A Stackla survey showcases the power of user-generated content (UGC): a whopping 79% of people say UGC strongly influences their buying choices.
Additionally, consumers find UGC 9.8 times more impactful than influencer content when deciding what to purchase.
Therefore, whether you’re a business owner, social media marketer, or launching a new venture, tapping into UGC is crucial to getting your products and services noticed by the right audience.
If you’ve decided to leverage UGC for your business, you might also be wondering about the rates.
This article will break down the definitive guide on UGC rates to help you make the most of this powerful marketing tool.
Let’s dive in!
TL;DR:
- User-generated content significantly influences purchasing decisions, with 79% of people stating its impact.
- UGC rates are payments made to content creators by brands for their promotional efforts.
- Factors influencing UGC rates include creator expertise, audience reach, content complexity, industry dynamics, collaboration scope, and urgency.
- Types of UGC rates include flat fee structures, per deliverable pricing, hourly rates, and collaborative/revenue-share models.
- Content creators should understand their value, benchmark industry standards, tailor rates to content complexity, and maintain transparency in negotiations.
- Negotiating UGC rates requires understanding each other’s value, transparent communication, clearly defined deliverables, flexibility, consideration of long-term relationships, incorporation of performance metrics, and awareness of industry standards.
- Balance and collaboration are essential in setting UGC rates, with clear communication, flexibility, and respect fostering smoother partnerships between brands and content creators.
What Are UGC Rates?
UGC rates represent the payment content creators receive for making content on behalf of brands.
Essentially, it’s the compensation the influencer receives for their content creation and promotional efforts.
Paying fair UGC fees is crucial for successful partnerships between brands and content creators.
UGC rates impact the quality of content, the brand’s credibility, and the influencer collaboration’s conversion rates.
If a brand offers a lower-than-average rate to an influencer with a significant following, the influencer might refuse to partner with said brand.
At the very least, they might not invest the same enthusiasm and effort, potentially affecting the campaign’s success.
What Are the Average Rates for UGC?
The average rates for UGC vary between $150 to $212 across industries, platforms, and types of posts.
But let’s bring more nuance to the story.
Determining a standard benchmark for user-generated content rates is challenging due to the industry's relative novelty.
Insights from the 2022 creator survey by "Brands Meet Creators" – a free newsletter that delivers UGC job listings weekly – provide a useful starting point.
Creators were surveyed about their fees for a single piece of UGC content, specifically a 9:16 vertical video lasting between 15-60 seconds.
The average asking price for one piece of UGC content is $212.
However, this figure is influenced by higher rates from prominent creators.
Therefore, the median rate, which offers a more accurate reflection, is $150.
This median also represents the most commonly requested rate.
If you're a new UGC creator or a brand just adding UGC into your marketing mix, expect $150 for a single UGC video.
That brings us to the next point:
Types of UGC Rates, Discounts, and Extra Fees
Each UGC rate type offers a different way for influencers and brands to work together.
The key is finding the one that fits the goals and preferences of both the influencer and the brand.
1. Flat Fee Structures
- What it is: This is a one-time payment for each piece of content throughout the entire collaboration. The brand sets a fixed price for the influencer’s work, no matter how much time or effort it takes. Again, the average price is $150 to $212, but the final cost depends on a slew of factors we’ll discuss in a second.
- Good for: It’s straightforward and makes budgeting easy for brands. Influencers also find it simple to quote a fixed price.
- Keep in mind: This works best when the work required for the influencer’s creative assets remains similar.
2. Per Deliverable Pricing
- What it is: This is where influencers charge a specific fee for each piece of content they create. As such, TikTok unboxing videos will cost more than Instagram Stories about a makeup reveal.
- Good for: Brands get to choose specific things they want, allowing for more control over costs. Influencers may also feel they’re remunerated more fairly. This pricing strategy is best when you’re using different social channels and handle different types of content, from blog posts to user-generated visual content.
- Keep in mind: It’s important for influencers to clearly define what counts as a “deliverable.” Sometimes, what doesn’t feel like work can slip through the cracks.
3. Hourly Rates
- What it is: Instead of a fixed price, influencers charge based on the time they spend creating content.
