Module 19

Creators, UGC and video ads

13 lessons, 52 stepsOne instruction at a time, each with the result to expect. Tick steps as you go; Helix remembers.

Outcome: you can find and sign creators, run partnership ads (ads from a creator's own account), build an affiliate program that does not clash with your own offers, and make video ads that stop the scroll. You will know how to write hooks and scripts, pick formats, film and edit, and brief creators so they deliver what you need the first time.

Related: Module 5 Creative strategy, Module 6 Defining campaigns, SOP 08 Creative briefs, UGC and creators, SOP 07 Creative testing

In plain words

Stage: Attract (get seen by people who want what you sell). Every lesson below is tagged with its stage; see Attract, Convert, Grow.

What it is: How to work with creators and make video ads people watch.

Why it matters: Real people showing your product often sell better than polished brand ads.

Do this:

  1. Find 3 small creators who already like your kind of product.
  2. Send a short brief: the problem, the product, the opening line ideas.
  3. Run their best video as a partnership ad and compare cost per sale.

Words to know:

  • Creator: A person who makes social content and can feature your product.
  • UGC: Photos and videos made by real customers or creators instead of the brand.
  • Partnership ad: An ad that runs from a creator's own account, so people see their name instead of yours.
  • Hook: The first line or first 3 seconds of an ad. Its only job is to make people stop scrolling.

All words are explained in the glossary.

Lesson 19.1: Why other people's faces sell your productAttract

Why this matters

People trust people more than brands. When someone who looks like your customer explains why they switched, it feels more real than the brand praising itself, and it gives ad platforms the variety of ages, styles and reasons they need to find new buyers. UGC (user-generated content) means photos and videos made by customers or creators instead of the brand.

0 of 3 steps done

Step 1 of 3

Read the four ways to work with creators in the table below (gifting, paid UGC, influencer or partnership, affiliate).

Expected result

You know what each costs and what you get.

Good to know

Four ways to work with creators:

Way What you give What you get Best when
Gifting Free product Maybe a post (not promised), sometimes raw video You are early, the budget is low, or you are testing if they fit
Paid UGC A fee per video (plus product) Raw videos you own and can use in ads. They do not have to post. You need lots of ad videos
Influencer or partnership A fee, commission, or both Posts to their audience, plus permission to run ads from their account Their audience is engaged and matches your customers
Affiliate Commission on each sale, and a discount code Regular posts, often from many small creators Products people buy again, with good margins

Lesson 19.2: Finding the right creatorsAttract

Why this matters

Fit matters more than follower count. A creator with 4,000 engaged followers who already talks about your kind of product beats a 400,000-follower lifestyle account.

0 of 5 steps done

Step 1 of 5

Search your own tags and mentions on Instagram and TikTok for customers who already post about you.

Expected result

You have a list of warm creator leads.

Lesson 19.3: Outreach and onboardingAttract

Why this matters

Good outreach is personal, offers product first and makes the ongoing money clear early. Creator videos often take 4 to 8 weeks to arrive, so start early.

0 of 5 steps done

Step 1 of 5

Send a personal first message that mentions a specific video of theirs (template below).

Expected result

Each message names something they made.

Good to know

Hi [name], I loved your video about [specific thing]. We make [product], built for people who [problem]. I think your audience would get a lot from it. Could I send you one to try, no strings attached? If you like it, we would love to talk about a paid collaboration and our affiliate program.

Lesson 19.4: Deals, rates and usage rightsAttract

Why this matters

Clear terms prevent disputes and let you use content the way you planned. Seven terms cover every creator deal.

0 of 3 steps done

Step 1 of 3

For each creator, agree the seven terms in the table below: deliverables, usage rights, exclusivity, partnership ad access, payment, changes and disclosure.

Expected result

Every term has an agreed answer.

