UGC brief template: how to write a UGC content brief

Brief, script, creative brief: what's the difference?

Three documents are often mixed up. They don't have the same reader or the same scope.

The UGC brief is the one the creator actually reads. It takes what matters from the creative brief and leaves out the internal details (budget, KPIs). The script comes after: one brief can lead to several scripts, one per angle or per creator. On UGC Pocket, our team builds the campaign and writes the video scripts, following the codes of the formats that work in your sector. The scripts set the beats; creators say them in their own words.

The 8 elements of an effective UGC brief

A UGC brief is not a 10-page spec sheet. It's a short document that aligns the brand and the creator on the essentials. Here are the 8 blocks to include, in this order.

1. The product or service. One sentence describing what it is and what it's for. Add the price, the differentiating argument and a link to the product page.
2. The target audience. Who the video is for: age, situation, problem experienced. The more specific it is, the better the creator knows who they're talking to.
3. The key message. The one thing the viewer should remember. One brief, one message. If you have three, make three videos.
4. The tone. Energetic, calm, funny, expert, intimate? Give 2 or 3 adjectives and a reference ("like a recommendation to a friend").
5. The hook. The opener for the first 3 seconds. Suggest 1 or 2 angles and let the creator decide in their own words (see the hook bank below).
6. The format. Length (15 to 30 s for ads), 9:16 ratio, face-to-camera, product demo or voice-over, captions yes or no. For a catalog of formats, see UGC video formats.
7. The platform. TikTok, Reels, Shorts: the codes differ (pacing, sound, length). Specify where the video will run, organic or in ads.
8. The do's and don'ts. What must be shown (product in use, logo, CTA) and what to avoid (competitors, prohibited claims, copyrighted music).

Add the usage rights on top: channels, duration, ads or whitelisting. Deadlines and deliverables are set in the campaign. To frame distribution, read our guide on UGC usage rights and whitelisting and the clauses to put in writing in our UGC contract guide.

Free UGC brief template (to copy)

Copy this block, replace the brackets, and your brief is ready to send. On UGC Pocket, you can also paste this text as it is: our team works from it to build the campaign.

PRODUCT
[Name + one sentence: what it is, what it's for, price, product page link]

AUDIENCE
[Who: age, situation, main problem they experience]

KEY MESSAGE (just one)
[The single idea to remember, e.g. "saves time in the morning"]

TONE
[2 or 3 adjectives + a reference, e.g. "spontaneous, warm, like talking to a friend"]

HOOK (first 3 seconds)
Angle 1: [e.g. "I tested X for 7 days, here's the result"]
Angle 2: [e.g. "If you struggle with Y, watch this"]
The creator picks one and rephrases it in their own words.

FORMAT
Length: [15 to 30 s] · Ratio: 9:16 · Captions: [yes/no]
Type: [face-to-camera / demo / voice-over]

PLATFORM
[TikTok / Reels / Shorts] · Distribution: [organic / ads / both]

RIGHTS
Usage duration: [e.g. 6 months] · Channels: [e.g. Meta + TikTok Ads]

DO
- Show the product in real use
- Put the logo in the last 3 seconds
- End with a clear CTA: [e.g. "link in bio"]

DON'T
- No named comparison with a competitor
- No copyrighted music
- No [e.g. medical / unproven numerical] claims

Hook bank: 15 generic hooks to adapt

The hook decides whether the video gets watched. TikTok's own creative guidance asks advertisers to introduce the proposition in the first 3 seconds and to place the hook within the first 6 seconds. Pick 2 or 3 of these angles for your brief and replace the brackets; the creator adapts the words.

• Problem: "If you [problem], watch this." · "Stop [common mistake] if you want [result]." · "Nobody told me [truth] until I tried this."
• Test or result: "I tested [product] for [period]. Here's my honest take." · "This is how I [task] now."
• Curiosity: "Why is nobody talking about [product or feature]?" · "The [category] tool I didn't know I needed."
• Reversal: "I was sure [product type] was a gimmick. I was wrong." · "Unpopular opinion: [common belief] is overrated."
• POV and story: "POV: you finally [solved problem]." · "A day in my life as a [persona], with [product]."
• Comparison: "[Old way] vs [product]: same task, watch the difference."
• List: "3 things I wish I knew before buying [category]." · "3 reasons I switched to [product]."
• Question: "Do you still [painful habit]? Here's what I do instead."

Avoid hooks that promise what you can't prove: income, weight loss, health effects, "the best on the market".

Source: TikTok Ads Help, creative best practices for performance ads (last updated June 2025), checked 30 September 2026.

How to brief a UGC video for an app or software

Software is harder to film than a physical product: there is nothing to hold. The usual answer is a screen recording with the creator on camera, or a voice-over for creators who prefer not to show their face (see faceless UGC formats). Software, apps, services and training are the core of what UGC Pocket works on, and these are the points we add to the brief.

• One feature per video. Pick the feature that solves the audience's problem, not a tour of the product.
• Access before filming. A demo account, a trial or an invite link, so the creator actually uses the product before recording. Their first reaction is part of the proof.
• The click path. The 3 or 4 screens to show, in order, and the screen where the key result appears.
• Clean data. A demo workspace with realistic but fictional data, and the list of what to blur (emails, client names, amounts).
• The recording setup. Native vertical screen recording on mobile, or a desktop recording placed under the creator's face (green screen or split screen).
• One CTA that matches your funnel. Download from the App Store or Google Play, start a free trial, or book a demo. Only one.

