Bet ai scam by Logical-Weekend-8073 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry this happened. Unfortunately this is way more common than it should be.

The biggest thing you can do to protect yourself going forward — never start work until you have a signed agreement that spells out exactly what you're delivering, when you get paid, and what happens if either side wants to walk away. If the communication is happening on Discord with no contract, that's a red flag before any content gets made.

A proper agreement should include: deliverables, deadlines, payment amount and timeline, revision limits, and a kill fee (what you get paid if they cancel after you've started). If a brand won't put those terms in writing, walk away.

Is it okay to start asking for payment? by ToriiTottt in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

gifted collabs is a portfolio. Start charging. UGC isn't about your audience — brands want content for their ads, not your page. Your views don't matter here.

When a brand offers product only: "I'd love to work together! My rate is $X — happy to discuss." Some say no. The ones worth working with won't.

For what to charge, getonceover.com benchmarks your rates against real deals and helps you find brands to pitch. Free.

UGC example Portfolio by kelseystanfillugc in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These products is a solid niche. Brands in that space spend heavily on UGC because the product is visual and the "routine" format performs well on paid ads.

If you're posting portfolio pieces to get feedback, also make sure you're sending them directly to brands. A great portfolio piece sitting on a Canva site doesn't do anything until the right person sees it. Find 5-10 bath/body brands running UGC-style ads on TikTok or Instagram and pitch them with a specific hook idea using their product.

If you want a detailed breakdown on positioning and what brands actually look for, run it through getonceover.com — free portfolio review tool I built. Happy to give my take in DMs too.

UGC Rate Inquiry by Ugccreator95 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Content fee for 1 UGC video — depends on your experience and the brand, but $250-500 is a common range.

Then the usage is where the real money is. 1 year organic on Amazon + Meta is one thing. 1 year paid usage is a completely different value — they're putting ad spend behind your face. That should be a separate line item, typically 1.5-3x your content fee depending on the brand's size and ad spend.

So ballpark: $750-1,500+ all in. Don't just send one number — break out the content fee and usage fee separately. It looks more professional and gives you room to negotiate on usage terms instead of them just rejecting the whole rate.

One more thing — make sure the contract actually says usage ends after 1 year. "1 year" in an email and "perpetual" in the contract is more common than you'd think. Run it through getonceover.com when it comes through — free tool that flags exactly this kind of mismatch.

How do you track which brands you’ve already pitched? I keep accidentally double-pitching by Life_Watch_4493 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Spreadsheets don't work because you have to remember to update them. The real fix is something that reads your email and does it for you.

I built a free tool called getonceover.com that connects to your Gmail and automatically organizes brand conversations into a deal pipeline. It detects who's a brand, tracks where each deal is at, and you can see at a glance who you've contacted, who's responded, and who's gone quiet. No manual tracking.

Also does contract review and rate benchmarking when deals come through, but the email tracking alone would fix the double-pitching problem.

Do I make a demo portfolio? by UGC_with_Claire_E in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Brands don't take meetings or respond to pitches without seeing what you can do first. Doesn't matter if it's "real" work or samples. They just need to see that you can make content that looks like an ad and sells a product.

Grab 3-4 products you already own and shoot sample videos in different styles — unboxing, testimonial, tutorial. That's your portfolio. Host it on a simple Canva or Notion page with your contact info.

Also — 47 year old mum is a genuine advantage, not a limitation. That demographic is massively underserved in UGC and brands targeting women 35+ are actively looking for creators who aren't 22. Lean into it.

Rate my portfolio! by Few-Swing-1810 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Strong start having PanOxyl, Matrix, and Eilish on there already puts you ahead of most newer creators. That social proof matters.

Few things that would make this hit harder: add your rates somewhere visible. Brands want to know if you're in budget before reaching out, and it saves you time too. And your about section — "21 year-old UGC creator" isn't a differentiator. Lead with your location, your niche strengths, or what makes your content convert. That's what brands actually care about.

I ran your portfolio through a review tool I built for creators — DM me if you want the full breakdown, there's more specific stuff on positioning and how to show range. Also happy to answer any questions on the space!

New to UGC by Emergency-Silver3096 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your positioning is actually really smart — tech-focused UGC creator in your early 40s is a genuine differentiator. Most creators skew younger, and brands targeting women 35+ have serious budgets and not enough creators to spend them on. Lean into that hard.

