Why UGC ads work
People scroll past anything that looks like a brand talking about itself. A real person explaining, in their own words, why they use something breaks that pattern. UGC ads borrow the trust of a recommendation and the format people already watch, which is why they so often beat polished studio ads on cost per acquisition.
Research before scripts
The best angles are already in your customers' words. Before writing anything, I go through reviews, comments, support tickets and sales call notes to find the problems people describe, the objections they had and the moment they decided to buy. Those become the angles and hooks for the scripts.
Hooks, scripts and briefs
The first two seconds decide whether anyone watches the rest. Each video gets several hooks to test, a simple structure (problem, proof, product, prompt) and a brief that tells the creator what to say without making it sound scripted. I explain the thinking in UGC ads that don't feel like ads.
Testing, not guessing
Creative is now the biggest lever in paid social. I test hooks and angles in a structured way, measure hook rate, hold rate, click-through rate and cost per acquisition, and scale the combinations that work. Winning ads then feed back into the next round of briefs.
Rights and disclosure done properly
Every creator agreement sets out usage rights in writing: where the ads can run, for how long, and whether they can be edited. Ads carry clear disclosure in line with the rules in each market they run in, such as FTC guidance in the US and ASA rules in the UK, plus each platform's branded content policies, so your account stays healthy.
Part of the wider paid strategy
UGC creative works best inside a well-tracked account with landing pages that continue the story. That is why I usually run it alongside performance marketing, and why strong organic posts from social media often become the first ads to test.