If you’re serious about UGC, your portfolio can’t be an afterthought. Sending brands links to your TikTok or random Google Drive folders won’t cut it.
You need a polished, professional portfolio to highlight exactly why brands should invest in you.
But — and this is important — you also can’t afford to spend hours every week endlessly tinkering with Canva. One of the biggest struggles UGC creators face is balancing their business around a full-time job, studies, or binge-watching the latest season of MAFS Australia. Knowing exactly where your time is best spent is a game-changer, and spoiler alert: your portfolio isn’t it.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to build a winning, set-and-forget UGC portfolio.
You’ll learn key mistakes to avoid, and get access to an easy, effective template to give you the head start you need.
What is a UGC portfolio?
A UGC portfolio is a curation of your best content work, specifically crafted to attract brands and agencies.
It’s your digital business card—showing potential clients exactly what you’re capable of and why you’re worth investing in. Unlike simply linking to your social media profiles, a UGC portfolio demonstrates strategic thinking, creativity, and measurable results.
And, yes, you do need one.
It’s essential for creators looking to secure paid brand collaborations. Brands want to see proof. They want results. And they don’t want to have to read through a war and peace email to hear about them.
Don’t tell, show.
A solid UGC portfolio:
- Demonstrates your skills and creativity
- Shows you understand marketing and conversions
- Establishes your professionalism and credibility
What should you include in your UGC portfolio?
There’s no set formula or approach to a portfolio, but there are definitely guidelines you should be following to ensure your work is standing in the best stead. We want to convey credibility, expertise and ultimately quality.
More often than not, UGC portfolio’s are giving less quality and more DIY.
Here’s how to set yours out:
COVER PAGE
Look at every page as real estate. That doesn’t mean we need to fill up every white space (don’t do that) but instead we need to look at what each page is bringing. If your cover page is just your image and your name, do you even need it? I like to use a cover page to not only showcase my likeness and my name, but tell the brands exactly what I can do for them. Not just create UGC, but the problem I solve.
What’s your one liner?
USP PAGE
Introduce yourself, including anything that sets you apart from other creators. If you create a lot of pet content, include information about your dog. If you’ve got 8 years in D2C, mention that.
If it’s not mentioned on the cover page, mention where you’re based.
This is vital for brands with physical products. If they don’t ship to the UK and want an American accent, the chances are, you’re not the right fit.
EXAMPLES OF WORK
Make sure you have various concepts on display, each following the direct response marketing formula. Strong hooks, pain points and calls to actions. UGC is science, and if you want to be paid, brands and agencies will want to see these variations of content. Ensure these videos are top of their game in terms of UGC editing and always have at least one video showcasing your voice.
Top tip: you probably only need half of the example videos that you are currently showcasing. Any more than 10, and it’s overkill.
TESTIMONIALS/CASE STUDIES
UGC is a business. Glowing client reviews add strength to your argument as a creator. Where possible, include stats or numbers for content that has been utilized by brands and explain the pain point the brand was facing and the solution you offered.
ORGANIC MANAGEMENT
If you’ve managed organic social media accounts in the past or you’ve grown your own, this is a great page to include to demonstrate why brands might want to opt for a retainer package.
This only works with cold hard figures, so bear that in mind.
PACKAGES & RATES
Packaging your UGC content is essential if you want to attract clients, build your brand, and make a consistent and predictable income. But, your portfolio is not a place to sell. Don’t include everything and the kitchen sink on this page.
A good starting point is 1 UGC Ad, 3 UGC Ad’s and a Tester Package.
After your packages, add an additional note that says you offer retainer packages, and this is where you can go to town negotiating a fair rate.
CONTACT INFO
If you’ve managed to make the sale, give them the information they need to get in touch with you. Display your email clearly, or add a link to book a Calendly call.
