How to find UGC creators for your brand

Updated July 2026 · ~7 min read

Understanding how to find UGC creators you can rely on is today one of the main challenges for any brand or e-commerce business that wants to produce authentic, high-performing videos. Demand for creator-generated content has exploded, but the channels for hiring creators are many and very different from one another in terms of quality, timelines and cost. In this practical guide we look at where to search, the pros and cons of each method, how to vet the right profiles, and why relying on a managed Italian platform often saves time and guarantees results.

What you're really looking for when you want to find UGC creators

Before choosing a channel, it's worth clarifying the goal. A brand that wants to find UGC creators isn't looking for an influencer with a big following, but for a real person able to make a credible video of the product: unboxing, testimonial, tutorial or problem-solution. The content serves the brand, which acquires the rights and uses it wherever it wants — from product pages to paid campaigns. If you're starting from scratch, we recommend first reading what UGC videos are to align expectations and formats.

The reason it's worth investing time in this search is concrete: product pages with UGC can boost conversions by up to +161%, UGC costs on average less than a traditional ad spot, and 79% of people trust real people more than classic advertising. Finding the right creators, then, isn't an operational detail but a growth lever.

Where to find UGC creators: the main channels

There are three broad families of channels for finding UGC creators: social networks, dedicated marketplaces, and agencies or managed platforms. Let's go through them one by one with real pros and cons, so you can figure out which fits your case.

1. Social networks (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn)

The most immediate way to find UGC creators is to search for them directly on social media, using hashtags like #ugccreator or #ugcitalia, or scrolling through profiles that already post UGC-style content. Many creators list their availability to collaborate in their bio.

• Pros: direct access, no intermediary, you can immediately judge a creator's style from their public content.
• Cons: a long, scattered search, no guarantee on delivery times, negotiation and usage rights to sort out case by case, highly variable quality.

It's a valid channel if you have time to dedicate to scouting and want to build direct relationships, and less suited if you need to produce videos quickly and repeatably.

2. Marketplaces and self-service platforms

Marketplaces connect brands and creators through a catalog of profiles. You post a brief, receive applications or pick the creators yourself, and manage payments and deliveries from the platform.

• Pros: a wide choice of profiles, a more structured process than social, a review system.
• Cons: selection and direction stay on you, quality depends heavily on the individual creator, and the profiles are often international so it isn't always easy to find native Italian creators suited to the local market.

A marketplace works well if you already have in-house skills to write effective briefs and evaluate content, but it still requires coordination time.

3. Agencies and managed platforms

The third route is to rely on a managed service that handles the entire process: it takes the brief, selects creators from its own roster, coordinates production and delivers ready-to-use videos, rights included. This is the model of a UGC agency or an Italian platform like UGC Video.

• Pros: zero scouting, vetted creators, controlled quality, guaranteed timelines (with UGC Video delivery happens in about 5 days), usage rights for ads already included, a single point of contact.
• Cons: less direct control over the choice of each individual creator compared with manual scouting, but in exchange you delegate the entire operational side.

It's the best fit for those who want predictable results without personally managing research, contracts and revisions.

How to vet the right creators

Once you've figured out where to look, the trickiest part is the selection. Hiring creators at random is the fastest way to waste budget. Here are the criteria that really count.

Fit with the product and the target audience

The creator has to be credible to your audience: age, tone, life context. A sports supplement and an anti-aging cream speak to different people and call for different creators. Plausibility is what makes UGC more convincing than an ad.

Technical and expressive quality

You don't need a cinematic production, but clean audio, good light and above all the ability to communicate. A good hook in the first few seconds makes the difference, as we explain in the dedicated guide on Italian UGC creators.

Clear usage rights

If you plan to use the videos in ads, always check that the usage rights for Meta and TikTok are included and for how long. It's a point that DIY often underestimates and that can block a campaign. Content performs above all in Meta and TikTok Ads campaigns and on product pages, so the rights are essential.

Portfolio and reliability

Ask for examples of previous work and assess punctuality in deliveries. You can get an idea of the result by watching some real UGC video examples before deciding.

Mistakes to avoid when looking for UGC creators

Many brands making their first attempts make mistakes that drive up timelines and costs. Here are the most common ones to keep in mind when you try to find UGC creators.

1. Choosing based on followers. UGC isn't influencer marketing: what counts is the style and credibility of the video, not the creator's audience.
2. A vague brief. Without clear guidance on message, hook and call to action, the creator improvises and the result is unpredictable.
3. Forgetting usage rights. Getting a great video you then can't use in ads is a classic DIY mistake.
4. One video, one variant. Campaign performance comes from testing: you need multiple hooks and multiple creatives to compare.
5. Underestimating timelines. Coordinating several creators on your own can stretch production out by weeks.

DIY or managed platform: which pays off

The final choice depends on time, in-house skills and the volume of content you need. If you have a person dedicated to scouting and direction, social and marketplaces can work. If instead you want quality content with guaranteed timelines and without managing negotiations, the managed platform is the most efficient choice.

An Italian company like UGC Video, part of the UGC House network, works with real, vetted Italian creators and delivers ready-to-use videos in about 5 days, with usage rights for ads already included. In practice you skip the entire phase of research, evaluation and negotiation: you describe the product and receive the finished content. To understand the investment you can check the pricing page and weigh whether the cost-to-time-saved ratio makes sense for your case.

Want to know which creators are the best fit for your product and get a tailored proposal? Contact us to request a quote and we'll point you to the fastest path to getting your first UGC videos.

In short

Finding UGC creators for your brand means choosing between three routes: searching for them on social (maximum control, but scattered), using marketplaces (more structure, management on you) or relying on a managed platform (zero scouting, guaranteed quality and timelines). Whichever route you choose, select creators for fit with the product, video quality and clear usage rights, avoiding the typical DIY mistakes. If you're looking for the fastest and most reliable way, an Italian platform like UGC Video lets you get ready-to-use videos, with real vetted creators, in about 5 days.

Frequently asked questions