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Key Takeaways User-generated content (UGC) is short-form video or photo content that everyday people create for brands to use in their ads or marketing — and it doesn’t require a following.
To succeed with UGC, you need a skill someone will 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 did not grow up wanting to be a content creator. I started adulthood in a government job with decent benefits and a deep creative itch I couldn’t scratch. When I became a mom, I wanted to stay home with my kids, but I also needed to contribute financially. That’s when I discovered online side hustles, and eventually, user-generated content, or UGC.
UGC is the kind of short-form video or photo content that everyday people create for brands to use in their ads or marketing. It doesn’t require a following, and it doesn’t live on your personal channels. You’re simply creating content that helps a product make sense to someone else, and brands pay well for that.
At first, I thought I was just reviewing products. It turned out to be the doorway to a new business model — one that helped me pay off over $60,000 in debt and eventually earn six figures a year. And here’s the thing 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 that centers on visibility. Grow your platform. Build a niche. Get discovered. But after teaching this model to thousands of others, especially self-labeled introverts, parents and people with no online audience, I can say confidently that followers aren’t what get you paid. Here are three of the top things that do.
Related: I Paid Off Over $60K in Debt by Becoming an Anti-Influencer — Here’s How It Works
1. You need a skill someone will pay for, not necessarily an audience
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