UGC glossary
UGC marketing glossary
Plain-English definitions of UGC, creator marketing, and paid social terms, written for brands that run creator campaigns. Each entry starts with a one-sentence definition, then explains how the term shows up in briefs, rates, and ad accounts.
138 terms
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UGC fundamentals20
Creator types and programs14
Content formats26
- ASMR video
- B-roll
- Before and after video
- Call to action (CTA)
- Carousel ad
- Day in the life video
- Flat lay
- Founder video
- Green screen video
- GRWM (get ready with me)
- Haul video
- POV video
- Product demo video
- Raw footage
- Reaction video
- Storytime video
- Street interview video
- Talking head video
- Testimonial video
- Text overlay
- TikTok duet
- TikTok stitch
- Tutorial video
- UGC voiceover
- Unboxing video
- Vertical video
Campaign workflow and roles14
Contracts, rights and pay16
Paid social and platforms20
- Affiliate commission
- Boosted post
- Brand safety
- Dark post
- FTC disclosure
- Influencer discount code
- Instagram collab post
- Lookalike audience
- Meta Ad Library
- Paid partnership label
- Paid social
- Partnership ads
- Retargeting
- Shoppable video
- Social commerce
- TikTok Commercial Music Library
- TikTok Creative Center
- TikTok Creator Marketplace
- TikTok Shop affiliate
- TikTok Spark Ads
Metrics and creative testing28
- A/B testing
- Ad angle
- Ad frequency
- AOV (average order value)
- CAC (customer acquisition cost)
- Conversion rate
- Cost per install (CPI)
- CPA (cost per acquisition)
- CPC (cost per click)
- CPL (cost per lead)
- CPM
- CPV (cost per view)
- Creative fatigue
- Creative testing
- CTR (click-through rate)
- Engagement rate
- Hold rate
- Hook (video ad)
- Hook rate
- Incremental lift
- LTV (lifetime value)
- MER (marketing efficiency ratio)
- Performance creative
- Reach vs impressions
- Retention curve
- ROAS
- View-through rate
- Watch time
A8
- A/B testingA/B testing is comparing two versions of an ad, page or email by showing each to a random half of an audience and keeping the one that performs better.
- Ad angleAn ad angle is the core argument an ad makes to persuade, such as fixing a problem, beating an alternative or answering an objection.
- Ad frequencyAd frequency is the average number of times each person in an audience has seen an ad, calculated as impressions divided by reach over a set period.
- Affiliate commissionAn affiliate commission is the share of each sale a brand pays a creator for purchases made through that creator's tracked link or discount code.
- AI UGCAI UGC is creator-style content generated or heavily assisted by AI, such as synthetic presenters, cloned voices, and auto-written scripts.
- Amazon Influencer ProgramThe Amazon Influencer Program lets approved creators run an Amazon storefront and publish shoppable content on Amazon, earning commission on sales they drive.
- AOV (average order value)AOV means average order value: total revenue divided by the number of orders. The formula, a worked example, and why AOV caps what you can pay per sale.
- ASMR videoAn ASMR video uses close, quiet sounds like tapping, pouring and unwrapping to hold attention, and in UGC it turns a product's texture into the ad.
B7
- B-rollB-roll is supplementary footage cut over the main shot; in UGC deals it means the extra product clips a creator delivers so editors can re-cut ads.
- Before and after videoA before and after video shows the same subject before and after using a product, so the change itself becomes the proof the ad is built around.
- Boosted postA boosted post is an existing organic post that a brand or creator pays to show to more people, set up in a few taps from the post itself.
- Brand ambassadorA brand ambassador is a person who represents a brand over an extended period, promoting it repeatedly in exchange for payment, product, commission, or perks.
- Brand awarenessBrand awareness is how many people in your market recognise or recall your brand, measured with reach, recall surveys, branded search and direct traffic.
- Brand dealA brand deal is a paid agreement in which a creator produces or posts content about a brand in exchange for a fee, product, commission, or a mix.
- Brand safetyBrand safety is the practice of keeping a brand away from content and contexts that could damage it, which in creator deals drives vetting and contract clauses.
C27
- CAC (customer acquisition cost)CAC means customer acquisition cost, the total marketing and sales cost of winning one new customer, including creator fees, agency retainers and software.
