324: Cracking the Code on Profitable UGC with Anna Mongiello

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If you've been thinking about diving into user-generated content (UGC), we're cracking the code to profitability in today's episode. Anna Mongiello shares how she built a thriving UGC career and how you can do the same. Listen in as she shares how you can get started, what tools to use, and the financial potential you have in adding UGC as a revenue stream.

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[00:00:00] Bree: I love that we have so many different type of people that listen to this podcast. So I know there is a huge group of you that's like wanting to start making money or you're making a little bit and you're like, I really need to increase this, but I feel like there's so many barriers. And then there's my other group of you that are already making money and looking to scale.

With UGC content. This is something that I know a little bit about, but I always feel like I need to learn more and I am so excited to have Anna come onto the show because she is a UGC expert. UGC is something that I feel like is really exciting because for my newbies or those of you that aren't really making money yet.

This is a really low barrier to entry place where you can start making an income without having to have a huge following. And for my girls that are already Seeing success making money. This could be a really awesome income stream for you to add on pretty effortlessly. So we're going to dive in. I have a hundred questions for Anna, not literally, but you guys know me.

I have lots of questions, um, because I want to know all the details for you guys about UGC. So this is an amazing conversation. Anna was Absolutely fantastic. I'm so excited to introduce you guys to her. So let's get started. Welcome to the Thrive Podcast, where we believe creators deserve more, more money, more freedom, and even more love for what they do.

I'm Brie Pair, your coach for content creators, and I know the struggle, the long hours, the endless ideas, the feeling that success is just out of reach. But here's the truth. You've got what it takes. And this podcast, it's your shortcut to getting there from strategies that actually work to behind the scenes insights.

We're unlocking your potential one episode at a time. So if you're ready to turn your creative hustle into a thriving business, let's get started.

Hello, Anna. Welcome to the podcast. How are you? I'm

[00:02:04] Anna: good. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so

[00:02:05] Bree: excited to chat. Everything that you see. Yes, I, you know, I was telling you beforehand, but I'll tell everybody else too. I was, you know, I've really been wanting to learn more about UGC and be able to offer advice to people in our programs.

They're always asking me, what should I charge? What should I charge? And I'm never feel confident in it. And I'm like, you know, I really need somebody. That I can talk to that can like really help break this down. And then you popped into my DMS. It was like the same day or the next day. And I was like, Oh my gosh, it was meant to be.

I'm so pumped. So can you tell everybody who you are and what you do? Sure.

[00:02:44] Anna: So as you guys know already, my name is Anna and I have been a UGC creator since. 2021. Um, I started UGC when I was 34 years old. I was actually on maternity leave with my second son. And I kind of discovered UGC by an accident. I have had an e commerce jewelry store brand since 2013.

And I was hiring UGC creators from a jewelry company. And On the Instagram, I got targeted by the app called below as I'm sure you guys are familiar with that app. And I signed on on below as a brand to hire UGC creators. And so I got these videos back and I was honestly just curious to see like how the process worked on the creator side.

So I opened the second account on below as a creator this time. And. As I said before, I was on maternity leave. So I needed baby stuff and I needed baby products. So once I got on below as a creator, I started to apply for all of these baby jobs. I was like, cool swaddles, cool baby bottles. Like I need this.

I need this. And brands started to hire me because not a lot of creators back then had a baby available and they were willing to film with the baby. So instantly I started to get A lot of jobs and a lot of traction with below. And because I was on maternity leave at that time, since, um, I was working full time as a teacher, I had all this free time to kind of learn the ins and outs of content creation, learn how to make content and work with brands and get that experience.

Before I kind of started to think to myself like, wow, maybe I should pivot away from teaching if there's a way for me to grow with scale. And really focus on content creation because you know, what it comes down to is for me, it was really important to spend time with my kids and teaching high school.

You know, I was leaving to go to work at like six 30. My kids were in daycare for like 10 hours a day. I was like, this is not sustainable. It's like draining everybody in my household. So, um, let's find a way to kind of move away from teaching and into content creation, because that's going to allow me to stay home.

