them like they’re going to a real brand. Captions clean. Pacing sharp. Audio balanced.
Be intentional with your products and brands, you may want to niche down, for example to beauty or food brands or you can focus on going broad and showing as much range as possible.
Over the next week, bring these videos to life.
Remember, this is just a starting point. As you grow as a creator you’ll be able to replace this content with better work. We all start somewhere.
DAY 17
This is where most creators lose A LOT of time, but you won’t. Today, you’re going to pull together the bones of your portfolio. It doesn’t need to be a full website — a clean Google Drive folder or Canva one-pager will do. Keep it simple:
- Short about line
- Contact info
- 5-7 polished videos
Extra Tip: If going down the Google drive route, ensure you name your files clearly: testimonial-coffee.mp4, demo-skincare.mp4. It shows attention to detail.
DAY 18-20
Refine. Refilm. Review your portfolio like a client would. Would you hire you? Are the videos varied in format and tone? Is your personality coming through?
If not, tweak the content until it does.
DAY 21
Do a test run: send your portfolio to a trusted friend or fellow creator and ask for honest feedback.
Week 4: Build the back office
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve done the hard work. Now you get to the fun parts. The sexy parts. The parts that you nearly ticked off on day one.
DAY 22
Set up your UGC email. Don’t do this on day one. It’s too easy to start pitching before you’re ready. By week four, you’ve got something worth sharing. Use your name or a variation with “ugc” in it. Gmail is fine. A custom domain is a bonus, but not required.
DAY 23-24
Next, you’re going to want to create some plug-and-play templates so that you never start from scratch with a brand. The three we recommend are:
- A pitch email
- A basic contract (outlines deliverables, timelines, and usage)
- An invoice with your terms (payment deadline, late fees, file format expectations)
PS, you can find all of these templates at the bottom of the page filed neatly under resources….
DAY 25-26
While we’re getting our ducks in a row, you’re going to want to start to organise your folders. Create a system for:
- Raw footage
- Final edits
- Scripts
- Brand assets (logos, links, brief PDFs)
Start now, and you won’t end up buried in chaos later.
DAY 27-28
Decide if you want to be visible. If sharing your journey on TikTok or IG feels natural, go for it. If not, keep your head down and keep working. Visibility helps. But it’s not the only way to get work.
DAY 29
Check in. What parts of your first month as a UGC creator did you enjoy? What felt awkward? What came easy? This tells you where to double down.
Take 10 minutes and write:
- What did I enjoy making?
- What do I never want to do again?
- What felt surprisingly easy?
- What am I proud of?
This helps you find your zone of genius faster.
DAY 30
I’m not crying. You are. You’re ready. It’s time to start getting work.
Start pitching to brands or agencies. Sign up to one or two UGC platforms. Send a clean, confident email with your portfolio. Don’t overthink it.
You’ve done the work. Now let people see it.
💭 Final thoughts
Your first 30 days aren’t about being perfect. They’re about building trust in yourself. You showed up. You studied the space. You created with intention. You built something from scratch.
Now that you’ve laid the foundation, it gets easier. Better briefs. More confidence. Real paid work.
Keep going. You’re just getting started.
🧘🏽♀️ TL;DR
❓ Start with curiosity: Study the UGC world like it’s your job (because it will be).
🎥 Practice before pitching: Replicate high-performing ads to get your reps in.
🧠 Build a system: Organise your research, scripts, and content early on — your future self will thank you.
🎬 Create your portfolio: Focus on clarity, consistency, and showcasing your range.
🧾 Set up your back office: Email, contracts, invoices — all the unsexy stuff that makes you look pro.
