Brands looking for UGC creators: where they post work and how to pitch

Where do brands look for UGC creators?

Brands look for UGC creators in four places: UGC marketplaces, freelance marketplaces, social platform marketplaces and their own inboxes. Each one works differently, so the way you get picked differs too.

Marketplaces are the quickest place to start: a brief there means the brand has already decided to buy videos. Direct outreach takes longer per brand but has no platform fee and no queue of other applicants.

For a full comparison of the platforms themselves, see the best UGC platforms for creators.

Which platforms do brands post paid UGC work on?

The UGC marketplaces below each describe on their own pages how brands post work and how creators get it. Read the "how you get the work" column before you sign up, because it tells you how much of the process you control.

TikTok One works differently. Its creator help page says "Creators can find a direct invitation from an advertiser in their TikTok inbox," and creators can also apply to open projects, with a weekly application limit. Its sign-up page says you must be 18 or over and that "To participate in projects, creators must have at least 1,000+ followers."

Which brands are looking for UGC creators right now?

The brands looking for UGC creators right now are the ones with live briefs on the platforms above and the ones already running creator-style ads. This guide does not publish a list of brand names, because a list cannot show whether a brand is buying this month.

You can check that yourself in a few minutes. Meta's Ad Library help page says the library "contains all active ads that are shown across Meta technologies" and that "Anyone can view and search the Ad Library."

1. Search the Ad Library for a product category you make videos for.
2. Open the brands whose active ads show a person talking to the camera, an unboxing or a demo.
3. Count how many different creator-style versions each brand is running. A brand with many versions is testing creative, and testing needs new videos.
4. Write down what each ad does in its first three seconds. You will use this in your pitch.
5. Find a contact: a partnerships or creator email on the brand's site, or the founder or marketing lead on LinkedIn.

The brands that pass step 3 are your outreach list. Keep it to 20 or 30 names you can research properly.

Where do brands look for AI creators?

Brands looking for AI creators find them on fewer platforms, because several UGC marketplaces are built around a human creator on camera. Two marketplaces in this guide address AI work directly, and Anglr works only with AI creators.

• Fiverr has two UGC service types, Human UGC and AI UGC, and its UGC guidelines say AI UGC uses "avatars or synthetic voiceovers to create UGC-style videos without a human on camera." Sellers are told to "Be transparent about Human vs AI production and tools used."
• JoinBrands lists "AI Creators" among its creator types on its creator page. It publishes no rules for AI content.

Others are written for on-camera creators. Billo's brand page says "Every creator is a human, not an AI avatar," and SideShift's terms say "The Creator must personally perform the accepted work."

Anglr works only with AI creators, editors and agencies. Anglr's brand partners are confirmed before any brief goes out; it does not name them. Every brief includes winning angles and examples, and creators are paid on performance. It is for creators whose AI ads already perform: the creators page lists what an application needs.

For AI outreach, pitch brands that already run creator-style ads in several formats. Say in the first line that your videos are made with AI and which tools you use.

Which UGC brands work with beginners?

The UGC brands that work with beginners are the ones on platforms that accept new creators. You do not need a list of brand names: join a beginner-friendly platform and every brief you see there is open to you.

These platforms say on their own pages that followers or experience are not needed:

• Billo: "No professional experience or social media presence is required."
• Twirl: "We care about quality, not experience."
• trend.io: no followers needed; US-based iPhone users only.
• Influee: "From beginners to professionals."
• Trybe (jointrybe.com): "followers don't matter on Trybe."
• SideShift: open to people "just getting started."

Expect product alongside or instead of cash at the start. trend.io lists "Free Products + Cash," and Influee's tips include "Take unpaid gigs in return for free products." Decide your own rule before you apply: for example, product-only for the first three videos, then paid only.

Anglr is not for beginners. If you are new, build five or six finished spec videos first; how to build a UGC portfolio covers what to include.

How do you pitch a brand for UGC?

Pitch a brand with one specific video idea for a product it already advertises, three finished examples and a clear offer. A pitch that only says "I make UGC, here is my portfolio" gives the brand nothing to say yes to.

Five rules for the pitch:

1. Name the ad you saw. Say which product and what the first three seconds do. It shows you looked.
2. Give one idea, not five. One hook, one format, one length.
3. Link three videos close to that idea. Not your whole portfolio.
4. State what you deliver. Lengths, aspect ratios, number of hooks, revisions, raw files.
5. Ask for one small next step. A first video, not a long-term deal.

Keep it under 150 words. Send it to a named person, and follow up once after about a week if you hear nothing.

Here is a template. Replace every bracket.

Subject: [Brand] ad idea: [hook in under 8 words]

Hi [first name],

I make [UGC / AI UGC] ads for [category] brands. I saw your current
ad for [product] that opens with [what happens in the first 3 seconds].

Idea: a [length]-second [format, e.g. selfie review / unboxing / podcast]
version that opens with "[hook line]", shows [product moment] and ends
on [call to action].

Three finished ads close to this: [portfolio link]
What I deliver: [lengths], [aspect ratios], [number] hooks,
[number] revisions, raw files [yes / no].
Made with: [on camera / AI tools used].
Rate: [price per video or package]. Usage: [organic / paid ads, how long].

Can I send a first version for [product] next week?

[Name]
[portfolio link] | [email]

For hook lines that fit the first three seconds, see ad hooks.

How do you get a paid collaboration with a brand?

A paid collaboration with a brand is any deal where the brand pays you for content. The two main types are UGC, where the brand runs your video on its own accounts or ads, and a sponsored post, where you post on your own account.

Platforms list these as separate campaign types. Insense's creator page lists UGC, influencer posting, product seeding, Partnership Ads and affiliate campaigns. Billo's creator page lets you add organic posting and Partnership Ads as paid add-ons that you price yourself.

If you have no audience, UGC is the paid collaboration open to you, because the brand's reach matters, not yours. Agree four things in writing before you start: the price, the deliverables, the payment terms and the usage rights. UGC usage rights explains the last one.

What do brands ask for in a UGC brief?

A UGC brief usually sets the product, the angle, the format and the files to deliver, plus how long and where the brand can use the video. Check each line before you accept, because changes after you film cost you time.

Platform terms already fix some of these. Insense's creator terms include "up to 3 round of revisions" in the creator fee. SideShift's terms say approved posts stay live "for at least three (3) months" unless the agreement says otherwise. Twirl's creator page mentions extra pay where you give permission for your content or post for a 30-day period.

If a brief leaves an item out, ask before you start, in the platform chat or by email, so the answer is in writing.

How does Anglr compare with pitching brands yourself?

With Anglr there is no pitching: Anglr's brand partners are confirmed, and each brief arrives with winning scripts, angles and examples. You make every format of the script with your own AI tools, and every video goes through QC and compliance review before it goes live.

Creators are paid on performance, with an optional smart retainer for hitting volume, on each brand's payment terms. You can keep pitching brands and using other platforms at the same time.

If your AI ads already perform, apply on the creators page. If you are new to UGC, start on a marketplace, and read UGC creators and UGC creator jobs for the types of paid work.