Most new UGC creators make the same two mistakes, and they make them in the same order.
First, they spend money they don’t have on gear they don’t need. Then they make a few videos and charge $50 for them.
Both mistakes come from the same wrong idea: that the brand is paying for something other than the video. It isn’t. Brands aren’t paying for your follower count, and they aren’t paying for your camera. They’re paying for a piece of content that sells their product.
Once you see it that way, everything gets simpler. This week I put out two short videos on exactly this, one on getting started and one on pricing. Here’s the short version of each, plus what to do with it.
Part one: start with what you already own
UGC (user generated content) is a short video a brand pays you to make so they can post it on their own channels or run it as an ad. You don’t post it on your page. Your followers don’t matter to the deal.
Your phone already shoots better video than most brands need for social. Before you buy anything, get these five things right:
Window light. Face a window during the day. Soft, free light beats a cheap ring light.
A clean spot. A clear counter, a plain table or a tidy shelf. Nothing should pull the eye away from the product.
A steady phone. A stack of books and a mug make a perfectly good tripod.
A quiet room. Rooms with rugs and curtains sound better than an echoey kitchen.
Three spec videos. Practice videos for products you already own. These become your starter portfolio.
Watch the full walkthrough (it’s under 3 minutes):
Part two: what to charge for one video
Your base item is one video, 15 to 60 seconds long. Here’s what that’s going for in 2026:
Beginner: $150 to $300
Growing: $300 to $600
Experienced: $600+
Now, what not to do: don’t charge $50. Not even for your very first video. The brand is still getting a finished ad. Pricing yourself at $50 tells them you don’t know that, and it’s very hard to raise your rate with a client who met you at $50.
Three things move you up those tiers: a portfolio, repeat clients and results. And anything beyond the base video costs extra. That includes add-ons like extra hooks or raw footage, and usage. Usage is the right to run your video as a paid ad or keep it up past an agreed timeframe. That’s where a lot of creators leave money on the table.
The full rate breakdown is here:
Your homework this week
Set up your filming spot using the five steps above, then film one spec video. Just one. Next week, film the second. By the end of the month you’ll have a three-video portfolio and a rate you can say out loud with a straight face.
If you want me in your inbox for the rest of it, subscribe to the YouTube channel too. Every video there answers one brand deal question in under a few minutes.
And if you’re ready to go from gifted to paid, Brand Deal Camp runs for seven days this January. Join the waitlist here.
Talk soon,
Brielle