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How to Make UGC Ads: 7 Steps, With or Without Creators

To make UGC ads, write a short script that opens with a hook in the first 3 to 5 seconds, then film a real person using the product on a phone in vertical 9:16, talking straight to the camera. Add on-screen captions, end with one clear next step, and make two or three versions with different openings to test.

Checked October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page.

A UGC ad (user generated content ad) looks like a post a real customer made: handheld, filmed on a phone, with a person talking about a product in their own words. Brands use the style because it blends into feeds instead of looking like a studio ad. You can make one by filming yourself, by hiring a creator, or by generating the footage with AI. This guide covers the steps that work for all three, then shows how to make a UGC style video in Infinall AI, where the Video composer has a ugc format and lets you add your own avatar on the Pro plan.

Three ways to make a UGC ad
Film it yourselfHire a creatorGenerate with AI
CostFree, apart from your timeA fee per video, agreed with the creatorCredits or a subscription for the tool
SpeedSame dayDays to weeksMinutes per version
Feels realYes, if you are comfortable on cameraYes, the most natural deliveryClose, depends on the footage
Many versionsHard, every take is a new shootCosts more per extra versionEasy, change the script and run again
RightsYou own itNeeds a written usage agreementUse only faces and voices you own or have permission for

How to Make UGC Ads: 7 Steps, With or Without Creators

  1. Pick one angle and one viewer

    Choose a single reason someone would buy: a problem solved, a result, an objection answered or a comparison with what they use now. Write down who the viewer is and where they will see the ad. A UGC ad that tries to cover every feature sounds like a sales script, not a real person.

  2. Write a hook-first script

    Open with the problem, a surprising result or a direct question, not a logo or a greeting. A hook is the first 3 to 5 seconds, so it has to work alone. Then show the product doing the job, add one or two details a real user would mention, and close with one next step. Keep the language casual and read it out loud with a timer.

  3. Choose who appears on camera

    You have three options: film yourself or a team member, hire a creator who makes UGC for brands, or use an AI presenter. A creator brings an audience-ready delivery but costs money and time. Filming yourself is free. An AI presenter is fast for testing many scripts, but use only a face and voice you own or have permission to use.

  4. Film vertical, handheld and close

    Shoot in 9:16 on a phone, held at arm's length or propped at eye level, in soft natural light. Keep the product in the hands and in the frame. For TikTok in-feed ads, TikTok recommends vertical 9:16 video of at least 540x960 pixels. Record several takes of the hook, since it is the part you will test most.

  5. Edit for the sound-off viewer

    Cut pauses and keep the pace quick. Add captions for every spoken line and put the key benefit on screen as text. Keep text and faces away from the edges where the app shows buttons and captions, and check the frame with a safe zone tool before you export.

  6. Make versions to test

    Change one thing per version: the hook, the person, the first shot or the call to action. Export each as its own MP4 and name it so you can tell them apart in results. Testing two or three hooks on the same body is the quickest way to learn what works.

  7. Get rights, then publish

    If a creator or customer appears, get written permission to use their face, voice and video in paid ads before you run them. Follow each platform's rules for labelling paid partnerships. Then upload the ad to your ad account, or post it organically first and boost it once it gets a response.

How to make UGC ads with AI in Infinall

Infinall AI makes UGC style videos in the Video composer, which is part of the Pro plan.

  1. Open Home and choose Video. Type your brief: who the viewer is, what the product does and what the person should say. A brief can be 5 to 5000 characters.
  2. Type / and pick the ugc format, which makes handheld, phone style footage with a casual demo. The testimonial format makes a seated customer interview, and avatar makes a presenter speaking straight to the camera.
  3. Press the plus button to attach product photos and set each file's role, such as product_visual. You can attach up to 10 files, each up to 100 MB, and you must tick the rights and consent box.
  4. Set the length (1 to 180 seconds) and a platform preset or shape. A story ad is always 9:16.
  5. Choose Storyboard if you want to read and edit the spoken lines first, then press Create video, read the price card and press Approve & render.
  6. Download the finished MP4 from its card. Downloading is free.

Use your own face and voice as the presenter

If you want the person in the ad to be you, make an avatar. Press the plus button, then Create avatar. Record a 6 second selfie or upload up to 6 photos, record your voice (an avatar voice needs at least 20 seconds, and 40 seconds or more is better), name it and tick the consent box. It takes about a minute. Then pick the avatar card in the plus menu and choose a model listed under Works with your avatar. Turn on lip sync so the presenter speaks your lines in your voice.

Avatars are for your own face and voice, or someone who has given you permission. You cannot save one without ticking the consent box.

Common mistakes

  • Opening with a brand intro instead of the hook, so viewers scroll past.
  • Scripts that sound like ad copy. Real users mention small details and one honest downside.
  • Filming horizontally and cropping later, which cuts the product out.
  • No captions, so the ad makes no sense with the sound off.
  • Running a creator's video as a paid ad without a written agreement that covers paid use.
  • Testing one version only. Make at least two hooks so you have something to compare.

Can you make UGC ads for free?

Yes. Filming yourself on a phone and editing in a free app costs nothing but time. In Infinall AI, the Free plan gives 1,000 credits every month with no card. On Free you can write the script, make a voiceover and make Motion videos, but the Video composer with the ugc format and avatars is part of Pro. Pro costs $10 for the first month, then $30 a month or $299 a year (in India, Rs 999 for the first month, then Rs 2,899 a month or Rs 33,999 a year), and gives 3,000 credits a month. You see the exact price of each video before you press Approve & render.

If you already work with creators and only need to edit their footage, a regular video editor may be all you need. AI helps most when you want many scripts and hooks tested quickly.

Frequently asked questions

What is a UGC ad?

An ad that looks like content a real customer made: a person filmed on a phone, talking about or using a product in a casual way, usually in vertical video for social feeds.

How do I make UGC ads for brands as a creator?

Make a few sample videos with products you own, film vertical with a strong hook and captions, and agree in writing with each brand how long and where they can run your video as a paid ad.

Can I make UGC ads with AI?

Yes. In Infinall AI, pick the ugc format in the Video composer on Pro, describe the product and the lines, and attach product photos. You can also use your own avatar as the presenter.

How long should a UGC ad be?

Short enough to hold attention. The hook is the first 3 to 5 seconds. In Infinall AI a video can be 1 to 180 seconds, so test a short cut and a longer one.

Sources and checks

Every price, rating and number on this page comes from the source pages below, checked October 2026. Prices and plans change often, so confirm on the vendor's own page before you buy.

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