- Call to action (CTA)A call to action (CTA) is the instruction that tells a viewer what to do next, such as shop now or download the app, delivered as a line, button or end card.
- Carousel adA carousel ad is one paid placement holding several swipeable cards, each with its own image or video, headline and link, used to show range or a sequence.
- Content approval processA content approval process is the set of steps and owners a creator video passes through, from first cut to sign-off, before a brand posts or runs it.
- Content calendarA content calendar is a dated schedule of what content gets made, approved and published or launched as ads, by whom and on which channel, over weeks or months.
- Content creator vs influencerA content creator makes videos, photos or posts; an influencer is a creator whose audience is the asset. Brands buy content from one and reach from the other.
- Content licensingContent licensing means paying a creator to reuse a post that already exists in your ads or channels. How it works, what it costs, and what to put in writing.
- Conversion rateConversion rate is the share of visitors, clicks or viewers who complete the action you want, such as a purchase or signup, out of everyone who could have.
- Cost per install (CPI)Cost per install (CPI) is what an app spends on advertising to get one new install, calculated as ad spend divided by the installs that campaign produced.
- CPA (cost per acquisition)CPA means cost per acquisition in advertising, not certified public accountant: the spend it takes to produce one conversion such as a purchase or a signup.
- CPC (cost per click)CPC means cost per click: what one click on your ad costs you, reported by every ad platform and set by both the auction price and your click rate.
- CPL (cost per lead)CPL means cost per lead, the advertising spend needed to collect one usable contact such as an email address or phone number, before any sales work begins.
- CPMCPM means cost per mille: what an advertiser pays for 1,000 ad impressions. The formula, what CPM means in UGC deals, and how creative moves the number.
- CPV (cost per view)CPV (cost per view) is the amount an advertiser pays for each counted view of a video ad, calculated as total spend divided by the number of views.
- Creative fatigueCreative fatigue is the decline in an ad's performance as the same audience sees it repeatedly, shown by falling CTR and rising cost per result over time.
- Creative strategistA creative strategist is the person who decides what ads to make and why, turning customer research and performance data into briefs, hooks, and test plans.
- Creative testingCreative testing is the structured practice of running ad variations against each other on controlled budgets to learn which hooks, angles and formats win.
- Creator briefA creator brief is the document a brand sends a UGC creator or influencer setting deliverables, message, must-says, deadlines and usage for one job.
- Creator economyThe creator economy is the market of individuals who earn money by making content, plus the platforms, brands, and tools that pay them or sell to them.
- Creator fundA creator fund is a program in which a social platform pays creators from a pool of money based on the views and engagement their content earns on the platform.
- Creator marketplaceA creator marketplace is a platform where brands post content jobs, creators apply or get matched, and the platform handles payment while taking a fee.
- Creator onboardingCreator onboarding is everything between a creator saying yes and filming: contract, payment details, product shipping and file delivery setup.
- Creator outreachCreator outreach is contacting creators a brand wants to work with, usually by email or DM, with a specific offer, then following up until they answer.
- Creator retainerA creator retainer is a recurring monthly fee that buys a set volume of content or posts from one creator, replacing one-off bookings with a standing deal.
- Creator sourcingCreator sourcing means finding UGC creators or influencers who fit a brief by niche, platform and audience, then getting a way to contact them. Steps and tools.
- Creator vettingCreator vetting is checking a shortlisted creator before hiring: content quality, audience fit, past brand work, brand safety and whether they deliver on time.
- CTR (click-through rate)CTR means click-through rate, the percentage of people who clicked an ad after seeing it, calculated as clicks divided by impressions multiplied by 100.
D2
- Dark postA dark post is a social ad that never appears on the advertiser's profile or feed; only the people it is targeted at see it, in their own feeds.
- Day in the life videoA day in the life video follows a creator from morning to night in short clips, with a product appearing naturally inside an ordinary routine.
E3
- Earned mediaEarned media is exposure a brand gets without paying for placement: press coverage, organic shares, reviews, and creator posts the brand did not pay for.
- Engagement rateEngagement rate is the share of an audience that interacts with a post: likes, comments, saves, and shares divided by followers or by reach.
