If you've ever gotten UGC back and thought "this isn't what I meant," the problem almost never started with the creator. It started with the brief — or the absence of one. "Make a nice video about our product" is not a brief, it's a wish, and creators can only guess what you're actually picturing. This is the template that removes the guessing.
This pairs with the operating rhythm in the full D2C UGC playbook — this piece is just the one document inside it worth getting exactly right.
The 1-page brief, field by field
- Product + the ONE angle for this batch. Not "our serum" — "our serum, angle: no white cast on oily skin in Indian summer heat." One angle per video order; more angles means more videos, not a longer single brief.
- Format spec. Vertical 9:16, 25–40 seconds, native burned-in captions, hook in the first 2 seconds. Copy this line verbatim into every brief — it's the baseline every platform expects.
- Three hook directions to choose from. Don't ask the creator to invent the whole concept from zero — give three opening-line options and let them pick and adapt the one that fits their voice. See hooks and scripts with examples for structures to borrow.
- Must-say / must-show (max 3 items). Price point, one differentiator, product-in-hand within 5 seconds. More than three mandatories and the video starts to feel like a hostage read, not a real person talking.
- Must-NOT. No medical/efficacy claims you can't back up, no competitor names, and a disclosure requirement if this runs as a paid partnership — India's ASCI guidelines require a clear #ad-style label on sponsored content.
- Deliverables. Exact count, length, and whether raw footage is included (always ask for raw footage — it's nearly free to include and lets you re-cut later).
- Rights. Organic only, or paid-ads licence with a specific duration. Price this properly using the usage-rights guide — don't leave it as a verbal "we might also boost it."
- Deadline + revisions included. A specific date, and how many revision rounds are included (2 is standard) before extra rounds cost extra.
What NOT to put in a brief
A shot-by-shot script kills the authenticity that makes UGC work in the first place — you're buying a real person's voice, not renting an actor to read your ad copy. Give direction, not a script. The creators worth re-hiring are the ones who take your angle and make it sound like their own idea.
The brief that actually gets sent (paste this)
"Product: [name]. Angle: [one sentence]. Format: vertical 9:16, 25–35s, burned-in captions, hook in first 2 seconds. Pick one hook: [option A] / [option B] / [option C]. Must show: [max 3 items]. Must not: [claims/competitors/disclosure note]. Deliverables: [N] videos + raw footage. Rights: [organic / paid ads, X days]. Deadline: [date]. Revisions: 2 included."
That's the whole document. Every field above maps to one line in this paragraph — send it as a message or attach it to a structured order, and creators can start shooting the same day.
Send briefs inside a structured order, not a scattered chat. On InfluencerMetric, deliverables, rights, and deadline live on one record — funded in escrow before the creator films.
Start a free brand accountFAQ
How detailed should a UGC brief be?
Detailed on constraints (format, must-say, rights, deadline), loose on delivery (let the creator's voice and pacing do the work). A one-page brief following the template above is almost always enough.
Should I write the exact script for the creator?
No — give hook options and key points, not a word-for-word script. A creator reading your copy verbatim is the fastest way to make UGC look like an ad again, which defeats the entire format.
What's the single most common brief mistake?
Skipping the angle. "Talk about our product" produces ten different, incompatible videos from ten creators. "Angle: no white cast on oily skin" produces ten videos that can all run as the same ad campaign.
