Start with the work you need
For content published from your brand account, shortlist creators by their work samples, product knowledge and ability to follow the brief. A follower minimum can exclude capable UGC creators without telling you whether they can make the asset you need.
If the creator will also publish the post, assess the audience and agree on that placement separately. Formats such as TikTok Spark Ads use an existing post and require the relevant account permissions. Decide where the content will run before requesting quotes.
Your own customers and reviewers
Customers can bring useful product experience, but a purchase alone does not establish what someone used or whether an advertising claim is accurate. Ask about their experience and review what the finished video says. FTC guidance requires endorsements to reflect honest experience; when an ad presents someone as a user, that person must actually have used the product.
Ask for a sample before commissioning a batch. A customer may know the product well and still need help with sound, lighting or framing.
- Explain how you intend to use the content, including advertising. Review whether payment, gifts or other unexpected material connections need disclosure.
- Ask for honest experience. Do not condition a consumer-review incentive on positive sentiment.
- Get permission for the intended commercial use. A public tag or mention is not a license to reuse someone's video.
Creator marketplaces
Creator marketplaces let you publish a brief and compare applicants by niche, format and sample work. Availability and turnaround vary, so ask about the delivery date rather than assuming applicants will arrive within a day.
Confirm who made each portfolio sample and what part of the work the creator handled. If the video will describe personal product use, allow time for real use before filming. Shipping the product does not justify claims about results or experience the creator has not had.
A short paid test can show whether the creator understands the product and can deliver your required format.
An open call to your own list
An open call can help you find customers with different experiences of the product. Describe the work, intended use, compensation and selection process clearly. Ask for honest accounts and relevant samples, without limiting the invitation to people who gave you a positive review.
Review every selected video's claims, permissions and disclosures before using it in advertising. A broad invitation is not blanket permission to publish a misleading testimonial. Plan time to assess the submissions and help selected customers meet the production brief.
A creator marketing company
A creator marketing company can coordinate casting, briefs, production and the agreed content rights. Ask which tasks are included, who approves the work, how revisions are handled and what happens if a creator cannot deliver.
This can suit a team managing several formats or deadlines. The agreement should describe the responsibilities. Hiring a partner does not remove a brand's responsibility for misleading advertising claims.
How to read a UGC portfolio in ten minutes
Review several complete samples, including one similar to your brief. Check the work itself and ask how it was made.
| What to check | Why it matters | How to check it |
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | The spoken message needs to be clear in the final file | Listen for hiss, clipping, echo and abrupt changes between cuts. Ask for another sample if you cannot tell whether the issue came from the recording or the upload. |
| Lighting | Viewers need to see the product and relevant details | Look for distracting exposure or color changes within the same scene. |
| Hook delivery | Whether the opening frames identify the product before a viewer decides to keep watching | Mute the video. If the frame and the on-screen text alone do not tell you what the product is, the hook is being carried by the voiceover. |
| Brief requirements | A good sample should also meet the agreed deliverable | Use a paid test with a defined format, length and required product detail. Check the result against that brief. |
| Disclosure hygiene | A creator who cannot land a legible disclosure creates a compliance problem for you | Look at their past paid work. The Federal Trade Commission says a disclosure in a video belongs in the video rather than only in the description, and notes that some viewers watch without sound. |
Assess the sample directly. Follower count does not establish production quality or reliability.
Use a small paid test when the fit is uncertain
A portfolio may not show how someone handles your brief, feedback or deadlines. Agree on a small paid deliverable, its usage rights, one review round and the delivery date.
Assess content quality alongside accuracy, communication and the agreed requirements. A delay or missed detail deserves a conversation about the cause. Use what you learn to decide whether to expand the work.
Agree on review of product claims and disclosures before publication.
Agree on use, approval and delivery before filming
Record the deliverables, channels, usage period, editing permissions, disclosure requirements and approval process. Include what happens when a usage term ends or a platform authorization is withdrawn. A file in your possession does not give you unlimited rights to use it.
Separate the license for a delivered file from permission to advertise through a creator's account. Confirm both when your plan requires them.
Keep testimonials faithful to the creator's real experience. If an ad continues to present someone as a product user, FTC guidance says the advertiser needs good reason to believe that remains true. Do not present a performer as an independent customer if that would mislead viewers.
When the audience is actually the point
When the creator's own post and audience are part of the campaign, assess audience relevance as well as production ability. Review the account's content, available analytics and the proposed placement. The guide to finding influencers for your brand covers that selection process.
Frequently asked questions
Do UGC creators need followers?
There is no general follower minimum for making content that your brand will publish. Judge relevant samples, product understanding and delivery. When a creator will also publish a sponsored post, audience fit becomes a separate part of the brief.
Can I run a customer's TikTok video as an ad because they tagged my brand?
No. A tag is not a license. Under TikTok's United States terms, commercial use of another user's content is prohibited unless that user permits it. Get a written license naming the channels and the term. If you gave the customer anything, even the prospect of being featured, disclose that under the FTC's Endorsement Guides.
Does a UGC ad need a disclosure if it runs from my brand account?
Yes, if the person on camera reads as an independent customer when they are not. People usually know an ad is paid; the question is who is in it. The Endorsement Guides' example of an ad implying the speakers are real patrons concludes that where actors have been employed, the fact should be clearly and conspicuously disclosed.
What if the creator has never used my product?
Allow time for actual use before asking for a personal endorsement. The video must not describe experience or results the creator has not had. A demonstration should also avoid implying that a performer is an independent customer when that is untrue.
Is a UGC video a review under the fake review rule?
It depends on the video's message. A UGC-style ad may be a consumer testimonial when viewers are likely to understand it as reflecting a real customer's experience. The rule defines reviews and testimonials separately. The label UGC does not decide which requirements apply.
How many creators should I test before committing?
Start with a batch small enough to review properly. Use a comparable brief and assess quality, communication, delivery and revisions. Expand when the work meets your requirements; there is no universal number of test creators.
Where do I find UGC creators for a technical or unglamorous product?
Look for customers and creators who can explain the product clearly. Ask for a relevant demonstration or a paid sample. A marketplace or production partner can also help you find that expertise. Allow time for the creator to learn and use the product.
Should I use the same creators repeatedly or keep rotating?
Keep working with creators whose work and communication fit the brief, and test new people when you need a different format, perspective or skill. Review performance and the continuing accuracy of any personal-use claims before reusing older content.
- eCFR: 16 CFR Part 255, FTC Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (2023)
- Federal Trade Commission: FTC's Endorsement Guides, What People Are Asking (2023)
- eCFR: 16 CFR Part 465, Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (2024)
- Federal Register: Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, effective October 21, 2024 (2024)
- Federal Trade Commission: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers (2019)
- TikTok Ads: About Spark Ads (2026)
- TikTok: Branded Content Policy, effective August 31, 2026 (2026)
- TikTok: Terms of Service, United States (2026)
- YouTube Help: Add paid product placements, sponsorships and endorsements (2026)
- eCFR: 16 CFR 255.1, endorsement responsibilities
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