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To reach your target audience online, you have to disrupt the scroll. Polished, highly branded content isn’t as effective for users with ad fatigue. But user-generated content (UGC) ads are better at inspiring your audience to stop scrolling and listen, since they come across as relatable content. In fact, EMarketer says that 60% of consumers consider UGC ads to be the most genuine form of content created.
Paid UGC ads are sponsored posts you solicit from influencers or actual customers. Since these ads are more unscripted, they read as authentic UGC ads and drive higher click-through rates than traditional paid ads.
Use this guide to learn best practices for UGC ads for Meta that attract people to your page, including how to find creators and how to create UGC ads that convert for your brand.
What Are UGC Ads and Why Do They Outperform Traditional Creative?
UGC ads are sponsored social media posts that look less like an ad and more like organic, native content made by creators. A UGC ad doesn’t rely on corporate background music or stiff scripts to sell your product. Instead, it may be shot on a mobile phone in natural light, using natural voices instead of a polished script, to mirror what typical users post every day.
Traditional ads with polished graphics and heavy branding feel less organic and more like a sales promotion. But when a user sees a UGC video ad, they may see it as more relatable. That inspires people to stop scrolling, which helps boost engagement and drives higher click-through rates. Since that’s exactly what Meta wants from content, it’s more likely to reward this ad format.
UGC ad campaigns are particularly effective for eCommerce and direct-to-consumer brands since people are more likely to trust a real customer over paid social ads, which lowers a first-time buyer’s perceived risk.
Where and How to Source UGC Ad Creators
Creator sourcing doesn’t have to be complicated. UGC creators specialize in making professional video content that looks like it was made by a regular person. You can find these creators through multiple channels, including freelance creator platforms like:
- Billo: A specialized marketplace featuring vetted UGC creators
- Fiverr: A broad freelance services marketplace connecting you to freelancers with different specialties
- JoinBrands: A UGC marketplace that connects you to creators who produce digital videos, photos, and text ads
If you don’t want to spend the time scouring a freelance platform to find the best UGC creator for your brand, consider using a UGC agency. An agency will source your creators, write the briefs, and help you grow your UGC marketing strategy.
You can also search social feeds for your branded hashtags to find real customers who can promote your brand or to partner with micro-influencers. These influencers have smaller followings than larger influencers, but they’re usually more affordable and come across as more genuine.
What to Include in a UGC Creator Brief
High-performing UGC ads are born from clear communication, including a detailed brief that covers:
- Hook Direction: Be specific about your strategic angle, tone, or approach. Lay out the first three seconds to avoid a vague, generic opening.
- Talking Points: UGC is most effective when you let the creator do what they do best: connecting to your audience. Offer talking points and key messages instead of a script.
- Format Requirements: Specify aspect ratio, length, and captions to avoid multiple revisions.
- Usage Rights: Make sure you confirm usage rights in writing before production begins.
What Makes a High-Converting UGC Video Ad?
Once you’ve found a good UGC creator, incorporating well-known converting elements in your UGC video ads will help make them even more successful.
For example, you can get a viewer’s attention with a pattern-interrupting hook, such as:
- Visual contrasts that look “wrong.”
- A sharp, unexpected zoom, jump cut, screen grab, or other motion.
- An interesting hook that makes people interested. For example, you might say, “I spent $60 on this outfit. Let me show you how.”
Customers are also more likely to stop when you state your unique value proposition within the first five to eight seconds and avoid overtly selling your product. Instead, have the creator explain how your product provides a specific solution for your target customer.
Lastly, keep your audience in mind when writing your calls to action. Cold audiences at the beginning of the sales funnel often respond better to low-commitment CTAs such as:
- Learn more
- Check it Out
- Download the Guide
- See the Collection
Other converting elements include:
- Opening with an action shot rather than a product image
- Adding social proof such as star ratings or review snippets
- Using a handheld camera and other native aesthetics such as simple text
How do you Test UGC Ads on Meta Without Wasting Budget?
Running a/b tests for your UGC ad campaigns will give you a feel for which elements are capturing your target audience before you spend your whole budget. Run a dedicated test campaign with a consistent audience. As you test your ads, change one element at a time, such as:
- Hook
- CTA
- Visual Format
Comparing ads by changing a single variable will tell you which changes are impacting your hook rates, clicks, and views.
During the campaign, it’s also important to set minimum spend thresholds. Meta’s algorithm requires about $50 per day per ad set to gather enough data to start optimizing your ads. Then, add $30 – $50 per ad per day to test ad variations. Spending more will help you get more accurate data on hook rates, conversions, and other key metrics.
As you’re comparing test ads, pay attention to your hook rate. This metric tells you how many people are clicking on the first three seconds of each ad, which tells you how well an ad is capturing the audience’s attention.
Finally, pay attention to what works, and build iterations of your most effective variables instead of starting over.
Scaling That Works
Once your ads start performing well, you’ll want to start looking at scaling.
Scaling UGC ad campaigns for your business doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Start by duplicating your most successful ads for new audiences by pushing an existing ad out to a different social media platform or by using similar elements for a different product line. This allows you to find new audiences before increasing your budget.
Then, keep your brand relevant by switching up your ads every three to four weeks. Adding new faces helps reduce ad fatigue and keeps people interested.
Common Mistakes Brands Make With UGC Paid Ads
It can be hard to break out of the habit of creating traditional ads. As you focus on making UGC-style ads, be sure to avoid common mistakes that can hinder your influencer marketing, such as:
- Overdirecting your creators or including rigid scripts. Instead, give them talking points and let them speak to the audience.
- Not including a brief. Specific direction keeps your deliverables on target and helps you avoid rework.
- Changing multiple ad variations to test your campaigns. Not knowing what changes made a difference makes it impossible to understand and act on your results.
- Sticking with declining ads instead of regularly refreshing your campaigns. This wastes your budget and makes you lose out on potential customers.
- Not tracking the right metrics. Measure hook rates, hold rates, click-through rates, and cost-per-click to see how well your ad captures attention and inspires viewers to take action.
- Assuming something that worked for organic reach is going to guarantee paid reach. The two act differently, so what works for one might not work the same for the other.
Partner With elk Marketing to Develop an Effective UGC Ad Strategy That Works
UGC paid ads feel native to each social media platform, making them more appealing to your customers. These ads give you authenticity and build trust with real customers.
At elk Marketing, we use data-driven strategies to create AI UG ads that look and feel like native content. And if you already have content from UGC creators, we can help you optimize it to broaden your reach. Get in touch today to get started with UGC ads.
FAQs
What are UGC Ads?
User-generated content (UGC) includes photos, reviews, videos, social media posts, and more that are made to look like they were generated by an actual customer. UGC ads are paid digital ads that mimic the style and feel of organic UGC content. They feel native to social media platforms, making them stand out to people who resist clicking on promotional ads.
How do I find a UGC Ads Creator for Meta?
There are multiple ways to find UGC content creators. Dedicated UGC creator platforms such as Billo and JoinBrands connect you with a large pool of pre-vetted creators. You can also search for creators online by looking for #UGCCreator or a similar hashtag and approaching users whose aesthetic matches your brand image. If you prefer a more hands-off approach, use a UGC ads agency to find creators and manage relationships on your behalf.
How do I know if my UGC Video Ads are working?
You can track multiple metrics to measure success. Measuring your hook rate and thumbstop rate will tell you how well you’re capturing the audience’s attention. Paying attention to your click-through rate gives you an idea of how well your message inspired the audience to take action. And your cost per purchase will tell you how much you spent to get a single customer to make a purchase.
