The difference between UGC that performs and footage you can't use usually comes down to one document: the brief. If your instructions are too scripted, the content feels like a traditional ad and gets skipped. If they are too vague, you get videos that look fine and convert badly. A good UGC brief sits in between. It gives direction and leaves the creator room to sound like themselves.
That matters more now that shoppers lean on creators as much as on brands. In Bazaarvoice's 2024 Shopper Experience Index (a Savanta survey of more than 8,000 consumers), 86% of shoppers said they engage with creator content before making a buying decision. A weak brief wastes exactly the content people are looking at.
This guide covers what goes into a UGC brief, a template you can copy, a filled-in example for a launch in Spain, how to brief creators in several European markets, the mistakes we see most often, and how briefing works on ScoutBerry.
What is a UGC brief and why does it matter?
A UGC brief tells creators what content you need and how you want it made. It is the blueprint for the asset: it keeps the videos or photos on strategy and tells the creator what the content has to achieve.
The job of a UGC brief is to produce content that works in paid media or on your organic channels. Whether the brand team likes how it looks is secondary. The content has to grab attention, hold it and move people to act.
The paradox of control
Many brands struggle with control when they brief creators. The more you dictate exact wording and delivery, the worse the content tends to perform, because over-scripting removes the natural feel that makes UGC work. Under-directing has the opposite problem: content that drifts away from the marketing goal.
A good UGC brief balances three things:
Context, so the creator understands the product and the audience.
Direction, so the content serves your marketing strategy.
Freedom, so the creator can speak naturally and the result doesn't sound rehearsed.
The 7 essential elements of a winning UGC brief
A brief that delivers consistently is specific and actionable. These are the seven sections every brief should have.
1. Product context
Keep it tight. Three to five sentences: what the product is, who it is for, why it exists and its core benefit. Leave the brand history out. The creator needs enough to talk about the product with confidence, nothing more.
2. The campaign goal
Be specific about what the content is for. Prospecting and first purchases? Retargeting warm audiences? Product education? If the goal isn't clear to the creator, the video won't be focused either. Every strong UGC ad is built around one measurable outcome.
3. Hook direction
The hook decides whether anyone watches the rest. Instead of "make it engaging", give three to six concrete hook options based on what already works in your category.
Always add the line: "Say this in your own words so it sounds natural." You keep the strategic direction and the creator keeps their voice.
4. Format, deliverables and usage rights
Don't over-specify the edit. State the platform (Meta, TikTok, your website), the orientation (usually vertical) and exactly what you expect back: number of videos, length, extra hooks, raw footage. If you want to recut the content for hook testing, ask for the raw files in the brief rather than after delivery. Extra hooks and raw footage are usually priced separately; our UGC rate card guide shows how creators list them.
Then write down what you will do with the content. Organic posting on your own channels, paid ads from your account, whitelisting or Spark Ads from the creator's handle, the territory and the number of months are all different permissions. Rights that weren't agreed up front are a frequent source of friction after delivery.
5. Tone of voice
Give three simple words for the tone, such as "casual, honest, relatable" or "energetic, playful, fast-paced". Creators can calibrate from that in seconds, without reading a 40-page brand book.
6. Dos and don'ts
This section protects the brand and the campaign. Say what the creator must include (the correct pronunciation of the product name, for example) and what they must avoid (competitor mentions, health or performance claims you can't back up). Skipping it usually means reshoots or heavy editing.
7. Example content
Add one or two reference videos with the right energy, pacing and structure. Make it clear they are there for calibration, not to be copied. You want the creator to get the feel, then make their own version.
The UGC brief template (2026 edition)
Copy this structure for your next campaign. It gives clear direction and still leaves room for the creator.
Campaign overview
Brand name: [Your brand]
Product: [Short description, target audience, core benefit]
Campaign goal: [e.g. drive first-time purchases via Meta Ads]
Market and language: [e.g. Italy, Italian]
Localisation: [native creator from the market; hooks written for that market, not translated from English]
Delivery date: [Specific date]
Creative direction
Tone: [3 words, e.g. honest, relatable, energetic]
Format: [e.g. 9:16 vertical video for TikTok and Reels]
Deliverables: [e.g. 1 edited video of 30 to 45 seconds, 2 extra hooks, all raw footage]
The script structure
Hook options (choose one and say it in your own words):
Option A: [e.g. "I didn't realise how bad my [problem] was until..."]
Option B: [e.g. "If you struggle with [problem], you need to see this."]
Option C: [e.g. "The thing about [benefit] nobody told me."]
Main talking points (cover these naturally):
Show the product in use straight away.
Explain the specific problem it solves for you.
Mention one key feature: [Feature name].
Call to action:
[e.g. "Check the link below to get yours."]
Usage rights
Organic use: [e.g. brand's own social channels and website]
Paid usage: [e.g. Meta and TikTok ads from the brand's account, 3 months, or "none"]
Whitelisting or Spark Ads from the creator's handle: [months, or "none"]
Territory and exclusivity: [e.g. Italy and Spain; no exclusivity]
Disclosure
Platform label: [e.g. Instagram "Paid partnership", TikTok "Paid partnership" or the content disclosure setting]
Written label in the post's language: [e.g. #ad in the UK; "pubblicità" or "adv" + brand name in Italy; "publicidad" or "publi" in Spain, as the local rules require]
Where it goes: [at the start of the caption or on screen in the first seconds, not hidden after "more"]
Brand guidelines
Dos:
Use good, natural light.
Pronounce the brand as [pronunciation].
Show your face and the product clearly.