Good to know

Term What to agree A typical starting point
What they deliver Number of videos, length, raw files, hooks 1 video plus 3 different hooks
Usage rights Where and for how long you can run their video as an ad 3 to 12 months of paid use
Exclusivity No posts for competitors for a set time Only if you pay extra for it
Partnership ad access Permission to run ads from their account Agreed in writing, for a set time
Payment A fee, product, commission, or a mix Small creators often start with product plus a modest fee
Changes How many rounds of edits 1 round
Disclosure A "Paid partnership" label or #ad Always required by law

Lesson 19.5: Affiliate programmes that do not cannibalise youAttract

Why this matters

An affiliate earns a commission on each sale they bring. Cannibalising means your own offers steal the sale from them, and when that happens creators stop posting.

0 of 5 steps done

Step 1 of 5

Set up an example offer, such as 10% off for the creator's audience and 15% commission on orders over $100 from new customers.

Expected result

The offer is live in your affiliate app.

Lesson 19.6: Partnership ads (whitelisting)Attract

Why this matters

Partnership ads (also called whitelisting) are paid ads that run from a creator's account instead of your brand page. People see a familiar person, not an ad. Meta reports lower cost per customer when they sit inside normal sales campaigns; treat that as a reason to test, not a promise.

0 of 5 steps done

Step 1 of 5

Ask the creator's permission in writing and agree how long it lasts.

Expected result

You have written permission with an end date.

Lesson 19.7: Video ad formatsAttract

Why this matters

The format is how a video tells its story: testimonial, demo, comparison and more. A healthy account has several formats live at once, matched to how well people know you.

0 of 2 steps done

Step 1 of 2

Label each live video ad with its format from the table below.

Expected result

You can see your current mix.

Good to know

Format What it looks like Best for
Talking to camera (testimonial) Creator talks to camera: the problem, the switch, the result Cold audiences who know the problem
Problem then solution Show the pain, then the product fixing it Cold audiences
Demo or how-to Hands and product, step by step People comparing options; products that need explaining
Unboxing First impressions, what is in the box Gifts, premium feel
Before and after A visible change (follow platform rules) Products with visible results
Comparison You versus the usual option, side by side Crowded categories
Listicle "4 reasons I switched" Explaining several benefits
Founder story Why we made it Trust, launches, higher prices
Myth busting "You have been told X. Here's the truth" Buyers who research a lot
Street or customer interview Real reactions Social proof
Day in the life The product inside a daily routine Lifestyle products
Reaction or stitch Replying to a comment or a one-star review Answering objections
Still image and carousel An image with a bold claim, review or offer Warm audiences, sales, catalog

Lesson 19.8: Hooks that win the first three secondsAttract

Why this matters

Every video has two hooks working together in the first 3 seconds: what you see (the visual hook) and the first sentence (the spoken hook). They do not have to say the same thing. Hooks are what you test most.

0 of 4 steps done

Step 1 of 4

Collect hook ideas from customer reviews, support emails and competitors' one and two star reviews.

Expected result

You have a hook bank of 10 or more ideas.

Lesson 19.9: ScriptingAttract

Why this matters

A script turns a hook into a sale. A simple five-part structure for 20 to 45 seconds works for most products, and rotating script ideas keeps ads fresh.

0 of 3 steps done

Step 1 of 3

Draft your script in the five parts in the table below: hook, problem or setting, product and proof, answer a worry, call to action.

Expected result

You have a 20 to 45 second script.

Good to know

A simple structure for a 20 to 45 second video:

Part Seconds Its job
Hook 0 to 3 Stop the scroll
Problem or setting 3 to 8 Make viewers think "that's me"
Product and proof 8 to 25 How it works, why it is different, the evidence
Answer a worry 25 to 35 Price, quality, fit or delivery
Call to action Last 3 to 5 What to do, and why now

Lesson 19.10: Shooting on a phoneAttract

Why this matters

A phone is enough to shoot ads that work. Light, sound and extra shots matter more than gear.

0 of 4 steps done

Step 1 of 4

Face a window for natural light, and avoid overhead light only.