With my kids, you know, put them on the bus, pick them off if they're sick and just take care of them, you know, and that kind of worked out. And it was a slow process to get to where I am today because I wasn't really taking UGC seriously, to be honest with you for the first year. I was like, Oh cool. I get a free product.

This is awesome. You know, and then of course UGC kind of blew up on social media, um, in 2022, 2023. And. That's when I got onto social media and I was like, Oh my God, this is a thing. People are doing this just like I am doing it on the apps. But people were diving into UGC on socials. And I was like, man, I need to hop on the strain as soon as possible.

And so that's what I kind of did. And I was able to grow and scale my business to the point where I left my tenure teaching job last June to pursue UGC full time. And now I'm actually pivoting into coaching and teaching others. How they can become successful UGC creators, specifically for moms who want to perhaps, um, get into UGC because they want to spend more time with their kids.

Just like I did when I was getting into it too.

[00:05:47] Bree: I love that so much. Just the heart behind what you're doing and How it's totally changed the game for you and really just giving you the life that you've wanted and giving you more freedom. That's absolutely amazing. And I, I have a million questions for you before I start asking all my questions, um, where can everybody go and give you a follow while they're listening?

[00:06:11] Anna: Sure. So I am on all social media platforms on their a plus socials. So a, and then the word plus. Typed out not like the plus symbol. And of course, I have a bunch of digital products that I offer that are paid and free as well in my stand store. And that link is stand that store forward slash a plus socials.

[00:06:33] Bree: Perfect. You guys go give her a follow while you're listening. So my first question then is, you know, are there any barriers to entry for UDC or I mean, it sounds like you just jumped in. So can any creator just start jumping into it?

[00:06:50] Anna: Um, I personally don't think that there are any barriers to entry whatsoever.

I think that you have to have like a. Almost business to business mindset and really strong desire to jump in and start learning as much as you can. I do think that you have to be creative somewhat because you're going to use those creativity skills when you are conceptualizing when you're filming and you're basically going to be putting your creative and your own spin onto those videos.

So you do have to have a creative mindset in a way. Um, but other than that, I mean, it's a learned skill and really anybody can do it as long as you show up, as long as you take the time to learn the necessary skills like talking on camera and basically connecting to the viewer and practicing effective script writing.

All of those things can be learned and you don't have to have a marketing degree. You don't have to have a thousand followers to see. Start, you could just start researching UGC on social media, on Google, or basically through any other platform and kind of educate yourself on what it takes to start this business because it is a business.

[00:08:00] Bree: Absolutely. And I, I love that there's like, like you said, you know, you don't have to have a thousand followers. That's what I think is so interesting about UGC is it's like, okay, yes, I can recommend it to our girls that have tens of thousands of followers as an additional revenue stream for them to try out.

But then also for anybody that is a new content creator, right. And they're wanting to get into this industry. In reality, like a lot of what we do does take a little bit of time to start generating income versus UGC, it sounds like, yeah, you don't have to have this huge following built up. You can just start.

[00:08:38] Anna: Yeah, what I really liked about UGC when I got into it is the fact that there was no pressure to sell any products. To your own followers. As a matter of fact, like when I got into it, I didn't even have social media accounts. I just did UGC on these UGC platforms like below there's joint brands, there's incense.

Um, now there are so many other UGC platforms. Um, you know, you can have, uh, an account set up on backstage on Fiverr on Upwork on. Twirl on the Vitovo Vitsi. I mean, there are literally dozens of UGC platforms. So if you don't want to post your UGC examples on your socials, you totally don't have to get on the UGC platforms, open an account, set up your profile and kind of just dive in because, you know, the truth of the matter is, is that the perfect time to start a business or the perfect time to learn a new skill, it doesn't exist.

Okay. You just have to do it. And the more you sit there and contemplate it, I think that the more objections your mind is going to give you. Oh, a hundred percent. So there's never a perfect time to start.

[00:09:41] Bree: You just see, I will talk myself out of everything. With that, then if you don't necessarily have a, you know, a social media platform that you've built up with content to show, what do you, it's kind of a twofold question.

