What UGC content actually is
People say UGC content to mean the files, not the concept. It's the folder a creator sends back after a shoot: a few vertical videos, a set of short product clips, sometimes photos. The style is deliberately homemade. Phone camera, natural light, the creator's own home, no brand logo overlays. That look is the product; a polished version would defeat the purpose.
The formats that show up most in briefs are the talking head (the creator speaking to camera about the product), the demo (using the product on screen, often with voiceover), the unboxing (opening the package and reacting), and the testimonial (a before-and-after or results story). Most briefs mix two or three of these.
What a UGC package looks like
A standard package might read: three 30 to 60 second vertical videos (one talking head, one demo, one unboxing), one 15 second hook cut per video, 8 to 12 raw B-roll clips, and 5 product photos. Delivered in 9:16, 1080p or better, original audio, no captions or music baked in so the brand can edit. That's enough to feed a couple of weeks of creative testing.
Specs matter more than people expect. Ask for 9:16 for paid social, 1:1 or 4:5 if you also need feed placements, and 16:9 only if YouTube is a destination. Ask for raw files without captions because burned-in text can't be changed. Ask for a clean first frame so the editor can add a hook later. Say all of this in the brief; creators can't guess.
Choosing formats for the job
Match the format to where the viewer is. Cold traffic on TikTok and Reels responds to a fast hook and a demo, because the person has never heard of you. Retargeting can carry a longer testimonial because the viewer already has context. Product pages want short, clean demos with no hard sell. Briefing one creator for all three at once usually produces content that fits none of them.
Also match the format to the creator. Some people are natural on camera and should do talking heads. Others are better with their hands and should do demos and B-roll. Look at a creator's past work before you assign formats, and don't force a demo-style creator into a 60 second monologue.
How it's used
Deliverables: three pieces of UGC content in 9:16, one talking head, one demo, one unboxing, plus ten raw B-roll clips and five photos.
The UGC content she sent is great but every clip has captions burned in, so we can't re-edit any of it; add a no-captions line to the brief.