How to make UGC videos: tips and tools

Last updated: July 15, 2026

User-generated content (UGC) helps build trust through authenticity. It's a top marketing format for a reason: people connect to genuine, relatable storytelling.

UGC is especially effective in video form because it shares more of the creator's personality. With compelling voiceovers and animated speakers, UGC videos can help you connect in totally new ways. Whether it's an unfiltered product review or a behind-the-scenes TikTok, UGC video feels organic in a way traditional advertising just can't replicate.

This guide covers the full picture: what UGC is, the formats that work, how to film and script it, and how to make it.

What is a UGC video?

UGC stands for user-generated content. A UGC video is content created by a real person, whether that be a customer, creator, or everyday user, rather than a brand's in-house team. It's designed to feel authentic and native to the platform it lives on, rather than polished and produced.

While it started as a purely organic play, the term now covers two distinct categories:

• Organic UGC: Content a customer or creator makes voluntarily because they genuinely like a product. Brands often repurpose this for their own channels.

• Paid UGC: Content commissioned directly by a brand. A creator is briefed, paid, and delivers video assets that the brand uses for marketing.

What is the difference between influencer content and UGC?

The distinction matters and is often confused.

With influencer marketing, you're paying for an audience. The influencer posts directly to their own followers, so the value is in their reach and their community's trust.

With UGC, you're paying for the content rather than distribution. Brands often post UGC on their own channels, using assets from a compensated creator. Follower count isn't as important, as long as the content performs.

UGC consistently outperforms traditional brand creative in paid ads . It's native-looking content that doesn't trigger the mental "this is an ad" filter that polished brand video might.

What are the top UGC video formats?

Match your UGC video format to your goals and key publishing platforms. Here are the most common and effective UGC formats with platform-specific performance notes for each.

Product demos and reviews

UGC product reviews break down a product's features and showcase its pros or cons. They typically feature honest opinions, which boosts the review's authenticity. It's best to include at least one or two neutral points.  

Platform notes: Reviews perform particularly well as TikTok content (short, punchy, 30–60 seconds) and as Meta ad creative , where they're used as top-of-funnel awareness content. On YouTube , longer review formats (3–8 minutes) work better and allow for deeper product exploration. The key differentiator on all platforms: lead with a specific claim in the hook, not a generic opener like "I tried this product."

"How to" tutorials

Tutorials help people imagine how they'd use a product in their own lives. UGC tutorials typically focus on a specific application, rather than a rundown of product pros and cons. For example, a beauty creator might showcase a facial cleanser by filming their morning skincare routine.

Platform notes: Tutorial UGC works best on TikTok and Instagram Reels where step-by-step formats are native. On YouTube Shorts , tutorials perform well when there's a clear "before" state established in the first three seconds. The format rewards specificity; "how I use this for [specific use case]" outperforms generic product walkthroughs.

Testimonials

Testimonials are straightforward product or service endorsements that focus on positive experiences and solid results. They're broader than reviews, and more focused on a general recommendation rather than the details. They're helpful for ad campaigns and website landing pages, showing happy customers in a short, easy-to-digest format.

Platform notes: Testimonials are the format brands use most heavily as paid ad creative on Meta and TikTok because they're short, emotionally credible, and convert well. The most effective testimonials on social media lead with the result ("I've tried X different [products], and this is the only one that actually worked").

Before-and-after videos

Before-and-after content emphasizes results and impact. They often showcase visual transformations, like detergent treating a stain or face cream removing blemishes, but can also display performance improvements, like a sales team increasing efficiency with a CRM.

Platform notes: Before-and-after content is one of the most consistently high-performing UGC formats on TikTok and Reels because the transformation arc maps naturally to short-form narrative structure. The hook is the "before" state (the problem); the video delivers the "after" (the resolution). Keep the gap between before and after as visually clear as possible.

Unboxing videos

Unboxing videos show the experience of receiving and opening a product for the first time. The format works because it recreates the purchase experience and heightened anticipation. It's particularly effective for eCommerce brands because it answers the "what does it actually look like when it arrives?" question.

Platform notes: Unboxing UGC performs well on TikTok (where "unboxing" is a consistently trending category), YouTube (where longer unboxing formats have a dedicated audience), and as a Meta ad creative for DTC brands. The key is to film a genuine first reaction, as staged excitement reads as fake and undermines the format's core value.

What equipment do you need to make UGC videos?

The entire value proposition of UGC is that it looks like a real person's video, not a brand shoot. Over-produced UGC actually can perform worse than authentic, slightly imperfect UGC. The barrier to entry is shockingly low. Here's the full equipment picture:

Essential:

• Smartphone: A modern iPhone or Android shoots more than enough quality for UGC.  

• Natural light: Free and flattering.

• Stable surface or tripod: A $15–25 phone tripod eliminates the visual instability that signals low production quality.

Useful upgrades:

• Clip-on lavalier mic: Audio quality matters more than video quality for UGC. A cheap clip-on mic ($20–40) dramatically improves the sound of talking head content.