I'm curious. What all our brands looking for when it comes to you to see content, like what type of content, but then also in terms of I'm sure they want to see some of your work somehow of like what you're capable of doing so. I don't know which one you want me to answer first, but I'm curious about both.

I told you I had so many questions. I might forget the second one,

[00:10:19] Anna: so we might have to revisit it to answer the first one. So I think that when it comes to getting on the platforms and like showcasing your examples, you could always practice making content by taking products around your house and just talking about those products.

I think when it comes to brands, and because I've hired VGC creators myself for my jewelry company, Um, as a brand, what I'm looking for when I'm hiring girls to showcase my jewelry is number one, their on camera presence, whether or not they can talk on camera and basically present themselves in a non salesy way, because that's really important because nobody likes.

Being sold to people love to buy, but people hate being sold to. So I think the challenge with newer UGC creators is that when they're starting out, they think that UGC content is mostly aesthetic, mostly ASMR, these pretty unboxing videos. Which are nice, but they don't sell the product as well as like a talking head video or a product demonstration where the viewer actually gets to see a user of a product or a service trying on that product or service and actually demonstrating how it functions.

Like if I'm doing skincare, um, and I want to do like a video for a lotion company, like I'm going to. Open that jar, put that lotion on my hands, show the texture, show the before and show the after. So that way the viewer of the video really gets a good understanding of what this product is going to do for them and what problem it's going to solve, because that's super, super important.

I feel like it's all about relatability and. If you can master the skill of showing up on camera and actually talking about a product or service in an authentic way, that doesn't seem salesy. I think like you've won three quarters of the battle, you know, because I just feel like a lot of people feel like they're cringey in the beginning, especially, and they hate the sound of their voice and the way that they show up on camera.

And that's relatable. Everybody goes through that. Cringe face. I mean, I've had that cringe face for a long time.

[00:12:23] Bree: 100 percent I'll still look back and be like, Oh my God, why did I say that? So if they don't have any type of portfolio, then you're like, just go around. Things in your house and pretend like you're filming UGC type of content.

So

[00:12:41] Anna: that's one of the ways that you can approach UGC. Another one of the ways that you can approach UGC is basically get on apps like Join Brands, BELO, and Incense and create a short pitch video where you're just basically talking on camera and you're saying, Hey, my name is so and so I'm from so and so this is what I, this is the type of content that I love making.

Um, and then just add some personality into that video. Now, what these apps are going to allow you to do is that once you have that pitch video made, you can upload it to those platforms and they're going to allow you to apply for as many brands as you possibly can on the apps, which is what I did because.

Once I started to work with brands, I didn't have a portfolio. I never made those demo videos. I just made a pitch video and started to apply for different types of jobs on the UGC apps. Um, eventually it depends on the types of jobs that you apply to. Eventually you're going to get to the point where brands are going to start hiring you.

So that way you can start building up that portfolio and you can start building up like the reviews and get feedback from brands and then learn exactly what you can change and how you can improve your content for next time. So it's all about building up on those skills, but I think the most important thing is to just.

Start showing up and start getting comfortable with the idea that there's going to be a phone and there's going to be a camera and you're going to have to talk to it, even though it's absurdly cringy and ridiculous and your neighbors may judge you hard. But who cares?

[00:14:08] Bree: Who cares? I've gotten to the point where I just, I don't care.

I talk on, um, Marco Polo. I don't know if you use that app, but I use it all the time. And I'm like, I go into the store and I just talk to my phone all the time. I'm like, I don't even care anymore. I don't.

[00:14:24] Anna: Right. Exactly. And like anything that is going to take you out of that comfort zone and get used to that feeling where like you just stop caring at some point, like that's, what's going to propel your business forward and that's, what's really going to make you comfortable even with just yourself.

[00:14:41] Bree: Yes. A hundred percent. Okay. So along. With that. So you've talked a lot about video. Is that primarily what you're seeing for UGC content or is there other types of content that brands are needing?

[00:14:54] Anna: So, um, primarily I would say it's mostly video based. However, you can offer photography as well, like UGC photography.