- Good for: It ensures fair payment for the time and effort, especially during more comprehensive campaigns where creators also contribute to brainstorming sessions and research or share their audience insights.
- Keep in mind: It might be a bit tricky to estimate total costs upfront.
4. Collaborative and Revenue-Share Models
- What it is: In this model, influencers earn based on the campaign’s success. It could be a percentage of sales generated through their content.
- Good for: It motivates influencers to actively contribute to the campaign’s success. It aligns their success with the brand’s success. Additionally, this model is extensively used in affiliate marketing, where content creators receive a percentage of the sales they make,
- Keep in mind: Requires clear tracking and transparency for shared success metrics, such as UTM links or discount codes. Influencers who value long-term partnerships and affiliates may prefer this.
5. UGC Bundle Rates
What it is: Creators offer discounts if a brand purchases multiple videos.
For example, a bundle of 10 videos might be discounted by 20%, charging $1.696 for 10 videos, which is $169.6 per video compared to the individual average of $212.
Good for: Encourages brands to buy more content, providing creators with better rates without drastically increasing work.
Keep in mind: Discounted rates need to be negotiated carefully to ensure both parties benefit.
6. Multiple Concepts Discount
What it is: Brands may purchase various types of content in one go, such as an unboxing video, a testimonial, and a green screen video, again at a discounted rate.
Good for: Offers brands a variety of content, enhancing their campaign's effectiveness.
Keep in mind: Creators need to present compelling reasons for why multiple concepts benefit the brand.
7. Hook/CTA Variations: $50 Each
What it is: Additional hooks and calls to action can be included to maximize the ad's effectiveness.
Good for: Hooks and CTAs drive engagement and conversions, offering greater ROI for the brand.
Keep in mind: Ensure hooks and CTAs are well-crafted to match the campaign goals.
8. Usage Rights Extra Fee
What it is: Brands pay an additional 30-50% of the base rate for UGC usage rights beyond the standard period so they can use the content for longer.
Good for: Provides brands with extended usage while fairly compensating creators.
Keep in mind: Clear agreements on usage duration and rights are crucial.
9. Raw Footage Fee
- What it is: Brands can purchase raw footage for an additional 40% of the base rate, allowing them to create multiple ad variations.
- Good for: Enables brands to test different ad versions for effectiveness without additional content creation costs.
- Keep in mind: Raw footage should be organized and high-quality to facilitate brand use.
10. Whitelisting/Spark Ads
What it is: Allows a brand to run paid social ads through the creator's account, leveraging the creator's audience trust. This can be an extra 30% of the base fee.
Good for: Builds customer trust and can enhance ad performance.
Keep in mind: Requires transparency and trust between the brand and creator.
11. Organic Concept
What it is: Trend-led content created by UGC creators to resonate with target audiences can cost $250 more than the base fee.
Good for: Keeps content relevant and engaging, with the potential to go viral.
Keep in mind: Staying updated on trends is essential for this model to be effective.
UGC Rates vs. Influencer Rates
Although both UGC creators and influencers are involved in content creation, their fees differ significantly.
UGC rates are determined by specific deliverables such as the number of videos, usage rights, and the number of hooks.
While a creator's expertise can influence these rates, UGC pricing tends to be more standardized.
In contrast, influencer rates are based on factors like audience size, engagement rate, and niche relevance.
Influencers command higher fees due to their established following and their ability to drive brand awareness and conversions.
Unlike UGC creators, influencers not only create content but also leverage their personal influence to advertise for the brand.
That brings us to the next point:
Factors Influencing UGC Rates
1. Creator expertise and audience engagement
Influencers who are experts in their field, whether it’s fashion, tech, or fitness, have loyal followers who trust them deeply.
Brands may pay more for this knowledge and target audience engagement because it adds credibility to the promotion.
For example, travel content creators Yann ou Aurélie have a good engagement rate for Instagram, seeing as they’re mid-tier influencers.
This level of engagement implies they can generate an increase in conversion rate for the brands they work with.
2. Creator reach
The follower size is another important factor.
