Finding and assessing UGC creators

Start with the work the brand needs, then compare creators against criteria that fit that work. If a creator will post to their own audience, their account is relevant. If the brand mainly needs files for its own channels, focus on clear demonstrations, communication and the ability to deliver the agreed format.

Here, UGC means content commissioned from a creator. Do not present it as an unpaid customer contribution or ask a creator to describe product experience they have not had.

Define the role before searching

Write a short selection brief covering the product, the buyer question the content should answer, whether the creator appears on camera, and whether they will supply files, publish a post or both. Include any filming location or equipment the job requires. Separate essential requirements from preferences.

Production skill and audience reach are different questions. Someone may explain a difficult setup well without having a large following. Someone with a suitable audience may be valuable for a creator post without being the best choice to produce files for the brand.

Build a shortlist from relevant work

Look through public portfolios, creators' own posts, recommendations from people who have commissioned similar work, and directories with viewable examples. Search for the product action as well as its category: opening, fitting, assembling or cleaning may reveal more useful work than a broad UGC search. Ask candidates which parts of a relevant example they filmed and edited themselves.

Note the example that prompted each shortlist choice. A portfolio can show how a creator frames a product and explains an action. It cannot establish how a new campaign will perform.

Where Australian brands source creators

Existing customers are often the best starting point. Post-purchase email flows can ask for video reviews, often in exchange for store credit, which is cheap, authentic and scalable. This works when the brand already has buyers who use the product.

Creator marketplaces such as Billo, TRIBE and AspireIQ list UGC creators and can return content in about a week, though quality varies and applications need filtering. Influee describes itself as a UGC platform in Australia and says creators come to a campaign within 24 hours; it lists 4,000+ vetted creators in Australia.

Direct outreach on Instagram or TikTok can target micro-influencers with 5,000–50,000 followers and high engagement. Australian consumers respond better to Australian voices; prioritise local creators. Australia has high social media usage, and Instagram and TikTok function as discovery tools.

In Australia, Facebook remains the most widely used platform (78% of users), while Instagram (65%) and TikTok (48%) are also influential. If the creator will post to their own audience, check that the platform matches where the target buyer spends time.

Australian Social Media Platform Usage (2025)

Top Australian UGC Creator Sourcing Channels

Compare evidence against the task

Use the same questions for each candidate:

Watch a complete example where possible. A highlight reel may cut past the setup step or suggest a result the footage does not show. Check speech, captions and imagery for claims broader than the visible evidence.

Confirm claims and disclosure

The ACCC can require businesses to back up claims they make on social media. It can investigate and may take compliance or enforcement action for false or misleading claims in social media advertising. It does not resolve individual disputes about misleading claims.

Speak to the creator before booking

Describe the assignment and ask how they would handle a difficult moment. Useful questions from a creator may concern the product variant, instructions, claim limits or intended placement. Ask when they can start after receiving the product, where they can film, what they edit and how they handle corrections.

If the concept needs a first-person account, allow time for the creator to use the product before approving that wording. Do not script a customer history they do not have. If they will publish a promotional post, agree how the commercial relationship will be clear to viewers.

Direct, personalised outreach can produce a 15–20% response rate. Keep the first message specific to the assignment and the creator's relevant work.

Make the decision and record its limits

For a close choice, a small paid assignment can reveal how shortlisted creators work with the brief. Agree on the fee, output, deadline, feedback and permitted sample use before work starts. Judge the result against the stated task. One sample is limited evidence of fit, not a forecast of campaign results.

Keep a decision note with the buyer question, relevant examples, observed strengths, open risks and reason for the choice. Settle the full booking separately, including deliverables, usage, dates and revisions.

Set contract terms before booking

The Australian Government's business guidance on contracts advises using plain English. A simple contract should state the work the contractor will do or the results they will achieve. It should also set out how much, when and how the hirer will pay. It should cover the conditions the contractor must fulfil for the hirer to consider the contract finished, and how disputes will be handled.

All written contracts should include both parties' full legal names and business addresses. Include both parties' ABNs if needed. Add a company's ACN if it differs from the last 9 digits of its ABN. Both parties must sign, and the contract should state that the person is a genuine contractor, not an employee; sham contracting is illegal.

That guidance lists further matters to consider, including intellectual property rights, confidential information, liability for loss or damage, insurance, subcontracting, exclusivity, restraint of trade, responsibility for faulty or incomplete work, dispute settlement, variations and early termination. Use these as prompts when preparing the booking.