I think the big difference with also, um, with UGC versus product photography is that, um, a lot of newer creators think that product photography is what brands want. But like I said before, like brands want to have the user of a product or service be presented in that content. So even if you are, um, offering UGC services to clients, it's important to understand that you, the user of a product or service need to be in that photo versus staging these amazingly gorgeous.

You know, that brands don't really want because of the fact that they cannot replicate your face. And if you show up on camera and it, whether it's for pictures or for videos and you're actually showing everybody what you look like, that is what's going to build that trust with the brand, with the product because brands can't replicate you.

[00:15:54] Bree: That's the

[00:15:54] Anna: most important thing.

[00:15:56] Bree: Yes, I completely agree. Um, okay. I love that. Any other type of content that I'm not aware of? I'm like, what do I, what do I not know? Or is it mainly just like video and some photo? Yeah,

[00:16:09] Anna: it's mostly video. And I think within the video category, there are many different types of UGC videos that you can make.

Um, Like there's organic content. There is paid media ads. There are, um, skit style videos. There's like even podcasting videos, there's product demonstration, problem solution, like before and after green screen type of videos. I mean, so it kind of just goes even further of like understanding of like, how can you make an effective, like for example, skit when you're making a UGC video.

Right. So yeah, it breaks down even further and you can kind of gain different experience as you begin working with different brands who have different types of needs for content. Cause it's not just like, everybody's going to ask you for product demonstrations, like every brand is going to be different.

Every brand is going to have different needs and different content that you're going to make. So it all depends on what they're trying to accomplish with the campaign. Okay.

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What do contracts typically look like? Because you know, I'm, I'm used to, you know, working with creators that are working with brands and we're always like, okay, look out for if they want rights to things or if they want whitelisting or blacklisting, all these different things. And it's like, Ooh, UGC is really handing over your content completely.

So what did those contracts kind of look like? What are terms? Typical and like acceptable versus like watch out for these things.

[00:18:07] Anna: Um, so it really depends on the collaboration. I think that some brands want to buy your content outright. Um, some brands are okay with. Basically buying licensing as well. Um, I think one of the things that is super intimidating, especially for a new UGC creators is the whole like legal aspect of UGC, like, like, Oh my gosh, like, what am I signing?

My signing my life away. Some of the things that UGC creators should look out for is number one, one sided indemnification, and it's basically, um. To summarize that it's basically if a brand gets sued for whatever reason because of the content that you made The brand cannot come after you most of the time When a brand sends you a contract they will have a one sided indemnification clause In it.

And it's up to UGC creators to request that one sided indemnification clause to be changed to mutual indemnification, because with mutual indemnification, nobody can come after anybody else in case there is a lawsuit involved. And this is important, especially for collaborations that involve any kind of product that you consume, because you don't know what kind of side effects people are going to have after consuming a product.

Um, another thing to look out for is exclusivity. Sometimes brands will sneak in exclusivity in the UGC contracts, and that is going to prevent UGC creators from working with other companies in the same niche as the collaboration that they are currently signing a deal for. So for example, this is. This could be a red flag for broad niches like skincare, haircare, self care, apparel.

Um, and if you have an exclusivity clause inside of your contract, that's going to prevent you from accepting any kind of jobs inside of that niche for an X amount of time. Sometimes it's three months, six months, 12 months, which is going to severely limit your income potential. So definitely something to look out for.

Another thing to basically keep a lookout for is usage. How is the company going to use your content? Are they going to use it for organic purposes or are they going to use it for paid media ads or for both? And if they are using your image to basically drive revenue for their company. Via paid media ads.

Technically UGC creators should be getting some sort of usage payment because of that. This is something that can be negotiated. It's pretty common in the UGC space for creators to charge extra for usage. It all depends on the collaboration, to be honest with you. And I've had brands. That wants to buy out the content outright.

Um, I've had brands who agree to 30 days of usage, 90 days of usage. So it's kind of very dependent on the types of collaboration that the creator is going to have with a specific brand or an agency. Um, yeah, it's just kind of every collaboration. Something to keep in mind is that every collaboration is going to be different and it's important to stay open, but also understand the legal terms.