More followers mean more eyes on the brand’s message and more potential customers, making the influencer more valuable to the brand.
Pro tip: Take the audience size with a grain of salt.
Ensure your chosen creator has a solid engagement rate and no fake followers.
Here’s a free fake follower checker you can leverage, and what it shows for the above-mentioned profile:
3. Content complexity and format
Creating content that requires special skills or a lot of effort, like detailed graphics or in-depth research, deserves higher pay.
Different types of content, such as videos or professional photography, can take more time and expertise.
Brands may pay more for these formats as they often attract more attention.
Content formats like Instagram Stories, posts, or Reels cost differently.
Content creators might also charge more if you use their content in Spark Ads on TikTok or if they have to post product recommendations on their social channels. Conversely, blog posts cost less than user-generated visual content, even if the creator produces that content from scratch.
Pro tip: We use this collaboration cost calculator to assess how much an influencer can potentially request for different types of posts.
And here’s what it looks like:
4. Industry and niche dynamics
Influencers may charge more in industries with high competition or specific knowledge demands (like tech or finance) due to the expertise required.
Niche influencers who focus on one particular area within an industry can charge more because their unique perspective is often in high demand.
For example, Allison Boyle addresses an interesting niche as a Backpacking Educator & Life Coach.
She empowers a target audience of women to become self-sufficient hikers and leverage their adventures to reinvent themselves. As such, her visual content gallery is impressive.
5. Collaboration scope and exclusivity
If a brand wants the influencer to do multiple posts regularly or an extended campaign, the influencer may charge higher rates for the increased workload.
If a brand wants exclusive rights to each piece of content, restricting them from working with competitors, the influencer may charge more to compensate for this exclusivity.
6. Timeline and urgency
Influencers may charge more if a brand needs content quickly because they may need to rearrange their schedule or work extra hours to meet tight deadlines.
Urgent projects, where the influencer has to drop everything to help the brand quickly, can command higher rates due to the immediate nature of the work.
That’s especially true if the influencer has to handle the entire content creation process.
Get the most out of influencer marketing with our influencer-centric focus group agency
Setting UGC Rates: A Comprehensive Plan for Content Creators
Setting UGC rates is a crucial step for content creators looking to collaborate with brands effectively.
This comprehensive guide provides insights into determining fair and reasonable compensation for your creative efforts.
1. Understand Your Value
Understanding your value as a content creator is like recognizing the superpowers you bring to the table.
First, think about what makes you special in your field – your knowledge, skills, and the unique way you connect with your audience.
If you’re a fitness guru, it’s the workout wisdom you share; if you’re a beauty expert, it’s your makeup mastery.
Next, check out your audience – the people who follow you and hang on to your every word.
The more engaged they are, the more valuable your influence.
Don’t believe us? Research by Junkin Media shows that 28% of consumers say ads with UGC content in them are also more unique than ads without this type of content.
Pro tip for brands: Ensure the creators you partner with for user-generated content have positive reviews.
2. Do Benchmarking Within the Industry
Look around your industry and niche – what are the average asking prices? Look at different types of content, such as reviews on product pages, image galleries, and so forth, on different social media channels.
Knowing this helps you set a fair rate that aligns with your creative neighborhood’s reasonable standard.
Picture each social media platform as its own unique world with its own rules.
Like countries with different currencies, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms have their own rate standards.
So, when you’re setting your rates, it’s crucial to consider the platform you’re on.
Pro tip: If you partner with Showcase as a creator, rest assured that you’ll receive a fair price for the UGC you produce.
Showcase is a trusted name that connects brands with a curated network of top-performing content creators, ensuring your creative efforts are recognized.
3. Tailor Your Rates to Content Complexity
Let’s break it down.
When deciding how much to charge for your content, think about the effort you’re putting in.
Creating something fancy, like top-quality videos or detailed photos, is like preparing a special dish.
Now, here’s the deal: Just as a chef charges more for a gourmet meal, you can charge a bit more for your top-tier content.
This way, you’re not just setting a price; you’re recognizing the extra work that goes into making something exceptional.
Pro tip for brands: Make sure the creators you partner with can influence your potential customer’s purchasing decisions.