- Exclusivity clauseAn exclusivity clause bars a creator from working with competing brands or relicensing the content for a set period, and is usually priced as a separate fee.
F3
- Flat layA flat lay is a photo shot straight down onto products arranged on a flat surface, used in UGC photo sets, social posts and carousel ads.
- Founder videoA founder video features the company's founder on camera explaining why they built the product, used as an ad or organic post to show who is behind it.
- FTC disclosureAn FTC disclosure is a clear statement that a creator post is sponsored, expected in the US whenever a brand gave the creator money, product or another perk.
G2
- Green screen videoGreen screen video replaces the background behind a creator, and the TikTok green screen effect drops an image or screenshot there while the creator talks.
- GRWM (get ready with me)GRWM stands for get ready with me, a video in which a creator narrates a routine while using products on camera, from makeup to gym prep.
H4
- Haul videoHaul video meaning: a creator shows several items they bought or were sent in one video, with a try-on or verdict on each. Examples, brand use, 2026 rates.
- Hold rateHold rate is a video ad metric for how many viewers who stopped for the opening kept watching, usually ThruPlays or 15-second views over 3-second plays.
- Hook (video ad)A hook is the opening line, visual or on-screen text in the first seconds of a video ad, designed to stop the scroll and make the viewer keep watching.
- Hook rateHook rate is the share of ad impressions that turn into 3-second video views, used by media buyers to judge whether a video's opening stops the scroll.
I6
- Incremental liftIncremental lift is the extra conversions or sales an ad causes beyond what would have happened anyway, measured by comparing exposed and holdout groups.
- Influencer contractAn influencer contract is the written agreement between a brand and a creator that sets deliverables, payment, deadlines, content rights and disclosure duties.
- Influencer discount codeAn influencer discount code is a unique promo code given to one creator so their audience gets a discount and the brand can attribute sales to that creator.
- Influencer giftingInfluencer gifting is sending free product to creators for the chance, but usually not the obligation, that they post about it, also called product seeding.
- Influencer marketingInfluencer marketing is paying or gifting creators to feature a product on their own channels, buying both the content and their followers' attention.
- Instagram collab postAn Instagram collab post is one feed post or Reel co-authored by two or more accounts, shown on every profile with shared likes, comments and views.
K2
- Kill feeA kill fee is the share of an agreed creator fee a brand still pays when it cancels a project after work has started, set in the contract in advance.
- KOL (key opinion leader)KOL means key opinion leader: someone whose expertise makes their recommendation trusted in a field. KOL vs influencer, examples, and how brands use them.
L3
- Licensing feeA licensing fee is the amount a brand pays for permission to use content it does not own, priced separately from the cost of producing that content.
- Lookalike audienceA lookalike audience is a group of new people an ad platform picks because they resemble a seed list you provide, such as recent buyers or high-value customers.
- LTV (lifetime value)LTV means lifetime value in marketing: the total contribution one customer produces across every purchase they make, not the lending loan-to-value ratio.
M9
- Macro influencerA macro influencer is a creator with a large audience, often quoted as 100,000 to 1 million followers, whom brands pay mainly for reach rather than content.
- Marketing funnel (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU)A marketing funnel maps how strangers become customers, from awareness (top) through consideration (middle) to purchase (bottom), with content for each stage.
- Media buyerA media buyer is the person who plans, launches, and manages paid ad spend, deciding which ads run where, at what budget, and against which audience.
- Media kitA media kit is a creator's own summary of their audience, past brand work, formats and prices, sent to brands as a pitch document before a deal is agreed.
- Mega influencerA mega influencer has more than one million followers, the tier above macro. What the term means, real use cases, and what one post costs in 2026.
- MER (marketing efficiency ratio)MER (marketing efficiency ratio) is total revenue divided by total marketing spend. The formula, a worked example, and how MER differs from ROAS.
- Meta Ad LibraryThe Meta Ad Library is a public, searchable database of ads running on Facebook and Instagram, used by brands to research competitors' ad creative.
- Micro influencerA micro influencer is a creator with a small, engaged following, commonly defined as roughly 10,000 to 100,000 followers, whom brands pay to post to it.
- MoodboardA moodboard is a collage of reference images, clips and colours that shows a creator the look and feel a brand wants before any filming starts.
