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Key Takeaways
- User-generated content (UGC) is short video or photo content that everyday people create for brands to use in their advertising or marketing – and that doesn’t require followers.
- To succeed with UGC you need a skill that someone is willing to pay for (not necessarily an audience). Brands pay for content that converts.
- You also need a community of like-minded creators and a process that keeps you going on the days you want to quit.
I didn’t grow up wanting to be a content creator. I started as an adult in a government job with decent benefits and a deep creative itch that I couldn’t touch. When I became a mother, I wanted to stay home with my children, but I also had to contribute financially. Then I discovered online side hustles and eventually user-generated content, or UGC.
UGC is the kind of short video or photo content that everyday people create for brands to use in their advertising or marketing. It doesn’t require a following, and it won’t be on your personal channels. You simply create content that makes a product meaningful to someone else, and brands pay good money for that.
At first I thought I was just reviewing products. It turned out to be the door to a new business model – one that helped me pay off over $60,000 in debt and eventually make six figures a year. And here’s what most people don’t understand: I did it without going viral, without building a personal brand, and without chasing likes.
The UGC space is flooded with advice focused on visibility. Grow your platform. Build a niche. Let yourself be discovered. But after teaching this model to thousands of others, especially self-proclaimed introverts, parents, and those without an online audience, I can confidently say that it’s not the followers that get you paid. Here are three of the most important things that do that.
Related: I Paid Off Over $60,000 In Debt By Becoming An Anti-Influencer – Here’s How It Works
1. You need a skill that someone is willing to pay for, not necessarily an audience
When people ask me how to get started with UGC, their first question is often, “Do I need followers?” I get it. We have been conditioned to believe that income comes from visibility. But what brands actually pay for is content that converts. Can you help them show a product? Can you tell a story that generates clicks? Can you explain how something works in a way that makes someone want to try it?
That’s the job. And you don’t need an audience to do it; you just have to start creating with intention and learn as you go.
One of the first videos I ever filmed that really took off was a simple product review in my kitchen. I haven’t thought about it. No makeup, no special setup, just me talking to the camera. I said, “You don’t have to be an influencer to get paid for videos,” and apparently a lot of people needed to hear that because the views quickly went up. What mattered wasn’t the editing or the aesthetics; it was that the message was getting home. You don’t need followers. You need proof that you can sell.
Many new makers assume that they have to start with perfect equipment. I understand: there is pressure to look a certain way or to film like a professional. And yes, having decent lighting and clean audio helps. But equipment isn’t what you get paid for. What you’re getting paid for is understanding how to communicate something clearly on camera: how to keep someone’s attention, how to make them feel understood, how to guide them toward a decision. Those are the real skills brands are looking for.
Related: Follower count is irrelevant when it comes to real influence – these are the criteria that really matter
2. You need a community
The fastest way to quit is to do it alone. I see it all the time. People get excited, buy a tripod, try to recreate a trending video and then stop after two posts because no one is clapping for them.
You don’t need cheerleaders. You need people in the trenches with you.
When I started my Facebook group for introverts, I wasn’t trying to build a brand or start a funnel. I just wanted to connect with other people like me, creators who were figuring things out one video at a time and didn’t want to feel awkward asking beginner questions in public. I’d spent so many late nights googling things like “the best microphone for voiceovers under $30” or “how to keep a product from looking dusty on camera,” and I kept thinking: Why isn’t there a space where people really talk honestly about these things?
That group started with maybe a dozen of us, and has now grown to over 19,000 members sharing wins, setbacks, gear links, script templates, screenshots, side income updates, etc. – everything you’d want to ask a more experienced friend if you weren’t afraid of sounding silly.
It’s the kind of feedback, support and timely ideas you can’t Google. Being around other makers shortens the learning curve and prevents you from falling into a spiral after a difficult experience.
Related: 5 Steps to Make Money with a Small Online Following
3. You need a process that works on the days you want to quit
Confidence came later. What helped me early on was staying focused on the task at hand. I had projects to complete, clients to deliver to, and content to sort out. The more I came into work, the less time I spent doubting myself.
There’s a lot of talk about visibility in this space. But the most important thing is whether the content does its job. Can the viewer understand the product? Can they see how it fits into their lives? Can the brand use the video in a campaign without having to change much? That is the true measure of value. You don’t get paid to be famous; you get paid to solve a business problem.
That change in mentality has made this work sustainable for me. I’m not building a personal brand or trying to become a personality. I build systems that allow me to earn steadily while keeping most of my life private. That’s what I want other people to see: that it is possible to do this work on your own terms.
The anti-influencer economy is for everyone who wants more freedom, without pressure to perform. It already works for creators who have never considered themselves creators.