UGC Creator Starter Kit

1. What UGC actually is

You are producing advertising footage for a brand to run on its own channels and in paid ads. You are a contracted content producer, not an influencer — audience size is not the product; the footage is. Price for production and licensing, not reach.

2. Pick a niche and build a portfolio

• · Choose 2–3 categories you genuinely use: beauty, food, home, fitness, tech, local services
• · Create 3 spec videos per category using products you already own
• · Each spec video: hook, problem, product in use, result, call to action — 20 to 40 seconds
• · Host the portfolio on a simple page or a Google Drive folder with clear labels
• · Label spec work as spec — never imply a brand hired you when it did not

3. Rate card

Add 13% HST once you are registered. Registration is mandatory once taxable revenue exceeds $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters.

4. Outreach templates

• · Cold email: "Hi [name] — I make short-form product videos for [category] brands. I shot this spec ad for [product] on my own: [link]. I can deliver 3 videos in 10 days for $[rate], with 30-day paid usage included. Interested?"
• · Instagram DM: two lines maximum, one link, one price anchor
• · Follow-up at day 4 and day 10, then stop
• · Track every pitch in a sheet: brand, contact, date, status, next action

5. Contract essentials

• · Deliverables, revisions (cap at two), delivery date and file format
• · Fee, HST, deposit (50% upfront is standard), and net-15 payment terms
• · Usage licence: platforms, territory, duration, and whether paid ads are included — never grant perpetual worldwide rights in a base fee
• · You retain copyright in the footage; the brand receives a licence
• · Kill fee of 50% if cancelled after filming begins
• · Ontario as governing law

6. Delivery checklist

• · Vertical 9:16 and square 1:1 exports, 1080p minimum
• · Captioned and uncaptioned versions
• · Hook variants supplied as separate files
• · No unlicensed music in delivered files — let the brand add sound
• · Invoice with your business name, HST number if registered, and payment terms
• · Report all income to the CRA; gifted product counts as income at fair market value