APP / SOFTWARE ADD-ON
Feature to show: [one feature]
Access: [demo account / trial / invite link]
Click path: [screen 1] > [screen 2] > [screen with the key result]
Data to hide: [emails, client names, amounts]
Recording: [mobile screen recording / desktop + face cam / voice-over]
CTA: [download / free trial / book a demo]

To go further: how to promote your app or software and promoting your software with content creators.

3 annotated examples

Three illustrative briefs (fictional products) in three different worlds. Each one shows how to adapt the template to context.

1. Dog food (organic TikTok)

Product: grain-free kibble, €39 a bag, monthly delivery. Audience: dog owners aged 25 to 40 who care about nutrition. Key message: "my dog loves his meals again." Hook: "My dog refused to eat… until this." Do: film the dog eating eagerly, show the ingredients label. Don't: promise an unproven health effect.

Why it works: the angle starts from the problem (a picky dog), the creator has a real dog, and the proof is visual (the dog eats). Hand it to a creator from the Dog UGC category.

2. Kitchen tool (Reels + ads)

Product: manual citrus juicer, €24. Audience: 28 to 45, home cooking, tired of bottled juice. Key message: "a glass of fresh juice in a few gestures." Hook: "POV: you'll never buy carton juice again." Format: snappy demo, close-ups, 18 s. Do: show the motion in one continuous take, the glass filled at the end. Rights: posted by the creator, then 3 months of Meta partnership ads.

Why it works: the visual satisfaction (the motion, the juice) carries the product without a sales pitch. A fit for a Kitchen UGC creator, reusable in ads.

3. B2B SaaS tool (TikTok + Reels)

Product: invoicing software for freelancers, €12 a month. Audience: freelancers overwhelmed by admin. Key message: "my invoices go out in 2 clicks." Tone: calm, credible, no irony. Hook: "I stopped losing my Sundays to Excel." Format: screen recording with the creator on camera. Do: show the software screen on a demo account, speak in the first person. Don't: technical jargon, advertising tone.

Why it works: in B2B, credibility beats spectacle. A Business UGC creator who is a freelancer themselves brings that legitimacy.

Common UGC brief mistakes

1. Several key messages in one video. The viewer remembers none of them. Split them into several videos.
2. A script to read word for word. The creator sounds like an actor and the video looks like an ad.
3. A vague audience. "Everyone aged 18 to 65" gives the creator nobody to talk to.
4. No product access before filming. A creator who has never used the product can't give a credible opinion.
5. Usage rights left out. If you later want to run the video in ads, you renegotiate after the fact. Put channels and duration in the brief.
6. Claims nobody can back. Health effects, income, "number one on the market": the creator carries the risk on their account, and so do you.
7. Too many mandatory mentions. Logo, three features, a promo code and five hashtags in 20 seconds turn UGC into an ad.
8. Forgetting the ad disclosure. In France, law no. 2023-451 of 9 June 2023 (article 5-2, in force since 8 November 2024) requires influence content to show its commercial intent clearly, unless the context already makes it obvious: with the mention "Publicité" or "Collaboration commerciale", or an equivalent mention suited to the format. In other countries, check the local rules and each platform's branded content settings.

Source: Légifrance, law no. 2023-451 of 9 June 2023, article 5-2 (in French), checked 30 September 2026.

UGC brief checklist before you send it

• One product, one audience, one key message.
• 2 or 3 hook angles, not a script to read.
• Format: length, 9:16, face-to-camera, demo or voice-over, captions.
• Platform and distribution: organic, ads or both.
• Product access sorted: sample shipped, demo account or trial.
• Do's and don'ts, including the claims to avoid.
• Usage rights: channels, duration, territory, ads or whitelisting.
• Ad disclosure: which mention, and where it appears.
• Deliverables: link to the published post, video file, or both.
• A contact for the creator's questions.

How UGC Pocket works from your brief

You don't have to fill in the template by hand. Describe your need in free text through the talk to sales form, for example "I want creators who use invoicing tools to show my software on TikTok, calm and credible tone". Our team builds the campaign and writes the video scripts, following the codes of the formats that work in your sector, then sends you a commercial proposal.

The creator receives a clean, consistent brief, which reduces back-and-forth and misunderstandings. Our team selects the creators and reviews every video. Creators publish on their own TikTok and Instagram accounts; reuse of the videos in ads or on your site is defined in the commercial proposal. Price: from €2,000 per campaign, no subscription, price and terms set out in the commercial proposal. Nothing is billed by an AI agent or before acceptance. An AI agent can also prepare a draft campaign through our MCP server, which you then confirm (for AI agents).

It is not the right choice for every need: for a small test of a few videos, raw files delivered quickly, a physical product to unbox or a budget under €2,000, a marketplace that delivers video files will suit you better. Compare the options in our UGC pricing guide.

Read next: UGC video formats · UGC ads on Meta and TikTok · UGC usage rights and whitelisting · UGC contract · For brands