So that way they know what kind of red flags to look out for ownership and intellectual property is another big one where, you know, sometimes a brand will request that they become the owner of the content, even though that you, the creator technically made that content, once it is submitted to the brand.

That's it. You can use that content on your portfolio on your social media accounts. And that comes with IP transfership and ownership of that content. If you transfer your content ownership to the brand after the collaboration is completed, that means that you no longer can use that content for your own purposes.

Even if you're trying to repost it for your social media accounts, it's just. You're no longer the owner, so you can't do that.

[00:21:54] Bree: Right. So, with these contracts, is this, you know, if somebody is getting started on, um, like BELO or something, and that contract comes through, when you're going through a program or agency or whatever it is, like a third party for that, is a contract through those something that you can negotiate?

Okay. Or is it? More difficult, and it needs to be more so on brands that you're working with one on one.

[00:22:26] Anna: Unfortunately, when you are working through third party platforms like BELO, Join Brands, when you sign up for their platforms, they have you 99. 9 percent of the time check off the little box that says, I agree to the terms of services, and that serves as a contract.

And most people will just check off that box and not think twice to even open the document and read through it. Um, and unfortunately there are, there could be a lot of red flags that could pop up with the terms of service worth using some of these apps. Um, so creators need to be really diligent and actually read the terms and conditions and don't use platforms that they're not comfortable with.

Um, so when you're using third party platforms, technically you don't need to have a UGC contract that's separate from the UGC. from the platform because the platform uses that contract as like a default contract. But if you're collaborating with brands outside of the platforms via email, via Twitter or whatever else, um, then you should definitely have a UGC contract or sometimes the brand will send you their own contract because they have a legal team that develops these things and whatnot.

[00:23:36] Bree: Okay. Okay. Are there any, I would love to know then like, okay, pivoting into getting gigs, are there any, like if we start with third party apps, is that how you suggest people get started and dip their toes into the world of UGC is through a third party app? I personally

[00:23:52] Anna: do because, um, there's really two ways you can approach UGC.

If you're just getting started, you can approach it. The, uh, like the content way, which is basically when you practice making content via third party platforms and the apps, and you start working with brands right away, or you could take products around your house, create a portfolio with those products.

Um, and the videos that you created yourself, put those videos in a portfolio and then pitch. Now the problem with pitching, and especially if you have no experience in the content creation field is the fact that you simply don't know whether or not the videos that you've made are good or not. And a lot of the times what ends up happening is that creators who don't really understand, for example, like how to make engaging content, they take products around their house, make videos with them, put them in a portfolio, and then they'll pitch into the void as I like to call it.

And they will not hear any. Feedback or any brands reach out to them and want to hire with them, which could be super discouraging. You know, especially when you're starting out, you did all this work, you made all these videos, you edited all these videos, you put everything in a portfolio. It looks beautiful, but the content is just not up to the standard just yet.

So it can feel extremely discouraging. So what I personally recommend is that everybody that's trying to get into UGC, get on the UGC platforms and learn how to make content because when you're using the apps, um, to get hooked up with brands, what you could do is. You can not only practice making different types of videos, but you can actually collect feedback.

And when you're ready to make your portfolio, you will already have that social proof that you can use inside of your portfolio. And you could say something like, Hey, I work with this brand. I work with this brand. This is their feedback. Even though that feedback was on the apps, it's still feedback and you could certainly use that feedback in your portfolio.

So that way, when eventually you are ready to pitch, You will have, let's say a variety of videos available for you to choose the best ones from you're going to take the best videos with the best feedback, put those videos inside of your portfolio and then pitch. So the chances of you actually hearing back from a brand wanting to work with you is so much higher than just skipping the content part and just going straight into pitching.

Because unfortunately, content, well, fortunately and unfortunately, content is king. And so if your content is not really up to the standard, um, you're going to have a hard time securing paid collaborations. So I think there are a ton of UGC apps that are going to pay you anywhere from, I would say 65 to a hundred.

