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How to make UGC videos, from brief to delivery

Updated October 2026 · By the Mimic team

Making a UGC video is five jobs: read the brief, write a script with a hook, film on your phone in good light with clean sound, edit (cut dead air, caption every word, show the product), and deliver the right files with hook variations.

The aim is an ad that looks like a real person, because that’s what performs: TikTok found creator content got 70% higher click-through than non-creator ads (TikTok for Business, 2025). Shoot vertical, keep it 15 to 45 seconds, and put the best line first.

By the numbers

1. Read the brief like a contract

The brief tells you what the brand will pay for. Before you film, know:

  • The goal: sales, app installs, awareness. That changes the call to action.
  • The audience: who the ad talks to, and their problem.
  • Must-say points and claims to avoid. Many brands (supplements, skincare, finance) have legal limits on what you can say.
  • Format and length: testimonial, unboxing, demo; 15, 30 or 60 seconds.
  • Deliverables: number of videos, hooks, raw footage, deadline.
  • Usage: organic only, paid ads, or whitelisting. See usage rights.
  • A reference video, if they have one. It tells you the pacing and caption style they expect.

If anything is missing, ask before filming. A two-line email now saves a reshoot later.

2. Script it: hook, problem, product, proof, CTA

Most UGC ads follow the same five beats. Write them as bullet points you’ll say naturally, not a speech to read.

Example 30-second script (we wrote this)
  1. Hook0–3 s“I stopped buying coffee out and I'm saving $90 a month.”
  2. Problem3–8 s“Every morning was a $6 latte because home coffee tasted like nothing.”
  3. Product8–18 sShow the machine. “This takes 40 seconds and it's honestly better than my café.”
  4. Proof18–25 sPour shot, then sip. “Three months in and I haven't been back once.”
  5. CTA25–30 s“Link's below. They're doing 20% off this week.”

The hook does most of the work. Write five and film three. Our hook guide, the hook generator and the hook library help. For more structures, see UGC ad scripts; to check timing, paste your script into the script length calculator.

3. Film it on your phone

  • Vertical, 9:16, back camera if you can. Shoot 4K or 1080p; deliver 1080×1920 unless asked otherwise.
  • Face a window or a soft light. Light on your face, not behind you.
  • Mic close to your mouth. A clip-on or wireless mic beats any phone mic in a real room.
  • Frame chest-up with space above your head, and leave room at the bottom for captions.
  • Film in chunks. One beat at a time, several takes each. You’ll cut the best together.
  • Get B-roll: product close-ups, hands using it, before/after, screen recordings for apps.
  • Use a teleprompter if you lose your lines; our free teleprompter runs in the browser.

Full setup and camera settings: how to film UGC on iPhone.

4. Edit it

Raw takes are slow. The edit makes it an ad. In order:

  1. Pick the best take of each beat and line them up.
  2. Cut pauses, ums and false starts. See removing silences and the jump cuts guide.
  3. Open on the hook with big text on screen for the first second or two.
  4. Caption every word, timed to the voice. Many people watch muted. See adding captions.
  5. Cut to the product the moment you mention it.
  6. Punch in on key lines with a quick zoom.
  7. Keep text in the safe zone. Meta asks for the top 14%, bottom 35% and 6% each side to stay clear on Reels ads (Meta Ads Guide, 2026). More in safe zones.
  8. Mix the sound. Voice clear, music low. Google says sound in Shorts ads has lifted conversions by over 20% (Google Ads Help, 2026).

Step-by-step: how to edit a UGC video and how to edit talking-head videos.

Or skip the busywork: Mimic does every step above from a raw take, in the style of a reference video or a built-in style, and you can change anything after by hand or by typing (“bigger captions”, “cut the intro”).

5. Make hook variations

Brands test ads by swapping the first few seconds. Give them that for free (or as a paid add-on): one body, several hooks.

Three hooks, one body

A: “I stopped buying coffee out and I’m saving $90 a month.”

B: “POV: your home coffee finally tastes like the café.”

C: “The 40-second morning upgrade nobody told me about.”

Export each as its own complete video so the brand can upload them straight into an ad account.

6. Deliver like a pro

  • Files: MP4, 9:16, 1080×1920 (or what the brief says). Captions burned in unless asked for clean versions.
  • Clean versions: some brands want a no-text copy to add their own captions. Ask.
  • Names: Brand_Product_Hook-A_30s.mp4. Never final_final2.mp4.
  • One shared folder with finals, hooks and raw footage in subfolders.
  • Check length limits for where it’ll run. TikTok TopView ads, for example, run 5–60 seconds (TikTok Ads Help Center, 2026). The video length limits tool lists each platform.
  • Disclosure: if it posts on your account, disclose the brand relationship in the video itself (Federal Trade Commission, 2019).
  • Invoice on delivery with the usage terms restated.

Then pitch the next one: how to get UGC brand deals, what to charge, and building a portfolio.

Questions

What is a UGC video?

User-generated content: a video that looks and sounds like a real customer talking about a product, usually filmed on a phone, to camera. Brands pay UGC creators to make these and then post them or run them as ads.

What equipment do I need to make UGC?

A recent smartphone, a window or a cheap light, a clip-on or wireless mic, and a phone stand. That's it. Clean sound and good light matter more than any camera upgrade.

How long should a UGC video be?

Most UGC ads land between 15 and 45 seconds. Google suggests 10–30 second vertical videos for action-focused Shorts ads, and TikTok recommends 9–15 seconds for its TopView format. Follow the brief first.

What files do brands expect?

The finished vertical video (usually 1080×1920 MP4), the hook variations as separate files, and raw footage if it's in the deal. Name files clearly and deliver in a shared folder.

Do I need to show my face in UGC?

Most UGC ads do, because a real face builds trust. Faceless formats (hands-only demos, voiceover with B-roll) exist and suit some products, but you'll have fewer briefs to choose from.

How do I edit UGC quickly?

Cut pauses and false starts, add word-by-word captions, open on the hook, cut to the product when you mention it, and check text is inside the safe zone. Mimic does all of that from a raw take, in the style of a reference video.

Sources

  1. The Creator Advantage: how creators drive real brand impact on TikTok, TikTok for Business (2025). Creator content vs non-creator ads at the same CPM: 70% higher CTR, 159% higher engagement (TikTok internal analysis, Feb 2024–Jan 2025)
  2. Your guide to YouTube Shorts ads, Google Ads Help (2026). 9:16 best for Shorts; 10–30 s for action-focused ads; sound shown to lift conversions over 20%
  3. Instagram Reels ads specs, Meta Ads Guide (2026). 9:16, 1440×2560 recommended; leave 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% sides free of text
  4. TikTok Reservation TopView, TikTok Ads Help Center (2026). 5–60 s, 9–15 s recommended for TopView
  5. Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers, Federal Trade Commission (2019)