User-generated content (UGC) is short, natural-looking video and photo content that creators make for brands to use in ads, on product pages and on social channels. Social Lancer gives brands three ways to get it made: search for a creator, order a fixed-price service, or post a project and compare proposals. This guide walks through each step, from working out what you need to signing off the final files.

Step 1: Decide what you actually need

Before you search, spend ten minutes writing down four things. It makes every later step faster.

  • The deliverables. How many videos or photos, how long, and in which aspect ratio. Vertical 9:16 is the usual default for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
  • Where the content will run. Organic posts on your own account, paid ads, your website, or all three. This decides the usage rights you need to agree.
  • The single message. One benefit the viewer should remember. UGC that tries to say everything ends up saying nothing.
  • Your budget and deadline. Even a rough range helps you filter and compare.

Step 2: Pick the right way to hire

Each route suits a different situation:

  • Search creators when you want to choose a specific person, for example someone in your niche or city, and talk to them before agreeing anything.
  • Order a service when a creator already sells what you need at a fixed price, with the delivery time and revisions stated upfront.
  • Post a project when your brief is custom or larger, and you'd rather have creators come to you with proposals and prices.

You can combine them. Plenty of brands order a service as a quick test, then post a project for a bigger batch.

Step 3a: Search and shortlist creators

Go to Search and narrow the list with filters for platform (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and more), niche, follower range, location and price. Keyword search matches names, handles, locations and niches, and you can sort by followers, price or rating.

When a creator looks promising, review their profile: bio, platforms, niches, starting rate, links to their social accounts and past campaigns, any packages they offer, and reviews from other brands. Every profile has a short link in the form social-lancer.com/@handle, which is handy when you share a shortlist with your team.

To contact a creator, send them a message. Starting a new conversation needs a paid brand plan (see Pricing); creators can always reply. Messages support image attachments, so you can share product shots or reference frames as you talk.

Step 3b: Order a UGC service

Browse Services for fixed-price offers such as a 30-second product video for TikTok and Reels. A service has up to three packages, Basic, Standard and Premium, and each one states its price, delivery time in days, number of revisions and what's included.

The order flow is the same for every service:

  1. Choose a package and place the order.
  2. Send your requirements: answer the creator's questions and attach any files, such as brand guidelines, product photos or a script. Work starts once your requirements are in.
  3. The creator delivers the work.
  4. Request a revision (up to the number included in the package) or accept the delivery, which completes the order.
  5. Leave a review with a star rating and a few words for other brands.

Step 3c: Post a project and compare proposals

If nothing on the shelf fits, post a project. You add a title and description, a category, the skills you need, a fixed or hourly budget range in your currency, an optional deadline and any attachments.

Creators and freelancers each send one proposal with a cover letter, their price and a delivery time. You can shortlist the strongest, then award the project to one. The project moves to in progress, and everyone else is told it has been filled.

Larger jobs are split into milestones. Each milestone moves from pending to funded, submitted, approved and released, and if a submission isn't right you can send it back for changes before approving it.

Step 4: Write a brief creators can work with

Whichever route you choose, the brief decides the result. Keep it to one page and cover:

  • Who the video is for, and the problem your product solves for them
  • The one message that must land, plus any must-say points
  • Things to avoid: competitor names, claims you can't make, visual no-gos
  • The deliverables spec: number, length, aspect ratio, captions or not
  • Usage rights: where the content will run and for how long
  • Your deadline, and two or three examples of content you like

Then leave room for the creator's own voice. That natural delivery is the reason UGC works.

Step 5: Review, approve and wrap up

Give feedback once, in writing, and measure it against the brief rather than personal taste. Collect comments from your team first so the creator gets one clear list instead of several conflicting ones. Keep the conversation and files on Social Lancer, so there's a record of what was agreed.

When you're happy, accept the delivery or approve the milestone, then leave a review. Good reviews help strong creators get found, which makes the marketplace better for the next brand too.

A note on payments

Card payments (via Stripe) and PayPal are being rolled out. Until a payment provider is switched on, orders and milestones on Social Lancer run in test mode: orders are placed without payment, no card is charged, and labels such as "funded" or "paid" are records only. Check the Terms for the current status before you start paid work.

FAQ

Do I need a paid plan to hire a creator?

You need a paid brand plan to start a new conversation with a creator. Posting a project or ordering a service works with a free account.

How much does UGC cost on Social Lancer?

Creators set their own prices. Services show each package's price upfront, while projects let you set a budget range and compare the bids you receive.

Who owns the content the creator makes?

Usage rights are whatever you and the creator agree. Put them in writing in your brief or order requirements: where the content will run, for how long, and whether it can be used in paid ads.

Can I work with the same creator again?

Yes. Order their service again, or message them to agree the next piece of work.