And there's of course, different types of gifted collaboration apps where you can still practice making content where, where the brand will send you a product and you basically create a video in exchange for that product. And that's something that also is very helpful when you're just getting into the field and getting started because once again, you need to learn how to make content.

[00:26:57] Bree: Okay. Okay. I love that because that was going to be my next question is like, okay, monetary perspective. What are we looking at? Um, so as you're building your content, you think it's fine. Like, yes, if you need to do something in exchange or do something at like that lower 65 rate. Sure. That's fine. Build up your portfolio.

Absolutely. Then once we're there, once we have this amazing portfolio or for anybody listening, that's like, cool, I've got, you know, creating content down pat, let's go. How much can I make from this? How much should I be charging?

[00:27:30] Anna: I think this is also like a super subjective question because it depends on like how many jobs you do on the apps.

If you do like 15 jobs, you may still be kind of feeling like you're still a newbie, but if you've done like over a hundred. Different projects on the apps, your confidence level will certainly be higher versus somebody who's done a hundred. That's so many.

[00:27:51] Bree: Yeah.

[00:27:52] Anna: I've done like 183 on just Belo alone. Oh, in first word.

I was like, what am I doing? I need to get off. Belo. , how are you? Are you like churning these out like weekly? Like I was, it was insane. It was absolutely insane. You know, when I was growing my business and I was getting off the apps, I was like. What am I doing? This is not sustainable, you know? And eventually it came to the point where my husband was like, you can't do this.

Like, what are you doing? Like all you're doing is working. And I'm like, yeah, this is the point where I need to pivot and get off the apps and start actually charging higher rates for my business. So if you're doing it on the apps, the way that I look at it is typically the rate. Ranges between, you know, very low, like 50, 65 up to like 150.

And that's fine because when you're first starting out, your content is not good. So any money is good money when you're just learning how to do something and you're just practicing your newly learned skills, right? Once you get off the apps. Depending on how confident you feel, your base rate for organic content can be anywhere from like 200 to 300.

And as you begin working with brands outside of these platforms, your confidence grows, right? And so like you are becoming, you're basically evolving your content creation game. And hopefully at that time too, you're practicing making content for your own social media pages. You're growing your personal brand.

So like your skill level just develops significantly from. When you start, and so you're able to charge higher rates, you're able to have a minimum of anywhere. It really is subjective between 200 and 300. If you're somewhat new, I would say go as far as 300 to 400 for organic concepts. Um, some people charge 500, some people charge six, it's, it really depends on each person and their experience and their confidence level.

But I do want to mention that, uh, to put it in perspective, when I first started on below their pricing structure was a little bit. different. And I used to get paid 25 per video on below 25 to 45 per video. It was insane. And now of course, my minimum is somewhere in the 400, 500 ballpark. So it's the potential to earn a Very, uh, comfortable living with UGC is there for sure.

[00:30:11] Bree: Okay. Okay. Yeah. That's what I always get so curious about. And my brain wants to like play tug of war between like the UGC content versus like brand partnership content. Right. Because so I typically work with, um. Content creators that are working in partnership with a brand and that content is getting posted on their platform to their audience, right?

So that's different, but they're able to charge significantly more than 500, right? Like, right, of course, it would be somebody new. That'd be like a newbie would charge like 500 versus, you know, my girls with, you know, tens of thousands of followers. I'm like, Yeah, we're not We're like in the 2, 000 plus range,

[00:30:56] Anna: right.

You know, something to keep in mind too, is that when people are getting into UGC, you have to kind of go into it with a very open mind because once you learn the skill of content creation, that's going to open up so many doors for you. So if. You get into it and then you want to pursue influencing because you've really enjoyed that aspect.

You could certainly get into it because you're already going to have that very well established baseline of how to make content. Some people find out that they really like script writing. And so they venture out into that. Some people want to work behind the scenes. And so then they pivot from UGC into creative strategy.