N3
- Nano influencerA nano influencer is a creator with a small following, conventionally under about 10,000, whose recommendations land like advice from a friend.
- Native adA native ad is a paid placement built to match the look and format of the content around it, so it reads like a regular post rather than a banner.
- Net 30Net 30 is a payment term meaning the full invoice amount is due 30 calendar days after the invoice date, with no discount for paying earlier.
O1
P10
- Paid mediaPaid media is any distribution a brand pays for directly, such as Meta and TikTok ads, search ads, sponsored posts, and boosted creator content.
- Paid partnership labelPaid partnership on Instagram is the label shown on a creator post a brand paid for. What it means, when it is required, and how creators add it in 2026.
- Paid socialPaid social means ads bought on social platforms like Meta, TikTok, Pinterest and Snapchat. What it covers, how it differs from organic, and why it runs on UGC.
- Paid usage rightsPaid usage rights let a brand run creator content as ads with media spend behind it; organic usage only covers posting it on the brand's own channels.
- Partnership adsPartnership ads are Meta ads that run with both the creator's and the brand's handles in the header, using creator content with the creator's permission.
- Performance creativePerformance creative is ad content made and judged by measurable results such as cost per purchase, rather than by brand awareness or aesthetic polish alone.
- Perpetual licenseA perpetual license is a grant of rights with no end date, so the holder can use the work indefinitely. Meaning, examples, and what perpetual usage costs.
- POV videoA POV video is filmed or captioned from the viewer's point of view, using a 'POV:' setup line so the audience imagines themselves inside the scene.
- Product demo videoA product demo video shows a product's features working on camera, step by step, so a viewer can see exactly what it does before buying.
- Product seedingProduct seeding is sending free product to many creators with no required deliverable, betting that a share of them post content worth licensing or amplifying.
R8
- Rate cardA rate card is a published price list for services or ad space; in creator marketing it sets out what each deliverable costs and what usage is included.
- Raw footageRaw footage is the unedited video and audio a UGC creator records before cutting, captioning, or adding music, delivered so the brand can edit its own versions.
- Reach vs impressionsReach is the number of unique people who saw your content; impressions count every time it was shown, so one person seeing an ad three times adds three.
- Reaction videoA reaction video records a person's genuine response to trying, tasting or seeing something for the first time, using their expression as the proof.
- RetargetingRetargeting is showing ads to people who already interacted with your brand, such as site visitors or video viewers, to bring them back to finish buying.
- Retention curveA retention curve is a chart of the share of viewers still watching at each second of a video, showing exactly where an audience drops off.
- Revision roundA revision round is one cycle of brand feedback and creator edits on a deliverable; UGC agreements cap how many rounds the base fee includes.
- ROASROAS means return on ad spend, the revenue an ad campaign generates for every dollar spent on it, calculated as attributed revenue divided by ad spend.
S8
- Shoppable videoShoppable video is video with tappable product links or tags that let viewers see and buy the featured item without leaving the video or the app.
- Shot listA shot list is a numbered list of every clip a creator must film for a video, with framing, action and order, so nothing is missing when the edit starts.
- Social commerceSocial commerce is buying products directly inside social apps, such as TikTok Shop or Instagram product tags, without leaving the feed for a separate store.
- Social proofSocial proof is the tendency to trust a choice because others made it; in marketing it means reviews, testimonials, customer content and visible usage.
- Statement of workA statement of work is the document that defines exactly what work gets done under a contract: scope, deliverables, schedule, acceptance criteria and price.
- StoryboardA storyboard is a frame-by-frame sketch of a video in order, pairing each planned shot with its line or caption, so a team can approve the flow before filming.
- Storytime videoA storytime video is a creator telling a personal story to camera, with a product woven into the plot as the turning point or the resolution.
- Street interview videoA street interview video shows a host asking passers-by short questions on camera; brands use the format to put a product in front of strangers.
T12
- Talking head videoA talking head video is a clip in which one person speaks directly to the camera, framed from the shoulders up, and is the most common format in paid UGC ads.
- Testimonial videoA testimonial video is a customer or creator on camera describing real results with a product. What it means, user-generated examples, and 2026 creator rates.