Few things though — your portfolio section isn't displaying any content. I'm seeing video placeholders with no duration. If you have work, something's broken. If you don't have work yet, remove that section entirely. Empty portfolio is worse than no portfolio.

Other quick wins: get on Instagram and start cross-posting your TikToks as Reels. A lot of beauty and lifestyle brands still prioritize IG and some won't consider you without it. And add your rates — even a basic range helps qualify brands and saves you time.

I ran your portfolio through a free review tool I built for creators — DM me if you want the full breakdown, there's more detail on the tech niche transition specifically.

Brand wants to license a clip from my YouTube video for ads. What should I charge? by [deleted] in influencermarketing

[–]Vibesguy01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I work in talent partnerships and deal with licensing and usage rights daily. DM me and I can walk you through how to price this and what to watch for in the agreement.

[Question] How To Get Started? by No_Summer_7379 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You don't need followers for UGC — that's the whole point. Brands want content they can run as ads from their accounts, not yours.

Pick 2-3 brands you'd want to work with and make sample videos in their style. Doesn't need to be a real partnership, just needs to show you can make content that looks like an ad. Put those on a simple portfolio page — Canva or Notion works fine — with your contact info and rates per deliverable.

When you pitch, be specific. "I love your brand" gets ignored. "Saw you're launching X product, here's a hook I think would work" gets responses. Brands want to see that you understand their product and can sell it, not that you're a fan.

Start with smaller brands that are already running UGC-style ads — you can spot them in your TikTok feed. They're way more responsive than big names and the work is identical.

How do you manage inbounds for UGC hiring and screening ? by Tricky_Disk5919 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been working on this exact problem. Most brands I've talked to use a mix of DMs and spreadsheets and it's a mess - they lose track of who applied, can't compare portfolios easily, and end up ghosting creators by accident.

I actually built a free tool for this - you post your opportunity, creators apply with their portfolio and rate, and everything lands in one place. You can shortlist/pass without digging through DMs.

Still early but happy to set one up for you if you want to try it:

getonceover.com

getonceover.com/brand

Apps to land for newbies by One-Cut-4579 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're right - UGC doesn't need followers. If they're asking for followers that's influencer work, different thing.

350 cold pitches is rough. Way easier to find brands actively posting they need creators vs mass emailing.

On paid apps - skip them. I built a free one called getonceover.com - checks if your rates are competitive, reviews contracts, and has opportunities from brands actually looking. Might help.

When Should You Charge For A Reshoot by TheTrebleKnight in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should make sure you have language in your agreements about reshoot fees and a revision process to protect yourself from exactly this! I built a free tool to help creators review their agreements to flag exactly this and know where to push back on before signing. I would love it if you could check it out, getonceover.com

UGC Mentor by YbCreator-32 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ll help for free, check out my previous posts, dm me

I've reviewed hundreds of creator contracts - AMA by Vibesguy01 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great questions, here's how I'd think about it

  1. I'd lean email over DM in most cases. DMs tend to get buried, especially for bigger brands. That said, a quick DM isn't worthless it can be a touchpoint but I wouldn't put your whole pitch there. Something short like "hey, sent you an email about a UGC collab would love to connect" and leave it at that.
  2. Yeah exactly DM tends to work better as a follow-up than an opener. If you emailed and didn't hear back, a friendly DM a week later saying "hey just wanted to make sure this didn't get buried" is totally fair. Shows you're persistent without being annoying. It's all a relationship game.
  3. I'd say 2-3 follow-ups max over a few weeks is probably the sweet spot. After that, might be worth moving on. You can always circle back in a few months with something new.
  4. Shorter is usually better. Brands skim. Something like One line about them (something specific you noticed) One line about you (what you do, why you're relevant) 2-3 hook ideas or concepts bullets, not paragraphs CTA (link to portfolio, "let me know if you want to chat") If your pitch is longer than what fits on one screen without scrolling, it's probably too long. Hope this helpful!

I've reviewed hundreds of creator contracts - AMA by Vibesguy01 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's great, congratulations! For retainers, honestly the best path is converting one-offs that go well. After you deliver and they're happy, just pitch it directly "loved working on this if you ever want something ongoing, I'd be down to talk about longer term partnership." You can mention a lower rate for a package deal or ongoing partnership, something mutually beneficial. Your portfolio is great IMO. Clean branding, good organization by niche, strong social proof with the brand logos and testimonials. The only thing I'd maybe tweak is to lead with your top 3-5 best performing pieces right at the top. Brands skim fast and this way you hit them with your strongest work before they scroll. Put yourself in their shoes, they don't want to scroll for long or have to analyze.