So there's so many things that you could do. And of course there's affiliate marketing, there's TikTok shop. There's so many other. Revenue streams that you can add after you get into UGC. So I always say to people like get into UGC and treat it as a business from day one, but also don't put all of your eggs in just one basket, whether we're talking about being on one UGC platform or whether we're talking about just having one income stream, you've got to differentiate.

Just because you want to be smart with your business. And if something happens to one platform, guess what? Your business doesn't die just because something happened to that one platform. So it's always important to kind of like take a pause when you're starting something new and look at a bigger picture and think about it from that perspective, from the very first steps when you're starting a business.

[00:32:25] Bree: That's one of my favorite things to say is don't put all your eggs in one basket. So I love that you said that like that is exactly from Brie like, yes, it's so I get so nervous for these girls that do that and I'm like, Oh my God, all they have to do is change an algorithm or, you know, like when COVID happened and so many girls were 100 percent in on affiliate sales and these companies just slashed their affiliate commission.

I'm like, You just tanked your business. Oh my gosh. It's so scary. So

[00:32:56] Anna: there's a lot of, um, you know, like right now, tick tock shop is obviously huge and it's very similar to UGC as well, but people, what people need to keep in mind is that like, you know, um, like you said before. TikToks algorithm can change at any given point in time.

And things are constantly evolving. As they say, like the only constant thing is change, right? So you can expect change to happen. So it's important to have your mind be open minded and just kind of like be on the lookout for other ways to differentiate your income. You know, I give up tenure. Health insurance, like retirement funds to be in this uncertain field of content creation.

And sometimes I look back and I'm like, Oh my God, that was crazy. What were you thinking? Like, like, what did you do that for? But at the same time, like the amount of possibilities and like the freedom, um, and the flexibility that I get with working for myself is. Unparalleled than when I was teaching for eight hours a day, driving my kids to daycare at six 30 in the morning, picking them up at four.

Like that was also very, very difficult for everybody. So like, yes, you're giving up stability to work for yourself, but, but the payout in my opinion is huge and you know, you could really build a very successful business if you put in that time to learn the skill and to treat it as a business from day one.

Put in those systems in place that are going to help you to grow and scale eventually down the road.

[00:34:30] Bree: Hmm. I completely agree. And I'm just so happy that it has worked so well for you and that you stuck with it and then are able to share with us now. Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I'm really, really excited.

Um, can you just share one more time where everybody can go and give you a follow? And of course we'll leave links to everything below.

[00:34:51] Anna: Absolutely guys. So I'm on all social media platforms under a plus socials and you can check me out on Instagram. And of course I teach. All of my followers, how they can actually start grow and scale their UGC businesses.

Even if you have no experience, even if you're a little bit quote unquote older, like I was when I started, you don't need any kind of marketing background. If you want to start content creation business today, you can. In fact, I think I'm a strong believer of the older you are, the more successful you'll become.

quicker because of the fact that there's simply not enough older creators in the industry right now. So you'll face a lot less competition. So if you're thinking about UGC, if you are listening to this podcast and you're like, Hmm, I'm intrigued, definitely check me out.

[00:35:38] Bree: Yes, absolutely. You guys go give her a follow, go keep learning from her.

I, I am for sure. And I'm like, going to get off here and go like, check out these platforms and do a little digging. I'm excited. So I'm excited for you. Anna, thank you so, so much. I'm so excited that, like, stars aligned and you came into my world and then we got to meet and, um, I'm sure we're probably going to have to have you come back on again in the future because I can only imagine this world is just going to keep changing and we'll need to come back and be like, all right, what does UGC look like now?

[00:36:14] Anna: Absolutely. I will be happily, I will happily be back anytime you want. This is amazing. Thank you so much for having me. It was a blast.

[00:36:22] Bree: Of course. All right, you guys, that's it for today. We'll see you back soon for a new episode.

If this episode helped you help us grow, leave a review, share it with a friend and tag us on social media. We can't wait to cheer you on.

Today's episode is brought to you by Boldfluence:

 Imagine having the tools, strategies, and support to grow your content biz without breaking the bank. With Boldfluence for just $37/month, you get essential classes, monthly coaching calls, and a community of creators ready to cheer you on.