How to film UGC videos with your phone

• Shoot in portrait (9:16). TikTok, Reels, and Shorts are all vertical-native. Shooting horizontally and cropping creates a lower-quality output than shooting vertically from the start.

• Stabilize before you hit record. Even a subtle handshake reads as unprofessional. Use a tripod or prop your phone against something solid.

• Face the light source. If you're filming indoors, sit facing a window. Don't have light behind you, as that creates a silhouette.

• Film in short clips, not one long take. Filming in individual segments (one point per clip) gives you more flexibility in the edit than trying to nail a full script in one take.

• Get B-roll of the product. Close-ups of the product from multiple angles, the packaging, the product in use. This helps your UGC video be more visually dynamic.

How do you write a UGC video script?

To make your videos UGC-style, keep them real and casual. Your script should feel conversational, with a strong hook and a sense of your personality. Natural pauses and reactions help add emotion and give people more ways to connect with you.

Here’s a UGC script structure that works for most formats:

1. Hook (first 1–3 seconds): The line that stops the scroll. It needs to create immediate curiosity, recognition, or tension before the viewer decides whether to keep watching. For more on writing hooks, see our complete guide to video hooks.

2. Problem/context: Establish a situation that the viewer will recognize.

3. Product introduction: Introduce the product naturally, in the context of the problem. Show it, not just mention it.

4. Demonstration/experience: Show the product in use or describe the experience with specific detail. Specificity is what makes UGC credible.

5. Result + CTA (last 5–10 seconds): State the outcome and give the viewer one clear action, like  "Link in bio," or "Use code [X]".

What is a UGC hook, and how do you write one?

The hook is the most important line in your UGC script. It's what determines whether the viewer stays. In fact, 71% of viewers decide within the first few seconds whether a video is worth continuing.

Hooks that consistently work for UGC:

• The relatable problem: "I've tried every [product category] on the market and nothing worked until this."

• The bold claim: "This [product] replaced three things I was spending $X on every month."

• The direct address: "If you're struggling with [specific problem], stop scrolling."

• The result first: "I've lost [X] pounds / saved [X] hours / grown [X] followers using this, and here's how."

Write your hook last, after you've written the rest of the script. Once you know what the video delivers, you can write the hook that earns the right to deliver it.

How long should a UGC video be?

It depends on the format and the platform, but the general principle is: as short as possible while still delivering value.

Know your target length before you write the script, and cut aggressively during editing.

How do you make UGC videos without showing your face?

Faceless UGC is a growing format that performs well for certain product categories. It's especially effective for products that are visual in themselves, like home goods, food, and beauty.

Faceless UGC formats that work well:

• Hands-only product demos: Close-ups of hands using, opening, or interacting with the product.

• POV (point of view) content: Filmed from the creator's perspective. Shows what they see, rather than who they are.

• Voiceover + product footage: The creator's voice provides the testimonial while the camera stays on the product.

• Text overlay + B-roll: On-screen text and recorded voiceover tell the story while product footage provides the visuals.

What is AI UGC and how is it different from real UGC?

AI UGC refers to video content that looks and feels like UGC but is generated using AI avatars or voice cloning , rather than a real person filming themselves for that specific video. For brands, it solves the scale problem: instead of briefing five creators and waiting a week for five assets, you can generate 50 variations in an afternoon.

Traditionally, brands have worked directly with influencers to produce this kind of content. Now, AI is reshaping what UGC can look like. Here’s how AI can help:

• Faster production: Generate more videos without holding expensive shoots or spending time on post-production.

• Easier testing: AI UGC marketing helps your output grow while keeping production quality consistent. It's faster to test different hooks and variants.

How to make AI UGC with Captions

Captions offers two AI-powered paths to UGC-style video without filming. Both are powered by our in-house model that delivers high-quality video output.

AI avatars to generate UGC without any real people: Captions' AI avatar generator creates professional-quality videos using AI avatars. These are digital spokespeople you can use to deliver any script. You choose the actor, adjust the appearance and setting, add a script, and the video is generated.

AI twin to create a digital version of yourself: The AI twin feature creates your personal avatar . Then, you can generate new talking head videos using your AI twin (new scripts, new outfits, new settings) without recording anything.

Can AI replace real UGC creators?

Honestly, not entirely, and the best AI UGC strategy combines both. Real UGC from genuine customers carries a level of credibility and authentic variability that AI-generated content can't fully replicate. AI UGC is most powerful for scaling creative variations once a winning format has been identified, testing new angles quickly before investing in real creator shoots, and reaching creative volume that human production can't match on budget.

Transparency in AI UGC: what you need to know

When using AI for UGC, make sure you're transparent. For AI testimonials, use honest customer reviews as the script and generate dynamic footage around it. That way, you're sharing authentic commentary with your audience and staying true to customer feedback. If you're sharing multiple reviews in the same video, you can include something in the intro to clarify that it's capturing true customer feedback. For example, the script might include a phrase like "according to customer reviews," so your audience knows it's trustworthy information.  

Marketing teams have to act fast to stay competitive, and AI helps make that possible. Play with different approaches to see how AI UGC best fits into your own marketing strategy.

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