To make a UGC ad, pick one problem your product solves and write a hook that says it in the first 2 seconds. Film a person saying it to a phone camera, then show the product solving it. Keep it 15 to 30 seconds, vertical, with captions. Make 3 hooks and test them.
What goes into a UGC ad?
A UGC ad has 5 parts. Each part answers the viewer's next question.
| Part | Time in a 20 second ad | Viewer's question | What to show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0 to 3 s | Why should I watch? | A person says the problem or the result |
| Problem | 3 to 6 s | Is this about me? | The situation the viewer is in now |
| Proof | 6 to 15 s | Does it really work? | The product doing it, on screen |
| Payoff | 15 to 18 s | What do I get? | The result: the finished thing |
| Call to action | 18 to 20 s | What do I do now? | Where to go, said and shown |
For software, the proof is the part most UGC ads get wrong. A person saying "this app is amazing" proves nothing. A screen showing the task done proves it.
Step 1: Pick one problem and one viewer
Write one sentence: "[Viewer] who [situation] can [result] with [product]." For example: "Freelancers who chase late invoices can get paid on time with automatic reminders."
One ad, one problem. If you have 3 features to sell, make 3 ads.
Step 2: Write 3 hooks
The hook is the first line. It should make sense with the sound off, so it also appears as a caption.
| Hook type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Result | "I stopped [pain] / [good result] in [time]." | "My invoices get paid on time now." |
| Problem | "If you [pain], watch this." | "If you still chase clients for payment, watch this." |
| Contrast | "Stop [old way]. Do [new way]." | "Stop writing payment reminder emails." |
| Question to self | "Why did nobody tell me [thing]?" | "Why did nobody tell me invoices can remind clients?" |
| Show first | Start on the result, then explain | The paid invoice notification, then "Here's how." |
A result hook spoken by an AI creator should describe the product, not claim a personal result. See what is AI UGC for safe wording.
Step 3: Fill in the script template
Copy this and replace the brackets. One line of speech is about 2 to 3 seconds.
| Time | Shot | Said (and captioned) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 s | Creator to camera, phone at arm's length | "[Hook]" |
| 3 to 6 s | Creator, or the old way on screen | "[The situation]. [Why it's annoying]." |
| 6 to 10 s | Product screen: the first action | "So I [first action] in [product]." |
| 10 to 15 s | Product screen: the result appears | "[What happens], and [second benefit]." |
| 15 to 18 s | Creator over the product, or the result close up | "Now [payoff]." |
| 18 to 20 s | Creator, then the sign-up page or app store badge | "[Call to action]. [Offer, if any]." |
Step 4: Make a shot list
The shot list tells whoever films exactly what to capture. This one fits the template above.
| # | Shot | Framing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hook to camera | Chest up, phone at eye level, held in hand | Look into the lens, not the screen. Start talking in the first frame. |
| 2 | Reaction or problem | Same framing, or the messy old way (a spreadsheet, a pile of emails) | Optional. Skip it in a 15 second ad. |
| 3 | Product: first action | Screen recording, zoomed to the click | Real data in the account. No empty states. |
| 4 | Product: result | Screen recording, zoomed to the result | Hold the result for at least 1 second. |
| 5 | Creator over product | Creator cut out, or in a circle in a corner, over shot 4 | Edit step, not a separate filming step. |
| 6 | Call to action | Creator to camera, then the sign-up page | Show the URL or the store badge on screen. |
| 7 | Alternate hooks | Same framing as shot 1 | Film all 3 hooks in one session. |
Step 5: Brief the person on camera
Whether it is a hired creator, a teammate or you, send this brief.
- The one sentence from step 1, so they know the point.
- The script, with the lines they must say exactly and the lines they can say in their own words.
- Framing: vertical 9:16, phone held at eye level, chest up, a window in front of them.
- Sound: a quiet room, no music, a clip-on microphone if they have one.
- Takes: each hook 3 times, plus 2 seconds of silence before and after each take.
- What not to say: results they have not had, competitor names, prices that may change.
- Rights: where and for how long you may run the video as an ad. Put it in writing.
If you hire creators, ask for raw footage too. You can then cut new versions without a new shoot.
Step 6: Record the product
Use a demo account with realistic sample data. Record the screen at the size the ad needs: a phone layout for a 9:16 ad, or a desktop window you zoom into. Do each action slowly and pause on the result. The website demo guide covers clean screen recording in detail.
Step 7: Edit
- Cut every pause. The first word should land in the first frame.
- Add captions for every word. Many people watch with the sound off.
- Keep text away from the edges, where the platform's buttons and caption sit. The video ad specs page lists each platform's safe zones.
- Zoom into the product on each click, so the action is readable on a phone.
- Keep one voice. If the creator speaks on camera, they should also narrate the screen shots.
- Export 1080 x 1920 MP4 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
Step 8: Test hooks, then bodies
Run the same body with 3 different hooks first. Keep the one that holds viewers longest past the first 3 seconds. Then test a new proof section or a new call to action with that hook. Change one part at a time, or you will not know which change worked.
Doing this with distrorig
distrorig makes marketing videos for software: an AI agent uses your product and records it, an AI creator introduces it on camera, and an AI voice narrates. It covers steps 4 to 7 of this guide. You describe the ad in a chat, the assistant writes the script and shot list with you, and you approve a still of the creator before any clip is made. The agent records the product steps in your real product. To test hooks, change only the first shot; the rest of the ad is kept. See AI UGC ads for software.
If you sell a physical product, or you already work with creators you like, the manual method above is the better path.