Whether you're pitching brands, growing your audience, or planning your next move, Boldfluence gives you what you need to thrive, affordable, supportive, game changing. Let's turn your content into consistent income.

The Power of User-Generated Content (UGC)

Over the last few years, user-generated content has become an impactful way that creators can earn income without needing a massive following. After Anna was looking for UGC creators for her brand, she saw the value, but also the opportunity to become a UGC creator. It wasn't long before she was able to pivot into building an impressive and sustainable content creation business utilizing UGC.

While there aren't significant barriers to entering the UGC space, what matters is creativity, a desire to learn, and the ability to connect authentically with an audience.

Platforms for UGC Opportunities

For creators just getting starting in UGC, there are no barriers to entry. Thankfully, there are platforms that will connect creators with brands for collaborations of all sizes just to help you get started:

Even if you're brand new, these platforms allow you to post your content as examples there, rather than on your social media platforms, so that you have a portfolio. You even have the opportunity on some of the platforms to create a pitch video. Your deals could range from trades to under $100—keep in mind you're still learning.

Once you've worked with a few brands and developed a portfolio, you can then expand your reach and approach brands individually for collaboration. You could even check out marketplace sites, like Fiverr and Upwork.

Tip: If you don't have a portfolio, start with products around your house to show what you're capable of.

Creating Content That Brands Crave

While UCG content types can vary, most of them are video. Video content consists of organic, paid media, skits, podcast style, product demonstration, problem-solution, green screen, and so much more.

When it comes to what brands are hoping for in content creators, most are looking at on camera presence, authenticity, and intentionality. For example, are you showing off how you as a person are using the product beyond what's pretty online.

To influence others, they need to be able to see themselves in your content, which is often overlooked.  The viewer of a video should gets a good understanding of what the product is going to do for them and what problem it's going to solve.

 If you can master the skill of showing up on camera and talking about a product in an authentic way, that doesn't seem salesy, you've won three quarters of the battle.

Every brand will have different needs and ideas, plus you'll also learn what you're best at in the UCG game. This is why Anna suggests getting started on the third-party platforms if you've never created content like this before. It will help you learn what brands are looking for.

Understanding contracts can be daunting for any creator, but it's important to carefully read what you sign (both with brands and the third-party platforms listed above. Some of the most important things to keep an eye out for include:

  • Indemnification clauses - You should request for the one-sided indemnification clauses to be changed to  mutual indemnification.
  • Exclusivity limitations -  Sometimes brands will sneak in exclusivity in the UGC contracts, and that is going to prevent UGC creators from working with other companies in the same niche as the collaboration that they are currently signing a deal for.
  • Usage rights -  How is the company going to use your content? Organic or paid media?  If they are using your image to basically drive revenue for their company through paid media ads, you should be getting paid for that.
  • Ownership and intellectual property -  Brands will request that they become the owner of the content, even though that you technically made that content. When they take ownership, you can no longer use the content in your portfolio and they're able to use it how they see fit.

Each of these can substantially impact a creator’s rights and financial potential. In the UGC space, when you're working individually with brands, everything is negotiable.

On the other hand, most of the third party platforms for UCG do have you check off a box that says  I agree to the terms of services—that serves as a contract.  Unfortunately, there could be a lot of red flags that could pop up with the terms of service when using some of these apps.

Monetizing Your UGC Work

Once you've built a little bit of a portfolio and you're ready to start monetizing and building out a solid revenue stream in your business, your base rate could increase to $200-$500+. The more deals you create, the more your confidence will grow. There is so much potential to earn a comfortable wage as a UGC creator!

Anna encourages creators not to limit themselves solely to UGC, as the skills built here can lead to other income avenues such as influencer roles, affiliate marketing, and creative strategy.  Once you learn the skill of content creation, that's going to open up so many doors for you.

Important Sections of the Conversation:

  • (2:00) Meet Anna: UGC Expert
  • (6:37) Getting Started with UGC
  • (14:44) Types of UGC Content
  • (17:39) Contracts and Legal Aspects
  • (23:38) Monetizing UGC

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