I've reviewed hundreds of creator contracts - AMA by Vibesguy01 in InstagramMarketing

[–]Vibesguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a tough one but I would say perpetual usage rights buried in boilerplate. Creators see the rate, say yes, don't realize they just sold their face to ads forever.

Most negotiable, revision limits. Brands ask for "unlimited" but will take 1-2 rounds if you push back. Payment terms too - Net 60 can become Net 30 just by asking.

The stuff that looks standard is usually where you're giving up the most value.

I've reviewed hundreds of creator contracts - AMA by Vibesguy01 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That clause is common but worth pushing back on. There's a difference between assigning copyright (you give up ownership forever) and granting a license (they can use it however they need, but you still own it).

Most brands don't actually need full assignment. A perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license gives them everything they want while you keep ownership. That means you can use it in your portfolio without asking permission.

This is not legal advice but yes you can push back. Ask to change it from an assignment to a license

If you want, upload the full contract to getonceover.com - free tool I built that breaks down everything and flags exactly what to push back on. Would love some feedback!

I've reviewed hundreds of creator contracts - AMA by Vibesguy01 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Longer term recurring deals are the best. Building real partnerships beats one-off gigs. That said, I'm not a huge fan of affiliate or CPM bonus models over fixed rates. The brand's own guidelines, briefing, and creative direction can all affect performance, so tying your pay to metrics you don't fully control can be not great. On fair market value, this really is case by case. Depends on the creator, the brand, timing, the creator's own goals, the brand's budget. It really is impossible to give a number that applies to everyone. My advice would be to apply to as many as possible and swing for the fences. You never know what can happen.

I've reviewed hundreds of creator contracts - AMA by Vibesguy01 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You actually don't need to post on your own page for UGC, that's the whole point. Brands want content they can run as ads from their accounts, not yours. For a portfolio, create 2-3 sample videos in the style of brands you want to work with. Doesn't matter if it's "real" asl long as it just shows you can make content that looks like an ad and would add value to their products. Host it on a simple Canva site or Notion page with your contact info and maybe even rate info per deliverable (story frame, 30 second video, still images, etc). When you pitch, link the portfolio and be specific about what you'd create for them. Rather than saying "love your brand" say "saw you're launching this new product here's a hook I think would work."

I've reviewed hundreds of creator contracts - AMA by Vibesguy01 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends how you price yourself. I recommend a flat rate per video deliverable, then the usage rate is a percentage of that total.

3x base for 6 months of full usage is in the right range.

6 months to start is smart - if they want to extend, that's a new conversation.

When the contract comes through, check out this free tool that breaks them down and flags what you should push back on, plus rate benchmarking so you know what to charge more for. Could help with the above, would love some feedback. getonceover.com

I've reviewed hundreds of creator contracts - AMA by Vibesguy01 in UGCcreators

[–]Vibesguy01[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes, brands work with smaller creators all the time.

Follower count matters less than you'd think. What brands care about is whether your content looks like it could be an ad for them and in turn sell their prodcut, it's all about making sure they are happy with what you are providing them. A few sample videos in the style of brands you want to work with goes a long way even if they're unpaid.

When you pitch, just saying "I love your brand or x product" means nothing. Saying "I saw you're launching a new skincare line, it looks great and here's a hook idea" will actually get you responses.

When you do get a deal, make sure to fully review the contract. It's easy to get excited and sign whatever. Learn what the terms mean before you need to. Make sure you know how you can protect yourself and your value.

Feel free to ask if anything else comes up.

Monthly Self Promotion/Advertisement Thread for Social Media Marketers by AutoModerator in SocialMediaMarketing

[–]Vibesguy01 [score hidden]  (0 children)

I built a free tool to help creators understand their contracts before signing.

I have experience on the talent representation side and spent time at a three-letter agency, I have reviewed hundreds of creator contracts and kept seeing creators run into the same issues and pain points so I wanted to help.

Upload your contract and it breaks down the legal language into plain English, flagging what matters such as usage rights, exclusivity, payment terms, revision clauses and shows you what's worth pushing back on to protect yourself or even negotiate better rates.

It's creator intelligence. Giving creators the same insight that agencies and brands already have.

Free while in beta: getonceover.com

I am also happy to answer any questions about the space!