How to become a UGC creator
User-generated content, or UGC, is short video that a real person makes about a product so a brand can use it on its own channels and in its ads. You are paid per approved deliverable, not for the size of your following. This guide covers the path, the disclosure and rights rules, and what the FTC expects.
Last reviewed By the Cashcade editorial team4 sources
In CashcadeOpens soon in Cashcade. This guide covers the business whether or not it is open yet.
- Paid for
- Each approved deliverable
- Needs
- A phone, light and sound
- Age
- 18 or older
- First paid
- 7 to 30 days (estimate)
On this page
What UGC work is
A UGC creator makes the video a brand would struggle to fake: a real person using a real product in their own voice. The brand posts it on its own channels or runs it as an ad. Because the creator does not post it themselves, follower count is not what is being bought.
That is also why the rules matter. The FTC treats a testimonial as a statement of the speaker's real experience, and its rule on consumer reviews and testimonials covers fake and AI-generated testimonials from people who do not exist or did not use the product. Real person, real use, your own voice: that is the standard.[1]
The path, step by step
Pick one or two product categories you really use
- The software does
- Shows the common claims and rules for each category.
- You decide
- Which categories.
- Done when
- Categories saved.
Make three samples with products you own
- The software does
- Gives script scaffolds, an edit and captions.
- You decide
- What to show and say.
- Done when
- Three samples ready.
Take a funded campaign or pitch a brand
- The software does
- Shows a campaign board and drafts pitches in your name.
- You decide
- Which brand and which brief.
- Done when
- Brief accepted.
Agree scope and rights
- The software does
- Gives a scope sheet covering usage window, revisions and deadline.
- You decide
- The terms.
- Done when
- Terms accepted.
Film, then edit
- The software does
- Offers hook options, trims, captions and a claims check with platform-correct disclosure.
- You decide
- Your words and what you claim.
- Done when
- Deliverable exported.
Submit and revise
- The software does
- Provides a review thread and counts revisions.
- You decide
- Revisions within scope.
- Done when
- Brand approves.
Get paid
- The software does
- Releases the funded amount from escrow.
- You decide
- Nothing.
- Done when
- Approved deliverable paid.
How long it takes
| What | Range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Start to first paid deliverable | 7 to 30 days | Estimate. It needs a pitch or an open brief; deals that offer a product and no fee do not pay cash. Pitch response time and revision rounds drive the range. |
| Estimate | ||
Rights, usage windows and disclosure
Agree three things in writing before filming. First, the usage window: how long the brand may use the video. Second, whether the brand may run it as a paid ad through your handle, which the market calls whitelisting and prices separately. Third, how many revisions are included.
If you post the video on your own channel as well, it is advertising and has to be labelled. The FTC expects a clear and conspicuous disclosure of a material connection to the brand, in the video and not buried in a description. The mechanism differs by platform: YouTube has a Paid promotion setting and TikTok has a Branded content toggle.[2][3]
What it costs and requires
| Item | Rule | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | A phone, light and sound; sometimes the product itself | Yes |
| Age | 18 or older | Yes |
| Payout identity checks | Handled by the payout provider before the first withdrawal | Yes |
| Software fee | A share of what is paid through Cashcade, shown before you accept a campaign. See fees | Yes |
How money is confirmed
The brand funds a campaign into escrow, a person reviews the deliverable, and the payout is released net of the software fee. Payment is based on approval, not on a view count, which is why Cashcade watches for collusion between creators and brands.[4]
Headwinds and the next move
| Headwind | Detail | Next move |
|---|---|---|
| Price pressure from synthetic video | AI-generated avatars compress low-end prices. | Position on authenticity and speed; do not use synthetic stand-ins for real customers. |
| Product-for-content deals | Some briefs offer a free product and no fee. | Check whether cash changes hands before you accept. |
| Disclosure mistakes | Labels differ by platform and a missing label is the poster's responsibility. | Use the platform's own toggle and the caption convention for it. |
| Unclear rights | Open-ended usage terms can tie up your content. | Put the usage window and ad authorisation in the scope sheet. |
Three starting shapes
| Offer | Deliverables |
|---|---|
| First-impressions video | A 30 second vertical video, 1 hook variant, captions and a 30 day usage window |
| Challenge and solution demo | A 45 second video with 3 hook variants, on-screen steps and disclosure text |
| Video and photo pack | 3 videos, 5 product photos, a shot list, and usage and revision terms in the scope sheet |
Questions
Do I need followers to do UGC?
No. Brands pay for the video they will use, not for your audience. Your samples and your reliability do the selling.
Can I use AI to play the customer?
No. A testimonial has to come from a real person who used the product. Cashcade does not offer synthetic customers.[1]
What is whitelisting?
It is the brand running your video as an ad through your social handle. It is usually priced separately from the video itself.
Sources
Every number on this page comes from a source below or is labelled an estimate. Each page was read on the date shown.
- [1]Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: questions and answers (opens in a new tab)
Federal Trade Commission · Official · Read October 15, 2026
Fake and AI-generated testimonials
- [2]Disclosures 101 for social media influencers (opens in a new tab)
Federal Trade Commission · Official · Read October 15, 2026
Clear and conspicuous disclosure of paid relationships
- [3]How to turn on the commercial content disclosure setting (opens in a new tab)
TikTok Ads Help · Official · Read October 15, 2026
Branded content toggle
- [4]How Cashcade works
Cashcade · Cashcade · Read October 15, 2026
Product rules: verified money, disclosure per platform, no random rewards
How this page was made
Researched by the Cashcade team from the sources listed above, with drafting aids used for structure. Spotted an error? Write to hello@playcashcade.com and a correction is published with its date.