Expected result

The face is evenly lit with no harsh shadows.

Lesson 19.11: Editing for performanceAttract

Why this matters

Editing decides whether people watch past 3 seconds. Fast cuts, captions and several hook versions are what lift results.

0 of 5 steps done

Step 1 of 5

Cut every 1 to 2 seconds at the start and remove pauses and filler words.

Expected result

The opening moves fast.

Lesson 19.12: The UGC briefAttract

Why this matters

A clear brief is the difference between videos you can use and wasted product. Send this one-page brief to every creator before they film.

0 of 4 steps done

Step 1 of 4

Copy the brief below and fill in brand, product, link, who you are and who it is for.

Expected result

The top of the brief is complete.

Good to know

UGC BRIEF
Brand: ______  Product: ______  Link: ______
Who we are (2 lines): ______
Who it's for: age ___, situation ___, the problem they feel ___
Goal of this video: [cold ad | warm ad | free post | sale]
Key message (one sentence): ______
Proof points to mention: 1) ___ 2) ___ 3) ___
Must say: ______   Must not say or claim: ______
Format: [talking to camera | demo | unboxing | listicle | other]
Hooks to film (film each one separately):
  1) ______
  2) ______
  3) ______
Script outline: hook / problem / product + proof / answer a worry / call to action
Call to action: ______  Offer or code: ______
Deliverables: ___ videos, ___ seconds, 9:16, raw files + edited, captions [Y/N]
Extra shots (B-roll) list: ______
Do: natural light, clear audio, show the product in the first 5 seconds
Don't: competitors' logos, copyrighted music, claims you cannot prove
Usage rights: paid ads for ___ months; partnership ad access [Y/N]
Deadline: ______   Payment: ______   Disclosure: required
Examples we love: [links]

Lesson 19.13: Building a creative engineAttract

Why this matters

A creative engine is a steady weekly supply of new ads. Accounts that keep winning are the ones that never run out of fresh, well-briefed creative.

0 of 4 steps done

Step 1 of 4

Set a target of 4 to 8 new ads a week at small to medium spend, more as spend grows.

Expected result

You have a weekly creative target.

Self-check

  1. A creator's code gives 10% off but your pop-up gives 15%. What happens, and how do you fix it?
  2. What are the two hooks in every video?
  3. Your video gets lots of views but few sales. Name two likely causes.
  4. When should you pay a creator a fee instead of only sending free product?
  5. Where do partnership ads belong in your ad account?
Answers
  1. Shoppers use the bigger public code, so the creator earns nothing and stops posting. Match the offers, or give creators something only they can offer.
  2. The visual hook and the spoken hook.
  3. A weak or missing call to action, or a hook that attracts people who will not buy. Also check the landing page matches the ad.
  4. Once their content has tested well, or when you need raw footage, hooks and usage rights by a deadline.
  5. Inside your normal sales campaigns as a batch of ads, judged by the same rules as other ads.

Words to know in this module

UGC
Photos and videos made by real customers or creators instead of the brand.
Partnership ad
An ad that runs from a creator's own account, so people see their name instead of yours.
Creative
The ad itself: the picture or video plus the words.
CPA
Cost per acquisition: how much ad money it took to get one sale.
Creator
A person who makes social content and can feature your product.
Hook
The first line or first 3 seconds of an ad. Its only job is to make people stop scrolling.
Usage rights
Permission to use a creator's content in a stated place (such as paid ads) for a stated time.
Break-even CPA
The most you can pay in ads for one sale before that sale stops making money.
Pop-up
A box on your site that asks visitors for their email, often with a small reward.
Campaign
The top level in an ad account. It holds the goal, like getting sales.
Hook rate
Out of everyone who saw your video ad, the share who watched at least 3 seconds. It tells you if the opening grabs attention.
Landing page
The page someone lands on after clicking an ad.
Angle
The reason to buy that an ad focuses on, like saving time or looking good.
All words to know