Remember that less is more. Avoid overwhelming potential clients with excessive amounts of information. A lengthy “about me” section often goes unread, wasting valuable space. Similarly, sections explaining the benefits or definition of UGC are not necessary. While educating clients about the benefits of UGC is important, your portfolio should primarily focus on showcasing your work and highlighting the results you’ve achieved for other brands.
Keep your text concise, impactful, and directly relevant to your portfolio’s purpose.
What platform should you use for your UGC portfolio?
Let’s not overcomplicate this here, Canva is fine.
There are some incredible website builders, but for 99% of creators a basic templated portfolio will do just fine. It’s low cost, low effort and with a custom domain and some intentional design choices it can look really impressive.
Almost every UGC portfolio template you’ll find is built on Canva, so you’re not short of any examples. You can use our UGC portfolio template for free, or replicate others really easily.
DO YOU NEED YOUR OWN DOMAIN?
Short answer, no. But the right answer is yes, you should have a custom domain if you’re looking to build a business for the long term.
Using a custom domain for your Canva website especially adds professionalism and personalization to your online presence. You also have greater control over your email delivery rates, which becomes important when you start to send more cold pitches. It’s under £10 for the year, and you’ll soon have a beautiful and fully functional website, not just a presentation.
To connect your domain, create your Canva portfolio as normal, being sure to create your design as a ‘Website’. Once complete, hit ‘Share’ in the top right corner. Here you’ll have three options: using the free Canva domain, purchasing a new domain via Canva, or using your pre-existing domain.
If you have already registered your custom domain, choose “Use My Existing Domain” and continue. You’ll be prompted to add your domain name, and after completing this step, click “Connect Domain.”
Canva will then guide you through the process, and once completed, your website will be published.
4 UGC portfolio mistakes you’re making
YOU’RE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTACT YOU
Making it easy for clients to reach out to you is crucial. While including a “contact me” button on your portfolio is a good start, it’s essential to go a step further. Many people don’t have their mail app set up on their computer, and clicking the button might trigger a pop-up window that complicates the process. To ensure seamless communication, prominently display your email address on your portfolio.
This simple step eliminates potential frustrations and allows potential clients to contact you directly.
LACK OF REAL RESULTS
Brands are not just seeking “content.” They want content that does something for them. Content that drives measurable results.
To stand out from the competition, include case studies, analytics, and tangible results in your portfolio.
Showcase the impact of your work by highlighting sales data, conversions, or ROI. Demonstrating your ability to deliver concrete outcomes reassures brands that working with you is a worthwhile investment.
Let the numbers speak for themselves and showcase the value you can provide.
WAAAAAAAY TOO MUCH TEXT
Brands skim. Keep your text concise, impactful, and relevant.
Skip lengthy “About Me” sections and redundant explanations of UGC.
NOT COMPRESSING YOUR VIDEOS
Picture the scene. You’ve pitched your dream brand and your email has piqued the interest of the creative genius behind the ad account.
They click the link to your beautifully designed portfolio and scroll down to your examples. Nada. Nothing. No videos. No sound. Simply black rectangles of doom.
What happened? I’ve got one guess. Did you remember to compress your videos before adding them to your portfolio? Slow-loading videos kill conversions. Avoid this with compression:
- Download HandBrake (handbrake.fr).
- Upload your video and adjust “Constant Quality” slightly lower.
- Save with a recognizable name (e.g., “compressed_video”).
- Your videos will now load quickly and smoothly—no black screens or buffering.
💭 Final thoughts
Building a standout UGC portfolio doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.
Follow this structure to a tee and you’ll quickly transform your portfolio from bang average to better than most, attracting more brands and landing bigger gigs.
📋 TL;DR:
✅ A professional UGC portfolio is non-negotiable.
✅ Include a strong cover, concise bio, impactful video examples, testimonials, clear packages, and easy-to-find contact details.
✅ Avoid common mistakes: unclear contact info, lack of results, too much text.
✅ Compress your videos to improve loading speed.
