For creators making their first UGC content

The hardest part of starting UGC isn't the shooting. It's that every step seems to require the previous one — brands want a portfolio, a portfolio wants clients, clients want a rate you don't know how to set.

None of that is actually blocking. You can build a portfolio from products you already own, price from the licence rather than your confidence, and find brands by pattern instead of by luck.

Sound familiar?

"I have nothing to show a brand."
"I don't know what to charge and I'm scared of naming a number."
"I don't know which brands even buy this."
"I sent pitches and heard nothing back."

What to do about it

Build a portfolio from spec work

Three finished pieces for products you already own, labelled honestly as concept pieces, published on a public link. That's a portfolio, and it's what unblocks everything else.

Portfolio builder

Get a defensible number before you quote

Price the deliverable, then price the licence explicitly. The free rate calculator does both, so your first quote isn't a guess you'll regret for a year.

Free rate calculator

Work a qualified list, not your memory

Brand Discovery gives you ten researched segments with a repeatable recipe for finding real companies in each — the full catalog is on the free plan.

Brand discovery

Pitch in four sentences, then follow up twice

A 5–10% reply rate is normal and healthy. Most replies come from the follow-up, which is exactly the step beginners skip.

How to write a pitch

Where to start: Free Sprout

You need a portfolio and a brand list before you need invoicing. Move to Sapling when you publish your portfolio and start pitching daily.

See all plans

Questions

Do I need followers to start?

No. Brands buying UGC license footage for their own channels and ads rather than renting your audience. A strong portfolio matters far more than follower count.

What gear do I need?

A phone from the last few years, a clip-on light or a good window, and a tripod. Brands explicitly want content that looks shot by a real person, so higher-end gear works against the brief.

Is the free plan enough to get started?

Yes. Sprout includes 15 contacts, 5 deals, 3 invoices a month, and the full Brand Discovery catalog. Every new account also gets 14 days of everything, no card required.

Start free, decide later

A free plan that never expires, plus 14 days of everything with no card required.

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