Ugc that scales into paid
UGC is a fascinating thing. The same label applies both to you or me posting an Instagram story from a coffee shop we enjoyed, and to creators who quite literally earn their coffee money by producing that kind of content. In both cases, the content is created by users who have no direct affiliation with the brand. But there’s a catch: between a story tagged #niceevening and a full-scale targeted advertising campaign lies a gap so vast it can’t be measured by tanks or Titanic-sized metaphors.
We create posts primarily for ourselves, while brands chase high conversion rates and CTR. And right in the middle of execution, critical issues surface: the first three seconds don’t hook, the offer is vague, the call to action is missing, and so on. The result? Brands abandon UGC ads and switch to studio-produced videos. That’s hardly surprising. This kind of content is created intuitively, when users share emotions and impressions in the moment - which doesn’t always align with a brand’s need for a polished, strategically airtight advertising campaign. Still, even this problem is solvable.
For UGC to perform in paid campaigns, it has to be created with performance in mind from the start. No one is suggesting that you sacrifice the authenticity or atmosphere that makes user-generated content special - not at all. What we do suggest is embedding certain elements at the planning stage that will: A) make algorithms distribute the content more actively, and B) motivate viewers to watch it through to the end. How do you do that? In reality, the rules are fairly universal.
When users open any social platform, you have only a few seconds to capture their attention. You need a strong hook - a kind of pocket-sized Tarantino - capable of setting intrigue from the very first frame. This is the key difference between creator content for paid media and regular UGC. Compare “I spent three months looking for a cream that doesn’t pill under makeup..” with “Hi everyone! Today I want to show you one of my favorite creams.” Both are created by users, but one is a carefully constructed PR narrative with a clear script, while the other is a digitized personal diary entry. There’s nothing wrong with either - but brands need the former.
In high-quality UGC ads, you’ll never hear phrasing like “Oh, I found such comfortable shoes!” Instead, within the first second you’re far more likely to see something like: “Walked ten kilometers - my feet didn’t hurt.” The meaning is exactly the same, but the way it’s delivered plays a decisive role, flipping the perception of identical content on its head. This leads us to the first rule of performance creative: be specific, clear, and direct. The formula is simple - more specifics equal more trust.
The second rule: advertising must be diegetic. Your task is to integrate the offer into the narrative so that it doesn’t disrupt the internal logic of the story and world you’ve created, but instead becomes an organic part of the storytelling. Never tack it on at the end. We’re not trying to sell the last Sony TV at a clearance sale. Our goal is far broader - to build a space users want to believe in and feel part of.
UGC ads are more flexible and often more effective than traditional advertising, but that flexibility makes proper execution significantly more complex. There are always multiple angles from which a creator can talk about your product, and each time you’ll have to navigate different formats, countless iterations, and ongoing briefings before landing on your ideal approach. It’s a complex, demanding process - but remember: working with UGC is one of those games that is always worth the candle.
We share even more insights on performance creative and marketing strategies on our social channels - stay tuned.
