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For creators looking to monetize their creative skills, user-generated content (UGC) has quickly emerged as a hottest trend. A UGC creator can earn up to $500 per piece of content made for brands, but the key to any high-earning creator is a carefully curated UGC portfolio. If you're looking to curate your portfolio to secure more UGC brand deals, you've come to the right place. Here are some tips to help you get started!
What is UGC and why does it matter?
UGC is any content created by consumers rather than brands, and it can come in many forms, including social media posts, blog articles, videos, and more. Brands are looking to include UGC (user-generated content) into their content marketing strategy as UGC can help increase credibility and authenticity, which in turn enhance brand awareness and loyalty. UGC results in 29% higher web conversions than campaigns or websites without it! Simply speaking, marketing campaigns that feature UGC lead to more sales due to the power of word-of-mouth marketing and social media posts. UGC campaigns are also significantly more affordable to create and manage compared to influencer marketing. This enables brands to establish a stronger connection with their potential customers.
What makes a good UGC portfolio?
Here are some recommendations for building a UGC portfolio that can help you land partnerships with the brands you like:
Select your best UGC work: choose a carefully curated group of your finest and most pertinent work to showcase in your portfolio, highlighting your content's quality and your abilities as a UGC creator.
Use a clean design: it's essential to focus on the content and minimize the use of other design elements and graphics. Make sure to leave enough space around the content to avoid clutter and keep written sections short and to the point.
Include a wide assortment of materials: in order to showcase your abilities as a creative individual, it is beneficial to incorporate a wide variety of content in your portfolio, even though highlighting your strengths is crucial. This displays your ability to be flexible and adaptable.
Use illustrative captions: integrate concise explanations of every content item within your collection, emphasizing the central idea, intended audience, and any pertinent specifics.
Keep your portfolio updated: ensuring that your portfolio is constantly updated with your latest and most impressive work is crucial. It showcases your ongoing development and commitment to your area of expertise, something that potential clients will find valuable.
For additional tips on how to make a perfect UGC portfolio check out our UGC starter guide and other UGC resources available on movig.
4 UGC examples to include in your portfolio
Due to the growing popularity of short-form video on social media platforms like TikTok and Reels, many brands and retailers have stepped up their production of this kind of online content. Any major brand, such as Oreo, Netflix, or Adobe, has a UGC video on their social media. Because of this, it is most profitable for content producers to concentrate on building a UGC portfolio with a variety of UGC video examples. The most typical types of UGC that businesses look for are listed below.
1) Product Showcase
These videos showcase a product in an enticing manner, highlighting its advantages and benefits to the viewers. The intent is to provide information to the knowledgeable audience about the product's features and create a sense of desire. It is a neutral description that can be used for any general domain. To craft a great product video that will stand out in your portfolio, follow these tips:
- Keep videos concise and to the point to ensure that viewers remain focused and to improve shareability on social media
- Record your footage in 4K resolution and ensure proper lighting and angles for best results
- Utilize imaginative modifications and rapid transitions to enhance the appeal of the video.
- Utilize current and popular music or audio to enhance your reach and add emotional impact.
- Consider utilizing textual content or visuals to emphasize crucial concepts without the need for narration, particularly if the intended audience is well-informed.
2) Voiceover Vlog
Vlogs are a powerful tool for content creators to appeal to consumers by highlighting the ways in which particular products make life better. In these videos, which frequently resemble personal blogs, you'll share your ideas, encounters, and daily activities with your viewers. For UGC, there are three popular vlog types that are effective:
- Showcases how specific products are used throughout the day while sharing daily life activities and events
- Takes viewers through each step of getting ready for the day. This is the preferred option for showcasing apparel and cosmetics
- Explain to viewers how a particular product elevates the experience by taking them on a special trip or night out
>> Here's an example of voiceover vlog for a skincare brand to include in your UGC portfolio.
3) Unboxing Videos
An example of user-generated content is an unboxing video, which shows the creator unboxing and analyzing a new product. These videos are very appreciated on social media sites like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram and frequently feature new products or build anticipation for a product launch. Here below are the main reasons why unboxing videos are a successful form of UGC.
- Can aid in fostering anticipation and excitement surrounding the product as viewers witness a new product in use for the first time
- Highlight the customer point of view and give viewers a more engaging experience as they view the item from a variety of perspectives and hear the creator's ideas and opinions in real time.
- Increase credibility and trust as they are perceived more genuine then standard product walk-through
>> Here's an example of unboxing video (for a camera) to include in your UGC portfolio.
4) Problem / Solution
This type of UGC is optimized for conversions and sales as it directly addresses a problem the viewer is having and positions the product as the solution. This content can be especially effective in securing paid deals with brands ans it demonstrates the ability to produce content that increases sales. Here below are the main elements to include in your video to create engaging content.
- Identify a problem that the product addresses
- Describe the issue
- Present the solution proposed by the product
- Include a call to action (CTA)
You can check out other UGC portfolio examples in our 2023 Creator Business Guide!
Top 3 UGC tools to create videos
1) Canva is a free graphic design platform that allows content creators to easily create high-quality visual content from portfolios and brand logos to websites, by using a wide variety of templates.
2) Capcut is free video editing software to make short-form videos. It's very helpful to create TikTok videos, the as the content appear native to TikTok, and can be accessed from desktop.
3) Visme is a web-based design tool similar to Canva that enables creators to easily create and share engaging visual content starting from templates
Conclusion
In conclusion, building a strong UGC portfolio is fundamental to promote your UGC work and secure brand partnerships. When building a UGC portfolio you need to showcase your abilities, sense of style, and distinct viewpoint as a creator. Remember to curate your best work, arrange it in a visually appealing and simple-to-navigate format, and include context and commentary. Additionally, it's crucial to keep your portfolio current and to advertise it on your social media accounts and other pertinent websites. Take these steps to build a solid UGC portfolio and you'll increase your visibility and eventually land more collabs!
Learn how to start and scale your creator business here, and be sure to set up a demo to see how our tool can help you.
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