- Text overlayA text overlay is on-screen text layered over a video, such as a hook line, captions or a price, so the message lands with the sound off. Examples and rules.
- TikTok Commercial Music LibraryTikTok's Commercial Music Library is the catalogue of songs and sounds cleared for business accounts and ads. What it includes and how to brief creators on it.
- TikTok Creative CenterTikTok Creative Center is TikTok's free research hub for top ads, trending hashtags, songs and creators. What each tool shows and how to brief creators from it.
- TikTok Creator MarketplaceTikTok Creator Marketplace is TikTok's own platform for brands to find, brief and pay creators; since 2024 it sits inside TikTok One.
- TikTok duetA TikTok duet places a new video beside an existing public post so both play at once, letting a creator react or add commentary in a split screen.
- TikTok Shop affiliateA TikTok Shop affiliate is a creator who earns commission for tagging a seller's Shop products in their own videos and lives rather than charging a content fee.
- TikTok Shop creatorA TikTok Shop creator is a TikTok affiliate who tags products from TikTok Shop in videos and livestreams and earns commission on the resulting sales.
- TikTok Spark AdsTikTok Spark Ads are ads that boost an existing organic TikTok post from a brand’s ad account using an authorization code the creator generates.
- TikTok stitchA TikTok stitch is a video that clips part of somebody else's public post and continues it with your own footage, borrowing that clip as a ready-made setup.
- Tutorial videoA tutorial video teaches viewers how to achieve a result step by step, with a product used as one of the tools rather than as the star of the video.
U14
- UGCIn marketing, UGC is product content made by customers or creators instead of the brand. Organic vs paid UGC, why brands buy it, and what a program needs.
- UGC adsUGC ads are paid social ads built from creator-made, phone-shot video that looks like a customer’s own post rather than a studio commercial.
- UGC campaignA UGC campaign is a planned effort to source creators, commission content to a brief, and run that content in ads or owned channels toward a defined goal.
- UGC contentUGC content is the set of deliverables a brand buys from a UGC creator: vertical talking heads, demos, unboxings, testimonials, B-roll, and photos.
- UGC creatorA UGC creator is a person brands pay to produce authentic-looking content, usually short video, for the brand to use in ads and on its own channels.
- UGC examplesUGC examples are the common formats of user-generated content brands commission or collect, such as product demos, unboxings, testimonials, and how-to videos.
- UGC marketingUGC marketing is the practice of collecting or commissioning customer-style content and using it across ads, product pages, and social channels.
- UGC meaningUGC stands for user-generated content: product photos and videos made by customers or paid creators, not the brand. Meaning, examples, costs and sourcing.
- UGC portfolioA UGC portfolio is a creator’s curated set of sample videos and past brand work that a brand reviews to judge on-camera quality and fit before hiring.
- UGC videoA UGC video is a short, phone-shot clip by a creator or customer showing a product in real use. UGC video meaning, common formats, and 2026 rates.
- UGC voiceoverA UGC voiceover is narration a creator records over footage, often product b-roll, so the ad sounds personal without the creator appearing on camera.
- Unboxing videoAn unboxing video is a creator video that opens a product on camera and shows the packaging, the contents, and the creator’s first reaction.
- Usage rightsUsage rights are the permissions a creator gives a brand to use content, set by four variables: channel, duration, territory and exclusivity.
- User-generated contentUser-generated content is any review, photo, video, or post about a brand made by customers or creators, which brands license and reuse in marketing.
V2
- Vertical videoVertical video is footage shot and framed in a 9:16 portrait ratio for phone screens, the native shape for TikTok, Reels, Shorts and Stories ads.
- View-through rateView-through rate is the share of video ad impressions watched to completion or to a set point, a measure of whether viewers stay with an ad to the end.
W4
- Watch timeWatch time is the total seconds an audience spent watching a video, or the average seconds per view, and it is stricter than a view count.
- WhitelistingWhitelisting is a creator giving a brand permission to run paid ads from the creator's own handle, so the ad carries their name instead of the brand's.
- Word of mouth marketingWord of mouth marketing is getting real customers to recommend a product to people they know, online or offline, and making those recommendations easy to share.
- Work for hireWork for hire is a copyright arrangement where the commissioning business counts as the author from the start, instead of receiving rights by a later transfer.
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