3 Ways to Make Your UGC Portfolio Stand Out
If you’re delving in to the world of User Generated Content, I’m here to help. I’ve looked at hundreds (if not thousands) of UGC Creator portfolios, and I’m here to share some tips that may help you stand out.
It’s important to note that there are so many e-commerce brands in a variety of categories. By adding variety in to your portfolio, you’re opening up the conversation to brands you may not have considered. So often I see portfolios that are just geared towards skincare, beauty or fashion, that they’re leaving out entire wellness, food, or interior categories. Here are my tips to help you grow your client roster by adjusting the content in your portfolio.
UTILIZE ALL ROOMS IN YOUR SPACE.
If you only shoot in your most aesthetically pleasing little corner of your space, you are unintentionally cancelling yourself out of other opportunities.
Think of your home as a set for potential clients. Dedicate each video to showcasing a different room or setting in your space. This way, someone who is looking at your portfolio can visualize a video being shot in that space.
For example, I’ve worked with bathroom interiors brands, and one of the biggest struggles is having to ask creators “hey um… what does your bathroom look like?” Or food clients, and we have to ask for photos or video of your kitchen.
Side note on this: if you have access to a car, also shoot video in and around the car as well.
DIFFERENT VIDEO STYLES: SHOW YOUR SKILLS.
Many UGC creators opt for creating similar videos that don’t showcase the variety of the video or skill sets, or deter a client from wanting to pursue the creator. For example, it’s almost become rare for UGC Creators to include their own voice in their portfolios. We just see beautifully shot video, without context, or with a viral TikTok sound paired with it. The reality is that many brands know the video style they want, and a lot of that includes a script for the creator to follow.
Here are a few styles or video structures that you absolutely must add to your portfolio:
Speaking at the camera, in your voice. Show how you can speak to the camera (I can honestly say I’m surprised at how rare I see this in portfolios)
Provide a combination of you speaking at the camera, then going to demonstrate the use of a product with a voice over.
Green screen effect (try doing a listicle of “5 things I …”
BE ENTHUSIASTIC
Another common thing I see in UGC portfolios is lack of emotion or enthusiasm in videos. And as someone who scripts UGC videos, I often write with the idea of excitement in mind.
When looking through portfolios, I want to see the actual acting side of UGC creation come to life. A few examples of this are…
Do an unboxing / reaction video (with your voice), talking about how excited you are to be trying a product
Demonstrate preparing food or something, and trying it for the first time
Laughing, smiling, and overall having an exciting vibe.
While we all want to create aesthetic, beautiful videos, the reality is that brands look for videos built for engagement and optimization. They want people who can speak to the camera, connect with their audience, and ultimately contribute to the growth of their brand.