Don'ts:
Don't mention competitors.
Don't use heavy filters.
Don't read from a script.
A filled-in example: a skincare launch in Spain
Here is the same template filled in for an imaginary skincare brand. The product and the numbers are made up; the structure is what matters.
Product: a fragrance-free daily moisturiser with SPF 30 for sensitive skin, aimed at women aged 25 to 40.
Campaign goal: first purchases from cold audiences on Meta (prospecting).
Market and language: Spain, Spanish from Spain.
Localisation: a native creator based in Spain. Hooks are written for Spanish viewers, for example around summer sun and daily commuting, not translated from the UK campaign.
Delivery date: 14 days after the creator receives the product.
Tone: honest, calm, practical.
Format and deliverables: one 9:16 video of 30 to 45 seconds, two extra hooks for the same video, all raw footage.
Hook options (in the creator's own words): A, "I stopped skipping sunscreen when I found one that doesn't sting." B, "Sensitive skin and SPF every day: this is what I use." (Shown here in English; the creator says them in Spanish.)
Talking points: apply it on camera in the first five seconds; say how it feels on sensitive skin; mention that it has no added fragrance.
Call to action: "Link below if you want to try it."
Usage rights: organic use on the brand's channels and website; paid usage in Meta ads from the brand's account for 3 months; no whitelisting; territory Spain; no exclusivity.
Disclosure: the platform's paid partnership label plus "publicidad" at the start of the caption.
Don'ts: no medical claims ("cures", "treats"), no competitor products, no heavy filters.
A creator can read that in two minutes and start. It is also easy to check the delivery against it: did the video open with the product, are the two extra hooks there, is the label in Spanish?
Briefing creators in several European markets
If you run the same product in Italy, Spain and the UK, keep one master brief and change three things per market.
Creator and language: a native creator for each market, speaking to their own audience. A Spanish voice-over on an Italian video still sounds foreign.
Hooks and references: rewrite the hooks for each market. Seasons, habits, humour and the words people use for a problem change from country to country.
Disclosure: put the local label in the brief. The UK ASA and CMA guide asks for a clear "Ad"; Italy's IAP Digital Chart lists "pubblicità" or "advertising", or alternatives such as "adv" followed by the brand name; Spain's self-regulatory influencer code of conduct (by AEA, AUTOCONTROL and IAB Spain, in force since 1 October 2025) asks for "publicidad" or "publi" and warns against labels in another language, such as "Ad". Larger creators also fall under national laws; the thresholds for Italy and Spain are in our UGC statistics for 2026.
Everything else (goal, deliverables, rights, dos and don'ts) can stay the same, which keeps the results comparable across markets.
Common mistakes to avoid when briefing creators
Even with a solid template, a few habits keep undermining UGC campaigns.
1. Word-for-word scripts
Forcing creators to read an exact script gives you stiff delivery, and viewers spot it immediately. Give structure and talking points, then let the creator use their own words.
2. Too many mandatories
If everything is required, nothing stands out. A brief overloaded with must-mention features turns the video into a list instead of a story.
3. Asking for "viral" content
"Make it go viral" is not a brief. Virality is an outcome, not a deliverable. Ask for a clear hook, a believable demonstration and a call to action, and judge the result on the goal you set.
4. Vague instructions
"Just be yourself" without any strategic direction gives you random content. Creators need guardrails to be creative inside.
5. Leaving rights for later
Brands often brief for organic content and decide to run it as an ad once it performs. If paid usage wasn't agreed, you are negotiating after the fact. Put the rights in the brief from the start, even if the answer is "organic only for now".
How briefing works on ScoutBerry
On ScoutBerry, the brief lives inside a Pod. You set it up once: goals, market, deliverables, timeline and usage requirements. Then you choose how creators reach it. With an Open Pod, eligible creators from the network apply. With a Private Pod, you invite the creators you picked from The Roster, where each profile shows the creator's rate card and track record.
You also choose the pricing mode. With Campaign Rate you set the amount for a defined scope and creators accept it or not. With Creator Rate you work at each creator's own rate card prices. Each creator's assignment inside the Pod is a Mission.
Every collaboration then runs on its Deal Terms: a Deal Summary with every term and the total, a contract both sides accept online, and one payment in euro. If something changes later (an extra deliverable, a new deadline, more months of a right), a Change Request adds it and only the difference is charged.
Unless you change them, the default Production Pod terms on our pricing page are: one UGC video, unlimited organic use on your own channels, worldwide territory, two revision rounds, delivery within 7 days and one day for you to approve or ask for a revision. Paid usage, whitelisting and Spark Ads are not included until you add them in the Deal Terms with their months. That is the same discipline as the usage rights section of the template above.
Discovery is free and includes The Roster, the Campaign Match Score, Open and Private Pods and both pricing modes. From the Navigator plan (€199 a month) you also get The Compass, which suggests creators for a Pod with the reasons for each pick, and Mellow AI, an assistant for briefs, terms and budgets. Creators keep 100% of the agreed compensation. The brand pays a ScoutBerry Service Fee on top, only on what it pays the creator: 20% on Discovery, 15% on Navigator, 10% on Partner.
If you would rather not ship products to several creators, Studio Pod is the managed option: you send one sample, our team casts native-speaking creators for Italian, Spanish or English content, and production happens on a set production day. It is built for five videos and up, and the timeline is confirmed before production.
Ready to brief your first Pod?
A good brief is the foundation of a UGC campaign. Running it across several creators is easier when the brief, the terms and the payment sit in one place. Start free with ScoutBerry and set up your first Pod.