Polished, high-quality videos may look better and take more time than raw content, but it might not bring the same results.
Here are some of the most common UCG rates:
- Multiple Concepts: 25% Discount On Single Video
Sometimes, a brand might come for one thing but end up wanting more.
Offer them a wide range of promotional materials, like an unboxing video, a testimonial, and a green screen, and give them a discount for bundling these services.
- Hook/CTA Variations: $50 each
Hooks and calls-to-action (CTAs) are like secret ingredients.
Offer different versions to maximize the impact of your content.
Each extra hook or CTA is an added value that you can charge for.
- Usage Rights: 30-50% of Base Rate
When a brand uses your content, they need rights.
Offer usage rights for a specific duration (like 12 months) in your base rate.
If they want it forever, charge extra – around 30-50% of your base rate.
- Raw Footage: 30-50% Base Rate
Raw footage is a treasure.
Brands can create multiple ads from it.
Charge extra for this valuable resource, as it saves them money in the long run.
- Whitelisting/Spark Ads: 30% Base Rates Per Month
Letting a brand use your account for their ads builds trust.
Charge a fee for whitelisting, offering them a chance to reach more people through your account.
- Organic Concept: $150-200
Trends on social media can go viral quickly.
Stay updated, and offer on-trend content to relevant brands for an extra income boost. It’s like serving up what’s hot in the social media world.
4. Use Transparency in Negotiations
Discuss your rates with brands in a straightforward manner, explaining what you charge and what brands get in return.
This honesty builds trust and creates a solid starting point for a positive collaboration.
While having your rates is like setting the rules, be flexible.
If the brand has budget constraints or specific needs, consider adjusting slightly and meeting in the middle for a collaboration that works for everyone.
That brings us to the next point.
Negotiating UGC Rates: Best Practices for Brands and Creators
Here are some actionable tips to make this negotiation a smooth and beneficial process for both parties:
Understanding Each Other’s Value
- For brands: Recognize the influencer’s expertise, reach, and the unique connection they have with their audience. Understand that quality content has a real impact.
- For creators: Value your expertise and the audience you bring to the table. Demonstrate the tangible results your content can achieve.
Transparent Communication
- For both: Be open and honest about expectations, deliverables, and budget constraints. Clear communication builds trust and avoids misunderstandings down the road.
Clearly Define Deliverables
- For brands: Clearly outline what you expect from the creator – whether it’s a set number of posts, specific content types, or any additional services.
- For creators: Detail your offerings, including the type of content, its complexity, and any extra services. This clarity helps set the stage for fair compensation.
Flexibility in Negotiation
- For both: Be willing to be flexible. Brands, understand the creator’s worth, and creators, consider the brand’s budget constraints. Find a middle ground that benefits both parties.
Consider Long-Term Relationships
- For brands: Consider long-term collaborations if you find a creator whose content aligns with your brand. Building a relationship can lead to better rates and a more impactful partnership.
- For creators: If a brand shows interest in a long-term partnership, be open to adjusting rates based on the promise of sustained value.
Incorporate Performance Metrics
- For both: Discuss how success will be measured. Whether it’s engagement rates, conversions, or other key metrics, tying compensation to performance ensures a fair outcome.
Understand Industry Standards
- For brands: Research industry standards for UGC rates to ensure you offer fair compensation. This helps in attracting high-quality creators.
- For creators: Know the average rates in your niche. This knowledge empowers you to negotiate confidently without undervaluing your work.
Wrapping Up
Setting UGC rates entails balance and collaboration.
Creators, remember your worth, adapt rates to your cool content, and consider sweet extras.
Brands, know the standards, talk openly, and aim for lasting partnerships.
Clear communication, flexibility, and respect for each other’s roles make the process smoother.
This guide isn’t a strict rulebook but more like a friendly guide – timeless advice for a changing landscape.
Ready to take your UGC game to the next level?
Whether you’re a content creator looking for fair compensation or a brand seeking the perfect partnership, Showcase is here to make the magic happen!
Want more examples of successful UGC campaigns? Check out case studies of our performance-based UGC agency!
